Can Smart Homes Help Seniors?

Wood beautiful custom kitchen interior design

Have you heard of the term “aging in place”? Many seniors are doing just that!

They want to stay put in their own homes.

“Baby Boomers are living longer and are drinking the proverbial “fountain of youth” and living longer than ever before. In fact, Americans are living three decades longer now than they did a century ago. Boomers are not just living longer, they are living better, feeling more youthful than their predecessors and remaining engaged, active, and fulfilled” according to the Huffington Post,

Some are remodeling their current homes.

HomeAdvisor.com says there are things you can do to upgrade your home to age in place such as:

Adding Grab Bars
Adding a Ramp to Home Entrance
Increasing the Widths of Doorways
Adding a Bathroom to Ground Floor
Adding Lever-Handled Doorknobs
Changing Flooring to Prevent Injuries
Moving Master Bedroom to Main Floor
Lowering Electrical Switches
Adding a Lift on the Stairs
Installing Higher Electrical Outlets

Once you make these changes, you can take it a step further by creating a smart home!

What’s A Smart Home?

OPB.com says that Smart Homes let the elderly remain independent longer.

A smart home is a home that’s equipped with lighting, heating, and electronic devices that can be controlled remotely by phone or computer.

Home automation deals with syncing household devices and systems with schedules or responsive sensors.

According to HomeAdvisor.com there are several candidates for home automation:

Interior and exterior lighting
Alarm and security systems
Door and window locks
Pool, hot tub and steam bath temperatures
Home theater systems and speakers
Phone and Internet lines
Yard irrigation
Thermostats
Shades, blinds, shutters and curtains
Turning off or lowering water heaters and HVAC functions
Detecting water and gas leaks

Many elderly or disabled people could stay in their own homes longer if they had some type of monitored living arrangement.

Smart homes are being designed with comfort in mind.

A place for Mom says “Motion sensors, energy monitoring units, smart thermostats and wireless light switches are designed to maximize personal comfort, increase energy efficiency and decrease electricity and heating expenses.”

You can have your home hardwired, wireless or a combination of both.

A smart system usually covers lighting, security, heating and cooling, irrigation, home entertainment and appliances, etc. and you’ll have to pay for materials and labor.

Some seniors find it difficult to get around. They may need extra upgrades for comfort.