How can home monitoring increase the quality of life of elderly people
What is smart home technology?
Smart home devices can greatly improve the quality of life of people, especially elderly people living alone or those with some degree of cognitive impairment or dementia.
We are talking about devices such as motion sensors; presence beacons; a smartwatch or an advanced lighting system connected to light bulbs of different shades. Motion sensors, or sensors that detect the degree of humidity, temperature or pressure in the environment, would also be included.
Thanks to all these intelligent technology options for home, it is possible to maintain a risk-free control of various features of the home, in addition to ensuring the well-being and optimal health conditions of the elderly user.
Some interesting features in smart homes for the elderly
Automatic switching on of the lighting system following a system of rules
The living room lights are switched on automatically when the door is used to access the room, or the corridor lights are switched on when movement is detected in the room during the night.
This avoids the risk of falls caused by moving around the room in the dark.
The same system is used to create more intense or relaxed light environments, depending on the time of day and the user’s emotional state. In this way, routines (activity and sleep habits) are encouraged to develop as normal.
Use of coloured light bulbs to create an alert system
The lighting system is linked to the system of sensors located in strategic places. In this way, by placing sensors in the medication box, we can make a red bulb light up in the kitchen if the user has not taken their medication between 2pm-3pm.
Apart from that, the lights may change depending on the mood of the person, and even change to activate the users in the morning or help them to sleep at night.
Kwido Mementia for cognitive stimulation
Installation of Kwido Mementia also gives them a powerful tool to combat cognitive impairment from the same tablet they use to interact with the system.
Even voice assistants like Alexa are also used to ease communication with them.
Integration of home sensors with a communication system with relatives
One of the great utilities of smart homes is that they provide great independence and security to elderly people, while keeping relatives informed of possible risk situations.
In this way, the system can warn relatives if the elderly person goes several days without using the oven or refrigerator, if he spends too much time in the bathroom at night, or if he sleeps more or less than usual.
At Kwido, and with the participation in the PETAL consortium, we work with the objective of providing a platform able to increase the autonomy of the elderly and to help them in carrying out activities of their daily lives.
Specifically, we specialize in helping older adults affected by mild dementia, and we do so through an intelligent platform that monitors their behavior and controls the system of lights and devices in their environment.