Must-Have Home Tech for an Elderly Relative

Most of us have at least one elderly relative in our lives. And, no matter how healthy and independent they are, it’s natural to worry about them.

After all, there are so many challenges that go along with old age. Luckily, technology has made the aging process much easier in many ways. Home tech is one area of technology that can help older people in various ways, especially because they may struggle to live alone and keep up with all of the tasks that go along with running a household.

In this post, we’ll be walking you through five kinds of home tech that will keep your elderly relative safe, happy, and entertained.

Life alert systems

Life alert systems are great for anyone who has health worries, but especially for older people. A big concern of many people with elderly relatives is that their relatives will fall and injure themselves when they are alone. 

Medical alert systems can combat these fears by alerting the necessary people if someone falls or something else happens. This way, seniors can keep some of their independence while their loved ones can have peace of mind that they are okay. 

These systems are something that every elderly person should have, but especially those who have a higher risk of getting hurt, or who live alone.

Entertainment systems

One of the great parts about growing old is that, when you retire, you have a lot of free time on your hands. Unfortunately, this also means that you need to find ways to fill all of this time. 

Many older people find that they are very bored once they do not have their work to keep them busy. They may also feel lonely. Both of these things can severely affect their mental health.

Luckily, there are loads of ways to entertain old people at home thanks to technology. Start by getting wi-fi installed for them. Then, you can download streaming apps like Netflix and Spotify to help them pass the time. A Chromecast may also be a handy device when it comes to entertaining them. 

Security systems

Older people are often more vulnerable to attacks and home invasions. People may notice that they live on their own and that they are old, and they would then consider them an easy target.

Since most elderly people don’t necessarily have the strength to defend themselves, having personal emergency response systems and security systems in place can be a great help if they are ever in danger. Alarm systems, panic buttons, and security cameras are all good ideas.

It’s also smart to check in on your elderly relatives regularly, so that you know if something is wrong.

Hands-free devices

As we age, our bodies start to show signs of it. Even if nothing severe happens, seniors may find that they struggle to do tasks like turning dials or pressing buttons, because their hands might be too shaky.

Hands-free devices solve this problem. Many smart home systems work on voice commands, so your relative can dim the lights or adjust the temperature without moving.

Voice assistants like Alexa or Google home can also help your elderly relative, particularly when it comes to the entertainment aspect. To read more about the Amazon Alexa versus the Google Home, click here.

Robot vacuums

As mentioned, simple tasks often grow to be more challenging when we age. While cleaning a house when you are young may be no big deal, it can be a very hard thing to do when you are older. 

Various types of home tech can help make this easier. An example of this would be a robot vacuum. These nifty devices clean floors and counters on their own, meaning your elderly relative won’t have to do any of the physical work when it comes to keeping their floors clean.

That being said, it might be helpful to get a housekeeper once a week to help them with other tasks. A good housekeeper should have these qualities.

In conclusion

Even though you may be worried about your elderly relative, advances in technology mean that you can at least rest assured that they are safe and that if anything happens to them, someone will be alerted. 

While some older people may be hesitant to try some of these kinds of technology, you should try to convince them to at least give it a shot – if they don’t like it, that’s okay, but if they do like it, it can be life-changing. Who knows, maybe they love it so much that you’ll want to invest in some of it for yourself!