As people age, simple, everyday tasks they never gave much thought to before can become much more difficult. Innocuous activities like answering the door on time, remembering to take daily medications, and finding the light switch in a darkened room can cause undue stress and even be downright dangerous. Luckily, there are a number of new smart home technologies hitting the market that make these kinds of activities easier than ever. Check out our roundup of smart home devices you or your family member will love.
Ring Video Doorbell
Rushing to answer the door before a visitor or delivery person leaves, not hearing the doorbell, or fear of being harassed by overly persistent solicitors can all cause problems for seniors. Fortunately, the Ring Video Doorbell (and others like it) can simplify all of these issues. This futuristic doorbell has a camera and motion sensor that seniors can access through an app on their smartphone or tablet, allowing them to preview who is outside – and even speak to them – from anywhere in their home, without having to open the door.
MedMinder
Remembering to take your medication can be difficult for anyone, especially if you take some medications at odd hours or not every day. This unique device helps seniors stay on top of their medications by allowing them, their caregiver, or a loved one to set up reminders and control when medications are dispensed. And for seniors who are taking potentially dangerous medications, it includes the option to lock all other medications for the day and week, so only a single compartment is accessible at a given time.
Philips Hue
Getting up in the middle of the night to use the restroom or investigate a mysterious sound can be potentially dangerous for a senior if it’s dark and a light switch is difficult to find. Enter the Philips Hue smart lights. Screw these LED lightbulbs into any standard lamp, connect the Hue Bridge to your WiFi router, and you can turn the bulbs on and off – and even adjust their brightness – using an app on your smartphone or tablet computer. It doesn’t get much easier than that!
Amazon Echo Show
By now, chances are good that you’ve heard of the Amazon Echo. But it’s OK if you haven’t. The Amazon Echo is a voice-controlled “smart speaker” you can command to do things like play a certain song, read you a particular Bible verse, or tell you the weather forecast. The Amazon Echo Show adds a video screen, allowing you to view the information the Echo provides, such as news headlines, live sports, and TV shows. You can also use it to video chat with friends and family. The Amazon Echo can also connect with many of your other smart home devices, such as the Ring Doorbell and Phillips Hue lights, allowing you to control them all with just your voice!
For more ideas on better aging, visit the Brightwater Senior Living blog.