Do you know that according to the WHO (World Health Organization), life expectancy has dramatically increased during the last century? People (aged 65 and above) are going to outnumber kids (under the age of 14) by the year 2050!

This shift in the age demographics has raised some significant issues related to the quality of life and health. And these problems are not only for aging individuals. Their children have to face them too. You can have a subscription to one of the Frontier packages and give them gadgets to enjoy their favorite online activities. But that’s not enough. There’s more to senior health and quality of life than mere entertainment.

Thankfully, there are tons of gadgets and smart home features specifically designed for seniors. Thanks to technological advancement! Let’s explore.

Top 8 Smart Home Features and Devices Designed for Seniors

1. Smart Assistants Allow You to Make Calls from Any Spot in Your House.
2. Controlling and Monitoring Home Appliances Remotely to Save Energy.
3. Preventing Seniors from Accidental Wandering with Elderly Monitoring System.
4. Easy-to-Use and Convenient Smart Locks.
5. S.O.S. Safety Gadgets.
6. Care Coordination.
7. Devices and Apps to Socialize.
8. Voice-Stimulated Virtual Assistants.

Smart Assistants Allow You to Make Calls from Any Spot in Your House

Home automation is full of advantages for the disabled and elderly. They function as intercoms in the house and you make calls from anywhere. Your elderly parents can easily contact you without having to locate the phone. If they need sudden medical attention or if they fall, they can contact you instantly. From the perspective of safety, this feature is of great value.

Controlling and Monitoring Home Appliances Remotely to Save Energy

Let’s face it. Taking care of sick and elderly parents is a nerve-racking job. At this age, they become senile and most of them suffer from Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. Living with these conditions, they often forget to turn off lights and lower thermostat. Some of the most alarming things are leaving the faucets running and forgetting to turn off ovens and stovetops.

With smart technology, you can detect abnormal use of appliances at home. The appliance monitoring feature of smart homes sends alerts to the seniors as well as their caregivers whenever it detects unusual activity. These systems allow you to turn off and change settings of the appliances remotely. That’s a relief for those who are taking care of aging parents. Also, it ensures safety.

Preventing Seniors from Accidental Wandering with Elderly Monitoring System

If the seniors are suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s, a single button for emergencies is not sufficient to ensure their safety. Dementia patients are prone to various risks. One of them is wandering away from their homes. They can become lost and disoriented once they are out.

Monitoring systems like geofencing allows you to keep track of people suffering from dementia. You can set up designated areas as safe zones through your GPS. If they wander out of the safe zones, you will be notified readily via smartphone apps. These apps will help you track them too.

Easy-to-Use and Convenient Smart Locks

Take advantage of smart locks to make your home secure. They also offer a good deal of advantages to seniors who are aging in place. You can use it via a smartphone app and you can easily lock and unlock the doors of your house remotely. You can even set times to lock the doors automatically.

With this app, you can grant access to specific people such as caregivers to access the house. if you use smart locks, a physical key is no longer required.

S.O.S. Safety Gadgets

PERS (Personal emergency response systems) are becoming more sophisticated. There are wristbands and pendants for medic alerts, which can be pressed at the time of emergency. These alerts reach a family member or a medical professional to get help instantly. Some companies offer mobile PERS and it works anywhere and not just inside the house. These gadgets also include features such as fall detection and they send alerts in such cases even when the patient has not pressed the button.

You can use safety sensors too. They can be attached to things of their use such as bed, door, their chair, and so on.

Care Coordination

Care coordination devices and apps are great to keep family members informed. They will also keep professional caregivers, members of the care team, physicians and other family members informed. They all stay on the same page when it comes to updates and info about their concerned seniors.

Devices and Apps to Socialize

Loneliness is common among seniors. If you provide them with apps and gadgets to socialize, they can keep it at bay. They crave for interaction even if it is on a gadget screen. There are specially designed large-screened devices for elderly people to enjoy news, play games, and video chat with their family and friends. Remember, seniors need their due dose of socialization. And if you have a busy schedule, ensure getting one of these devices and apps.

Voice-Stimulated Virtual Assistants

Amazon Alexa and Siri have revolutionized smart homes. These smart voice assistants provide companionship, helpful info, and an easy link to the world outside. Amazon Alexa comes with a smart speaker and can be extremely helpful for seniors who live alone. It is an efficient tool as well as a great digital companion. Smart assistants also help in accessing entertainment. They can tell then to read eBooks for them or play videos or music for them.

Seniors with limited mobility will have more enjoyable and independent lives with these smart assistants. If you invest in a virtual assistant, you don’t have to get a subscription to one of the Frontier TV packages. Because they will get their due dose of entertainment from it. And guess what. They will also not complain that no one has spoken to them all day.