An article by guest blogger, Alexis Spence.
With longer life expectancies, there also comes the challenge of aged living. Assisted living prices rise each year, with different parts of the US facing varying degrees of inflation. For instance, in Hawaii and North Dakota, senior living costs increased by 28% and 25.3%, respectively, around a $2,200 monthly increase in Hawaii since 2019. Given how expensive living costs are for retirees, many older adults have to sacrifice some needs, like food or medicine, to avoid spending too much money.
To cut down on expenses, many older adults have chosen to live in a cohousing setup. As we visited in our previous post, this can be a great way to establish a high-functioning neighborhood. Not only are people provided with opportunities to connect, but they can care for each other and live healthier and more sustainable lives in the years to come.
In addition to this change, households are also adopting smart technology as part of their arsenal. From lighting systems to automatic pill dispensers and much more, this opens up opportunities to support better independent living— all of which can benefit seniors. In this article, we’ll visit what smart tech is and how it can improve the lives of older adults living in cohousing communities.
What is smart tech?
Smart tech uses artificial intelligence, internet connectivity, and other advanced roles to enhance or automate different tasks— all of which can be helpful for both younger and older generations. Devices like smart home technology have especially been game-changers for older adults. It isn’t just limited to communication over remote distances but includes various software and sensors to allow households to react more intuitively to the environment. Currently, some of the most common devices in smart homes are voice-controlled assistants. Smart hub devices like Amazon Echo, Google Home, and Apple can tap into your home wifi and connect to your devices, allowing you to control them remotely. This makes for easier independent living, especially for people living with disabilities that may otherwise make it difficult to accomplish a task.
Benefits of smart tech and cohousing for seniors
Safety purposes
Even as healthy, independent older adults, there may be times when they can get into accidents or need extra reminders to ensure their own safety. Having smart tech around their homes can be a good way to get help when needed. For instance, LifeCall is a system where seniors have a pendant or wristband on their person. If they have an accident, they can push the alert button to call for help. Similarly, having smart discs or smart knobs on a stove knob that will continuously alert people when left on can protect older adults from potential fires.
Improved convenience
Aside from cutting down on expenses, one of the best features of cohousing communities is convenience. When compounded with smart tech, certain actions and activities can be made more efficient while keeping costs spread out. For example, coliving older adults can program smart devices to perform actions at specific times of the day, such as turning off the porch light, turning on hallway lights in the evening, or having the sprinkler system turn on. The aforementioned smart hub devices can also serve as communal reminders for older adults, especially when taking medicine.
Smart tech and coliving can significantly improve seniors’ lives by providing safe and convenient spaces for older adults to complete day-to-day activities. It’s through these opportunities that older adults can live independently while enhancing their quality of life.
Written by Alexis Spence
For the exclusive use of cohousingco.com