Protect the elderly: Important gadgets to help you keep vulnerable safe this winter

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Age Space, the elderly care experts, is urging families to put Smart Home Technology into their elderly parent’s homes and has listed the top items available. Founder Annabel James says: “Whilst the pandemic has resulted in many negatives for older people, the generational advancement in terms of technology shouldn’t be ignored. Now is the time for families to embrace this new eagerness to learn and use smart technology to help elderly relatives feel safe and connected in their own home. 

With winter setting in fast, and uncertainty about where we will be in the new year, we advise families to start researching and getting home tech solutions in place now before it’s too late.” 

A recent Ipsos MORI survey by The Centre for Better Ageing revealed how older people have embraced technology during lockdown. The biggest change being in relation to video calling and three quarters (75%) are now doing this more often.

Whatever your concerns are about your elderly relative’s safety, there is likely to be a Smart Home solution. Age Space have outlined six common worries, and how technology can help to solve the problem.

1) Worried about your relative opening the door to scammers? 

Sadly, scammers take advantage of older people. Now more than ever, this is a greater worry, as scammers know that older people are likely to be at home, potentially on their own.

Invest in home tech to protect your loved ones at Christmas (Image: Getty)

Solution: ring Video Door Bell 2nd Generation, £89 

As well as a video door bell, this neat little gadget detects motion when people come to your door and sends instant notifications to your phone, tablet or PC.

Age Space likes: There’s no need to rush to answer the door as you can see, hear and speak to visitors in real time from anywhere in the house. It’s also a great way of avoiding unwelcome callers and therefore reducing scamming potential. 

2) Worried about your elderly relative having a fall? 

Having a fall is one of the biggest concerns for elderly people, particularly if they are unable to contact a relative or ambulance for help.

Solution: Buddi GPS Fall Detector, £203 plus £22 a month

Buddi is a GPS alarm, housed within a comfortable silicone wrist strap with an integrated fall detector and alarm button. The Buddi wrist band sends a signal to a clip that can be attached to clothing, keys or carried in a handbag and which dials through to a 24/7 monitoring centre.

Buddi is a GPS alarm that sends mobile alerts (Image: Buddi)

Age Space likes: The design is similar to that of a Fitbit, so perfect for the more image conscious user. Plus, mobile technology means the alarm works anywhere as the operator can communicate directly via a small microphone in the clip. The integrated GPS is perfect for family, carers or emergency services needing to locate the user too. 
 
3) Worried about detecting changes in your parents behaviour?

Changes in behaviour or routine can be one of the first signs of a change in physical or mental health, such as dementia. Due to isolation rules, many are unable to see elderly relatives regularly and therefore these changes in routine or behaviour can be hard to spot.

Solution: Howz Home Care Kit, £199 plus £9 a month

A combination of door sensor, motion sensor and smart plug, designed to monitor routines and trigger an alert if there’s a problem. The Howz Smart Plug can be connected to a regularly used appliance such as a kettle or toaster and will confirm that a person is up and keeping to their routine.

Age Space likes: It’s not too intrusive – no cameras or microphones, just simple infrared sensors. Plus, the intelligent timer constantly counts down to the next ‘checkpoint’ of an individual’s routine and if a checkpoint passes by without any activity detected, Howz will alert you immediately via an app on your smart phone or tablet, Amazon Alexa, Google Echo or PC. 

Monitoring changes in your parents’ health could lead to early intervention (Image: Getty)

Solution: SECOM CareTech Care Alert, price on a case-by-case basis 
 
The Care Alert offers a totally bespoke sevice, allowing you to get instant phone notifications on important matters to you and your relative. Whether it’s a change in temperature, your relative being in the bathroom unusually long, or reminders to take medication, the Care Alert can be tailored to your needs. 
 
Age Space likes: It’s flexible – you only receive notifications about the things that you choose to receive them about. It is also not too intrusive as it has no cameras or microphones, the door sensors are all wireless and the motion sensors are discrete.