6 Privacy-Friendly Technologies That Help Older Adults Live Safely at Home

Your parent has been living alone for some time now, and they say that they’re fine, but you know that fine is not always the word to describe their health state. Yes, they are able to make their own breakfast; they go to the neighborhood shop and meet their friends once in a while. You’re not worried that they’ve lost their independence; you’re worried that sometimes they forget to carry their phone with them. You wonder what happens between phone calls.

Last Tuesday you called at seven in the morning, and they didn’t answer, but you know they’re an early bird. Then you called again at nine. Then at lunchtime. For half of the day you sat with the phone in your hand trying to get in touch with them, worrying that you might have to leave work to pay them a visit.

All this time they were working in the garden or having a coffee and lunch with a neighbor and just forgot to carry their phone out of the bedroom. And we understand that you’re worried because you’re aware that at their age, they’re more prone to trips and falls. And falling isn’t often the biggest problem for an older adult, but rather how long they’re helpless before someone can help them. Before getting medical help. In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, mortality was 12% among people found helpless in their homes for less than one hour, compared with 67% among those who were helpless for more than 72 hours. Among survivors, 62% were unable to return to independent living.

This doesn’t mean that you want or need to monitor your parent, but you want to provide them with an additional layer of safety. You want to make sure that you know as soon as possible if something goes wrong. And luckily, you’re living in the age of technology, so you can take advantage of several tools. Here are the most useful solutions that could improve your situation.

1. Sensor lighting for nighttime movement

Who doesn’t love simple technology? Motion-activated light will illuminate your parent’s staircase, hallway, or bathroom at night. There is no app to open or device to carry with them; the light comes on when it detects their movement. Your parent will find it useful if they have balance concerns or reduced vision because they’ll no longer have to worry that they might trip when going to the bathroom at night.

More sophisticated smart-lighting systems could store activity information, so if this is a concern, check the provider’s privacy settings. If your parent only needs a device that turns the light on in a particular room, they might prefer a local sensor instead of a system that collects and stores information in a cloud about their activities.

2. Smart medication reminder

Older adults sometimes find their medication routines too complicated, especially when they have to take different treatments at different times of the day, and they benefit from no medical supervision. A smart medication reminder is basically an app connected to a device that schedules, delivers, and tracks prescription doses. The parent receives a notification if they don’t take the scheduled dose. You can also get an alarm when they skip a dose. It’s important to note that this is a reminder app, not a monitoring one, so it supports their routine and helps them keep track of their medication schedule.

3. Voice assistant

A voice assistant could remove your parents’ small physical barriers from their daily life. They can ask the voice assistant to set a cooking timer, add something to their shopping list, call a family member, or turn compatible lights on and off without having to leave their sofa. If they have reduced mobility or dexterity, they would find it quite useful because they don’t have to reach for their phone or a switch to complete ordinary tasks. The privacy issue should be considered because voice assistants use microphones and could store spoken requests through their cloud system. Review the data retention settings before installing one.

4. Camera-free ambient monitoring

Your parent might not want to wear a device around the house or install an app on their phone so you can track their activity. They might be worried about their privacy and want to preserve their independence. But they might be comfortable with having sensors installed in their house to detect changes in movement and activity, like the OdeCare system. Its founder had a grandmother who lived alone and refused to wear a fall-alert pendant when she was given one. She placed the pendant in the drawer beside the bed, and the family wouldn’t get a notification if something bad happened. So they created a system that monitors activity without a camera, preserving the user’s privacy because no one watches what they’re doing. They’re alerted if there’s a change in movement patterns.

5. Telehealth tools for healthcare

We’re talking now about technology that makes healthcare easier. Telehealth offers your parent access to their healthcare specialists from the comfort of their home. They can have video appointments, communicate with their doctors remotely, or use connected devices to share health information with their specialists. Telehealth is great for older adults managing their chronic conditions from home and accessing specialized care without spending hours on the road.

6. Automatic stove shut-off

The kitchen poses a different type of safety problem for your parent because they might be perfectly capable of cooking independently. They might still occasionally forget to turn the hobs off. Installing automatic stove-off technology will reduce the risk because it switches the cooking equipment off when predetermined conditions are met. You can choose from several systems; some include timers, others have temperature sensors or other forms of detection.

Compare and pick the best one

Keep in mind that none of the above systems will guarantee that your parent is 100% safe, but they will help you improve their safety in their house. While some might not be 100% privacy-safe, there’s no reason to avoid technology. You can find way to put limitations so your parent feels comfortable.