Tech check for solo seniors
Friends,
If you found yourself tuning out as you read “tech,” then please lock back in. It is specifically you for whom I write this month, and you must understand that if you are choosing to live alone as an aging senior, then it is imperative that you begin embracing some modern-day technology. Simply put, it’s vital.
Safety and security systems are important to everybody, but as a single senior, a reevaluation of your current systems is overdue. Your safety system covers experiencing accidents and mistakes that could create physical harm whereas your security system attempts to prevent outside abuse, such as fraud or theft. You may have systems for both, but if they relied on having a spouse, partner, or roommate who is no longer in the picture, then your systems have been compromised.
If you live independently, whether you are a young adult moving from your parents’ home or a senior living solitary for the first time in a semicentury, it is imperative that you embrace delegating certain responsibilities. You need to rely more on both your inner circle and technology, and that command probably makes you slightly uncomfortable. Asking friends and family to assume any responsibility feels burdensome. New technology is hard to understand and invasive to privacy. However, these are necessary trade-offs for the privilege of living alone.
Below is yet another checklist. This one is designed to proactively think through some of the most common situations seniors and singles face. I do not endorse any particular product or method; different solutions will satisfy different people. I may suggest some of the more popular options on the market, but I strongly encourage you to work through this checklist with your inner circle, research the issues, and find solutions that both work for you and solve the requisite problems.
1. Location Tracking
If you do not yet carry a smartphone, it’s time to join the contemporary world. The modern smartphone contains so many safety protocols that you just simply cannot afford to ignore them as someone living independently. The first of these I recommend is location tracking. Location-sharing networks such as Life360 or Apple Find My permit your inner circle to see your whereabouts in real-time and allow them to get notifications when you arrive and depart routine destinations.
Furthermore, those programs are built with crash-detection ability and driving analytics. Vehicle accidents over a certain speed automatically dispatch emergency services to the phone’s GPS coordinates. This is a must for aging seniors who still drive.
Lastly, consider item trackers such as Tile or Apple AirTags to follow any possession of value, from daily items like keys and wallets to more valuable assets such as vehicles and security boxes. Your pets should be tagged. All of your tags can be configured to be shared with friends and family and deliver notifications.
2. Hands-free Communication
We all remember the Life Alert commercials with the senior who has fallen and can’t get up. Medical alert systems still exist, but have vastly improved with modern technology and range from simple smartwatches to high-end subscription services that detect falls and summon first responders on your behalf. Find the system that works well for your life and budget, but don’t rely on your phone alone. You need some sort of wearable emergency system that can be deployed if you cannot get to your phone.
There are a number of extra benefits built into a smartwatch, such as the pedometer, the sleep monitor, and the heart-rate monitor. Daily reports with these data can help those in your circle know you are well without a physical check-in.
I also recommend equipping your home with voice-activated emergency AI, such as Amazon Alexa Emergency Assist or HomePod. You want a system that will allow you to dispatch information if your phone is out of reach. These systems also allow others to connect with you hands-free, unlike a telephone that must be answered.
The 3 A.M. Test |
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If you tripped in your hallway at 3:00 AM tonight... [ ] Can you alert family or 911 without reaching your phone? [ ] Can first responders enter your home without breaking down a door? [ ] Does your smartwatch automatically detect a fall and dispatch help? If you answered "No" to any of these, let's update your setup this month. |
3. Home Access & Physical Safety
Cameras around your house are a must, and the prime place to begin is the front door. A smart doorbell allows you to screen visitors and communicate with them without opening your door. Furthermore, any person who passes through your front door will be recorded.
Every exterior door should be monitored by a camera and preferably equipped with a door-contact sensor and a keyless deadbolt. The keyless lock ensures that the right people can gain access to your home in the event of an emergency. And exterior doors include the garage door, which is fully compatible with Wi-Fi technology and allow for easy installation of a coded opener. If you have a driveway, consider a camera and floodlight combination.
Complement your camera system with improved lighting, both indoors and outdoors. Motion-activated lighting outdoors provides an extra layer of security. Adding it indoors is a life game-changer, especially when put along paths frequented at night. Automatic lighting in the bathroom is non-negotiable, but adding some underneath beds, along stairwells, and in the kitchen goes a long way toward preventing stumbles.
Using door-contact or motion sensors indoors can help notify your inner circle if your regular activity patterns are unexpectedly absent.
Other considerations include smart thermostats, carbon-monoxide sensors, and smoke and water-leak detectors. None of these devices carry the same impact as the techy solutions advised above, but all can be valuable in letting you and others know when something within the house is amiss. And all will allow you to monitor and service your house without climbing unnecessary stairs or ladders.
4. Daily Life Assistance
Another key characteristic of the techy is that they can transact almost all business on their phone. The truly suave single pairs the above devices with a handful of smartphone apps that are vital in navigating life in the 21st century.
Perhaps the most important of these is a medicine monitor. Medisafe is a visual pill-tracking app that notifies you when to take doses and notifies your trusted contacts when doses are missed. If your pharmacist offers refills through an app, add it to your phone in case others have to fill a prescription for you.
Groceries and prescriptions can be ordered and/or delivered through the H-E-B app. Amazon also offers pharmacy services.
There are dozens of “gig platforms” out there that connect those in need of help with those willing to do the work. Papa and Naborforce are two platforms geared toward connecting seniors with vetted members of their community to help with basic household chores and even provide companionship. Thumbtack, TaskRabbit, and Angi widen the range to more specialized jobs, such as landscaping and handiwork.
Banking and payments are also easy items to link to your phone. Checks can be deposited remotely through your banking app, eliminating a trip to the physical bank. Friends and family can be paid through Venmo, CashApp, or Zelle, again eliminating the need to make cash withdrawals. And, of course, the RightCapital and Charles Schwab apps give you real-time insight into your financial plan and investments.
Nearly all paperwork nowadays is signed electronically. DocuSign, the original electronic signature app, has become so popular that the act of signing electronically on any service is known as docusigning. Get comfortable with signing paperwork on your phone, and mesh in an app like Genius Scan for submitting quality-scanned documents of your own directly from your phone’s camera.
Adopting this much technology at once can feel overwhelming, but losing your independence because of an easily preventable accident is far worse. If you don’t have a techy grandchild willing to help you implement some or all of the above strategies, then please reach out to the staff at Force Acres. We will gladly host a hands-on tech audit, set up your apps, and ensure your home safety stack is fully operational.
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