As people get older, many may need a support system, including family, caregivers, and a residence that has been outfitted to accommodate the common frailties of age, such as reduced vision, decreased mobility, and increased risk of falls. Smart-home devices—including small sensors, discreet cameras, smoke alarms, and voice-activated speakers—can make everyday life safer, more convenient, and more social for older adults. We’ve spent years testing smart-home gear of every variety, and with the help of experts we’ve compiled this collection of devices that are especially well suited to helping older adults live more independently—while also providing peace of mind for their caregivers. “You’re empowering someone to live ways that they’ve never been able to live before based on their chronic conditions,” said Andy Miller, Senior Vice President of Innovation and Product Development at AARP. AARP has partnered with some smart-home device makers to offer discounts on select devices and services. The writer first started testing smart-home devices more than 20 years ago, and interviewed doctors and experts who specialize in smart-home technology for those ageing in place, including William Dale, Professor and Chair of Supportive Care Medicine at City of Hope and Director of the Center for Cancer and Ageing; Andy Miller at AARP; Laurie Orlov, analyst and founder of Aging and Health Technology Watch; and Kris Thompson, smart technology specialist and CAPS (Certified Ageing in Place Specialist) at the Oak Hill NEAT Center. According to AARP, about 55 million people over the age of 65 live in the US. And 87 percent of those in a 2014 AARP survey said they planned to live at home rather than transition to some sort of care facility. In part, that’s because the idea of living out the rest of one’s years in a different place may be a frightening prospect—both mentally and financially—for some people. In many cases, the costs of assisted or nursing care are simply too high and out of reach. A 2020 Genworth survey indicates that the median cost of assisted living in the US is around $4,500 per month—with nursing homes costing more than double that. While smart-home devices certainly can’t be a replacement for human care, they can be a reliable tool when you or other caregivers can’t be around in person, providing a 24/7 connection to help ensure safety, assist with daily tasks, and allow you to check in on a loved one. Most smart devices are simple to set up with a smartphone; they also send notifications when activated, and in many cases, they provide remote-access control. Thoughtfully assembled, a system that you put together can allow you to monitor and assist a loved one in emergencies or day-to-day, depending on your situation. The decision to use this technology is a weighty issue due to security and privacy concerns. All of the experts we spoke with noted that the decision to install any devices should be made with the consultation and blessing of the individual in question. Several Experts were quick to point out the importance of partnering in advance with the person who will be living with these devices so that they better understand how it can help them feel safer and more comfortable, and even live a more independent life. The person should be fully informed that the devices are there, what they do, and how they work. It’s also important to remember that most smart-home devices are not one-size-fits-all. People aging in place don’t range just by age: Speech, motor, and mobility issues may affect the devices that people need or want, although many options may overlap with those for people living an active, completely independent lifestyle.
The smart home isn’t just nifty gadgets: For those who have accessibility challenges, smart devices can be empowering and enable independent living. Most smart devices have a dedicated companion app that you use to set up and manage the device and receive alerts and notifications. All the devices we selected work with iOS or Android devices, but if you intend to have several smart devices work together—to integrate them—first confirm that they support the same smart-home software platforms (you don’t want to discover later that the devices can’t talk to one another). The most popular platforms are Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Home, and Samsung SmartThings. Many smart devices allow you to control them using at least one and often several of those platforms. Most of these devices require a Wi-Fi connection to function. If you’re planning to use multiple devices or any that stream video, make sure the person’s home has sufficient Wi-Fi bandwidth, and if the home has poor reception in some areas, consider investing in a wireless extender or a Wi-Fi mesh networking kit. Smart-home devices rely heavily on data to do their job, which is what makes them “smart.” Variously, that could be information about conditions in your home, your location throughout the day, or maybe the frequency and way in which you interact with all your devices. Some of that data is meaningless, but some of it you might consider personal, so we think it’s important to consider what data your devices collect and how it is protected.
Source: The New York Times
