Aging in place is a trend that has become increasingly popular as large portions of the U.S. population grows older. Fortunately, smart home technology can help with this.
Aging in place refers to the desire of older adults to remain in their homes and communities as they age, rather than relocating or moving into an institutional setting. In fact, a 2018 AARP survey found that 77% of adults aged 50 and older want to age in place. In a recent survey by U.S. News & Report, 93% of the 2,000 U.S. adults aged 55 and older who participated said that aging in place is an important goal for them.
There are many reasons why aging in place is becoming more popular. One reason is that older adults often have a strong attachment to their homes and communities. They may have lived in their homes for many years, raised their families there, and developed a strong social network in their community. They may not want to leave their friends and neighbors.
Another reason for the popularity of aging in place is that it can be more affordable than moving into an institutional setting. While in-home care can be expensive, it is often offset by the cost of living in a nursing home or assisted living facility.
Aging in place can also be a more convenient option for older adults. They may not want to have to move to a new location, and they may not want to have to learn how to navigate in a new environment.
In addition, older adults who age in place tend to be happier and healthier than those who do not. They also tend to have a higher quality of life.
There are, however, also some impediments to aging in place. One challenge is that older adults may need to find ways to get around if they are no longer able to drive. Another hurdle is that older adults may need to make some changes to their homes to make them safer and more accessible. This is where smart home technology can come into play.
In most cases, a wide range of smart products is available in each category listed below. For categories with fewer products, I’ve referenced specific items and included links to the manufacturers’ websites.
Smart Sensors
Sensors (motion, temperature, contact, etc.) are a key smart home feature that can make a home safer for older adults.
- Motion sensors can automatically turn on lights in a room at night when someone enters to minimize the chances of a fall
- Temperature sensors can detect high temperatures that could be the precursor to a house fire — even before smoke is detected. A rate-of-rise heat detector is available as an option for many security systems. These are very useful in a garage for detecting fires since a smoke detector is subject to false alarms from exhaust fumes in a garage.
- Bed sensors can detect if a senior is too ill to get out of bed and needs assistance. There are many affordable bed sensors that act as contact sensors, turning on or off depending on whether the bed is occupied. These can be connected to the contact input of a Shelly relay, such as the Shelly Plus 1, to make it smart and to allow the smart home system to trigger notifications to family members.
- Recent generations of smart watches can detect a fall and alert family members
- Smart watches with health sensors can detect ailments, such as atrial fibrillation, that require treatment from a physician
- Smart security cameras can be used by family members to check in on older adults though these raise potential privacy issues
Smart Speakers/Voice Assistants
Smart speakers/voice assistants (Amazon Echo, Google Nest, Apple HomePod) are also very useful for helping to keep seniors safe in their homes. They allow someone, who can’t reach a phone, due to illness or injury, to call family members, or even emergency services, for assistance. They also allow someone with physical limitations to control lights and other integrated smart home devices in their home.
Voice commands reduce the learning curve of using a smart device, and games, music, and podcasts supported by a smart speaker can be source of entertainment to someone that would otherwise be isolated in their home.
In addition, there are a wealth of add-on “skills” that are designed for, or very beneficial, for seniors. Amazon even held a contest in 2022 challenging developers to write new skills specifically designed for seniors. Here are some of the most intriguing options:
- Ask My Buddy – Allows someone to send personal alert messages to members of their support network or to local emergency first responders.
- Alexa Together – Alexa Together is an Amazon subscription service designed to support people aging in place using Amazon Echo devices in the senior’s home. It includes customized alerts to the caregiver such as when the senior first interacts with one of the Alexa devices, 24/7 urgent response to a request for help from the senior through an Alexa device, support through multiple family members, fall detection response, photo sharing, and more.
- Podcasts and add-on apps/skills can be a source of exercise programs to support better health. One example is Body Works: Senior Workout. This skill provides “7-minute modified workout plans for seniors with a focus to improve hip and back muscles as well as core strength for stability.”
