As more and more of us express a desire to remain in our homes as we age, technology is responding with a variety of new ways to keep us safe.
For instance, sensors can be placed on appliances such as a refrigerator to monitor whether you have opened it recently, on a stove to see if you have left a burner on too long and on a television to see if you have turned it on or off recently. Monitors can also be placed strategically around your house to see if you are walking around in your normal pattern and even at your normal pace.
While these monitors and sensors can give both the senior and their family peace of mind regarding the senior’s safety, that peace of mind does come with with a loss of some privacy. The senior has to be in agreement that the enhancement of their safety outweighs any discomfort that comes with the knowledge that someone is watching and evaluating their movements. However, some seniors may find the senors and monitors a welcome alternative to a live-in caregiver.
One of the biggest obstacles to fulfilling a wish to remain in your home as you age is figuring out how to do so safely. For example, if you fall or have a health emergency, who will know and how quickly will they know? These types of monitors and sensors, although a bit intrusive, can reduce the risk that a fall or sudden emergency will go undetected for an extended period of time and therefore help to make staying in your home a safer decision.
Technology will continue to offer new and innovative ways to age safely in your home and it is an area that seniors and their family members will want to monitor on a regular basis. As the newest and latest developments are unveiled, they may well prove to be the missing resource that makes staying at home safely possible for you.