I’m at the age when my generation is helping their parents to downsize or move into retirement homes. My own mother is determined to stay in her house for as long as she can, so I assume it will be several years before I’m in the same situation as my friends. However, I still want to be mindful that my mother is older, and therefore needs extra consideration if not a new place to live.
Home automation can help.
A home security system can provide peace of mind for both my mother and for me, because it means her house is being watched over. If the alarm is triggered, the police are notified and on their way. Home security systems can also monitor for heat and smoke, as well as carbon monoxide. However, home security systems that also offer home automation can provide even more peace of mind than a home security system alone.
How home automation can help seniors stay in their homes
The AARP says 90% of seniors want to stay in their homes. We as the children can help our parents to be safe at home with common sense tips like these, and by taking advantage of the features home automation can offer.
For example, home automation means you can schedule lights to be turned on and off at set times, in case your parent is getting forgetful, or they’re getting wobbly on their feet. Automated lighting means the lights can be on before dusk falls, so your parents aren’t fumbling around in the dark. It also means they have fewer reasons to be getting up and risking a fall in the first place.
Such a home automation system also enables you to regulate the temperature, especially important during the heat of summer and the cold of winter. If your parents are like my mother, then you’re already used to their house being too warm or too cold because they’re trying to save money on the heating or cooling bill. Yet our goal is to ensure they are always warm or cool enough. Automating the temperature control can do that for us.
If your parents are starting to forget simple tasks like locking doors or windows, a home automation system lets you lock up from afar.
Security cameras give you extra insight
Security cameras let you keep an eye on the home and property, and see who is at the front door when the doorbell rings. Those same cameras can help you keep an eye on your parents too, so you’ll know when they leave and when they return. That means you’ll know that they remembered the doctor’s appointment on Tuesday, for example, and then returned home safely afterwards. If you’re not living near your parents, you’ll probably appreciate the security cameras even more.
It’s challenging when the tables turn and it’s the children caring for the parents rather than the other way around. Taking advantage of modern technology to enable you to provide some of that care without seeming intrusive in doing so can help. And that’s just what home automation can do for you, your parents, and your peace of mind.