- Your Memory Challenge – This Alexa skill tests how well someone listens to five brief stories. Other Alexa skills to help maintain cognitive abilities are Brain Games and Brain Workout.
- Podcasts and add-on apps / skills can be a source of healthy recipes. The Alexa Healthy Meals skill provides a random healthy recipe each time the skill is opened.
- Add-on apps/skills can provide a person with physical limitations access to food delivery services or transportation.
- Built-in reminder functionality along with add-on apps/skills can remind a senior when to take medications.
Additional Smart Home Devices
There are additional smart home devices that can be useful for aging in place:
- Motorized blinds and windows can ease reach issues that an older adult may have, especially if they are, for example, confined to a wheel chair
- Radiant floor heating requires little, to no, maintenance and removes the necessity of having to periodically change a furnace filter to keep a furnace operating safely and efficiently.
- A monitored alarm system provides, security, peace of mind, and fast access to emergency services in the event of an urgent situation.
- A smart doorbell camera provides added security for a senior who may be vulnerable to attack. It also allows a senior to answer the door as if they are home, even when they aren’t. When coupled with a smart door lock the homeowner can give someone access to their home even when they are physically unable to get to the door.
- A smart thermostat can automatically switch between heating and cooling a home to maintain a safe living environment.
- Smart appliances, such as a smart oven, and meal delivery services can reduce the complexity of preparing meals
- Smart plugs can be used to monitor the energy used by an appliance. For example, a smart plug connected to a coffee maker could trigger a notification to a caregiver when the coffee maker is switched on in the morning letting the caregiver know that the senior is up and out of bed.
- According to the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA), the number one cause of home fires is unattended cooking. Additionally, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), reports that people over the age of 65 are 2.5 times more likely to be injured or die in a kitchen fire compared to other age groups. The iGuardStove has models for both electric and gas stoves that shuts down a stove after a period of time if a person isn’t actively monitoring the stove. iGuardStove also can disable the stove to control late-night unsafe user or accidental energizing of the stove by children or pets, send alerts if hot or cold temperature limits in the home are exceeded, and includes an emergency shutoff button.
- Oftentimes, as people get older, they develop medical issues that require medication. As the number of medications that a person is required to take grows, the scheduling of when to take specific medications along with the proper dose of each medication can become more and more complicated. Smart, automated pill dispensers, such as the Hero and the MedaCube, can simplify the task of taking medications and eliminate dangerous errors.
- Dawn House is described as the ultimate hospital bed alternative. The Dawn House bed features adjustable height for ease of getting in and out of bed, an optional support rail, motion-activated under-bed lighting, the ability to raise the head and/or feet, health and sleep sensors, and anti-snore features.
It is also worth mentioning that U.S. News and Report highlighted other technologies, besides smart home tech, that have made it easier to age in place:
- “Medical or health-related mobile apps
- Service-related apps (i.e., grocery delivery/food delivery apps)
- Wearable medical or health-related trackers
- Hearing assistance-related devices
- Medical alert system/devices”
Samsung is offering a solution that integrates services with SmartThings smart home products and U.S. SmartThings app users with Galaxy smartphones, SmartThings Family Care. This new offering includes activity notifications to caregivers if abnormalities are detected in users’ daily routines, medication and appointment reminders, and location-based notifications to caregivers. In addition, other features of the SmartThings app can be leveraged, including smart home automations.
Finally, for those that want a more turnkey solution, Caregiver Smart Solutions provides comprehensive aging in place technology solutions, assistive resources, and full support so that a family isn’t left trying to piece together different pieces of technology, that they may not be experts in, to create a solution for keeping themselves or an elderly relative safe in their own home.
Aging in place offers real value to seniors. It allows them to maintain their independence, can help them maintain their mental health, maintain their overall quality of life, and is much more affordable than traditional long-term care facilities. Smart home technology can help make a senior’s existing home a safer and healthier environment to live in.
