Tips From The Top

The use of smart home technology is growing among those 55 and older, contributing to a safer, easier, and more comfortable style of living.

Baby boomers and seniors are an enthusiastic and growing market for smart home tech, which can make living independently easier, safer, healthier and more enjoyable for the 55-plus crowd.  

The results are evident in a recent survey by AARP looking at technology use among adults age 50 and older. The report finds that one in seven own a home assistance device, like Google Home or Amazon Alexa. More than 80% of Americans age 50 to 64 have smartphones, about the same as the population at large.

“There is a misconception that older adults are tech-adverse,” says Rodney Harrell, AARP’s vice president of livable communities and long term services and supports, quoted in a Forbes article. “In fact, technology is already a central part of life for older Americans, and the connection with their devices is only expected to grow.”

Harrell identifies the outpouring of home automation innovations as especially useful for helping adults maintain their health, households, and independence as they age. We can use technology to manage medications, stay connected to family and friends, and access important services – not to mention streamline home systems like security, heating and air conditioning, and lighting.

Josh.ai co-founder and CEO Alex Capecelatro sees this trend as well in his company’s voice control home automation platform. In the Forbes article, he reports that many of their clients are over 65, with quite a few over 75. “They find voice control simpler than navigating a complex app. This helps with mobility, poor vision and simply not having to learn something new.”

Aging in Place – a priority for our older population – is made more accessible by innovations like countertops that automatically adjust to the client’s height, faucets with voice-activated control of water temperature, slip and fall detection throughout the home, and adjustable toilets with sit-to-stand accommodation – advances currently underway by a team at Virginia Tech’s Center for Design Research and its award-winning FutureHAUS program within the School of Architecture + Design, led by co-director Joe Wheeler.

As reported in the Forbes article, Wheeler notes that the Internet of Things, along with digital controls, sensors, and affordable motorization, allow for the integration of components in the home that can meet a variety of disabilities with 24-hour monitoring and care.

Privacy and usability are two major concerns of people over 50, Harrell says. That’s where we at Jackson Hole A/V can help. We install and integrate smart home technology that provides the ultimate protection for your information and privacy. We also ensure that our products are intuitive, easy to use, and that our clients understand and feel comfortable using these seamless apps and devices.

To learn more about how smart home technology can improve your quality of life, call us at Jackson Hole AV. We’d love to discuss the possibilities.