Smart Home Technology: The Healthy, Aging-Friendly Living Companions of the Future
Slowly but surely, smart home technology is gaining acceptance among users of all ages as its health and safety benefits are put on display in the post-pandemic household. Smart technology can connect and support aging adults and simplify everyday tasks while automatically altering home environments to keep the air clean and healthy. Proactive sensor technology can even track movements throughout the house to detect falls and emergencies, which are immediately reported to an app that provides real-time information to family members and caregivers.
Smart refrigerators can promote healthy eating and can also assist with grocery shopping and meal planning. Digital lighting sequences and smart mattresses with built-in features like air-purifiers and aroma dispensers induce sleep to keep homeowners healthy and well-rested. Smart home technology offers an array of benefits for homeowner wellness, but compromised privacy and a digital learning curve seem daunting to older users, making them less likely to get on board.
“There will be a period of adaptation which some people reach, while others may not. Health systems currently do not have training programs to increase digital literacy for their patients who could benefit from smart home technologies.” [Jennifer] Stoner agrees that more consumer education is needed. There are so many innovations that can help them be safer and healthier. They might involve a learning curve, but those are not insurmountable for most.
Stoner also expects to see smart home technology usage increase post-pandemic. “It seems like our homes should be at the top of the list of areas where we would expect improving technology. And I believe that platforms with voice control will also help those in their later years be less intimidated,” she predicts. “Our older clients are more likely to embrace all these wonderful enhancements if they can simply talk in natural language to technology instead of worrying about which button to push.”