Home automation

Home automation and smart technology to support independence

Advances in home automation and the Internet of Things (IoT) make independent living safer and easier

Part of the government’s strategy for adult social care involves supporting people to continue living in their own home for longer. Smart home automation can help to make this a reality.

In this section, we have a round-up of products that are available now.

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Smart doors and door entry
Smart lights
Smart heating
Smart alarms and alerts
Smart speakers
Smart kitchen appliances
Smart home hub

Home automation starting with the front door

Door entry is one of the things we are asked about frequently here at Independent Living. Whether it is answering the door in time; knowing who is there; opening it remotely; keeping it secure.

A smart lock can be added to most front doors – and many are quite easy to install as a replacement for the existing lock. Once fitted, depending on the lock you choose you will have various options for locking and unlocking – directly with your smartphone; by voice command; via a keypad or fob.

Some will allow you to control operations from a distance: letting a friend in when you’re not at home, for example, or making sure the door is locked when you are heading along the motorway or sitting on the train.

What about dealing with visitors and deliveries? An audio or video intercom system enables you to respond quickly, without having to move. Wireless systems that connect with your phone enable you to interact with the caller, wherever you happen to be.

An alternative approach is a QR code based system, which allows visitors to scan the unique code on the front door and start a chat with the resident.

Smart lights

A boon for anyone with limited mobility, being able to control the lighting level in a room without moving around turning individual lights on and off.

You can opt for one or more individual bulbs, or a complete lighting system for the room or house, controlled via a lighting hub on your phone or voice activated speaker. Not surprisingly, these wi-fi enabled bulbs are significantly more expensive than equivalent non-smart alternatives.

At the low tech end of things, the simple addition of one or more battery operated PIR lights which turn on in response to movement can reduce the risk of accidents and falls when getting up in the night.

Smart heating and air conditioning

Probably one of the most widely used home automation products, and one which can be very beneficial in supporting independence and comfort. Some physical conditions and old age make it more difficult for the body’s internal thermostat to maintain warmth, so it is important to keep the home environment at a comfortable temperature.

We are all much more aware now of the cost of heating, so it makes sense to control the system as accurately as possible, turning it on only when required.

As with all other home automation products, it is important to make sure that the app is easy to install and use. A survey by RiDC showed that a quarter of disabled people found smart heating systems inaccessible, with almost half going on to uninstall the app from their phone or tablet.

Alarms and alerts

A smart alarm enables you to monitor your property remotely. It communicates with a smartphone app, which means that you can manage and control the system wherever you are.

If the smart alarm is triggered, it will immediately send an alert to the connected smartphone, together with photos or video footage of the incident. A smart alarm and security cameras monitored through your phone can be significantly more cost-effective than a traditional security system linked to a professional provider.

In addition to enhanced home security, smart alarms and alerts can be invaluable in monitoring the well-being of the resident. This can be an excellent way of maintaining the independence of someone who is living with cognitive impairment.

Tailored to suit individual circumstances, a number of movement sensors can be placed in strategic locations around the home which build a log of the user’s movements as they go about their daily routine. Carers receive an alert on their phone in the event of the person behaving in an unusual way. If, for example they don’t go into the kitchen in the morning to make breakfast.

Connected temperature sensors can ensure that their home is sufficiently warm.

Smart speakers

Smart speakers are by far the most widely owned smart home devices, probably in no small measure thanks to advertising campaigns from tech giants such as Amazon, Apple and Google. Being speakers, they allow you to listen to music, podcasts and radio programmes, but more interestingly, they also provide access to a voice assistant – Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri – which enables you to control connected devices by speaking your commands.

Those manufactured by the brand behind the given voice assistant have their own virtual helper installed. But smart speakers from other companies such as Bose or Sonos give you a choice of assistant. Before you buy, you also need to check whether they are compatible with any smart devices you have at home. They don’t all talk to each other…

Connected kitchen appliances

An increasing range of domestic appliances are available with wi-fi connectivity, enabling the householder to control them via a smartphone app or home hub.

You could choose to set the coffee maker to start brewing at sunrise each day or start the oven remotely so that your meal is ready by the time you get home.

Your smart fridge can use its inventory function to let you know when you are running low on essential supplies, or send a warning if the door is accidentally left open. How about running the dishwasher or washing machine at a particular time without moving from your chair, or getting a message to let you know that the cycle is complete and it’s time to unload?

Robot vacuum cleaners can be sent about their business wherever you happen to be.

Smart appliances come with their own proprietary app and/or can be controlled through a home hub – you need to check compatibility in this case.

The ultimate in home automation – a smart home hub

As you acquire a number of smart devices, you can well imagine that it will become increasingly annoying or confusing to have a separate app on your phone for each one. This is where a smart home hub comes in. An overarching control system to manage heating, lights, security and any the other elements of home automation you have adopted.

Not only do they bring the convenience of a single place to manage all your devices, but also the possibility of coordinating them. So you could turn off lights and heating automatically when you leave the house and lock the front door. Dim the lights and turn off other audio in the house when the TV is switched on. Complete all your bedtime home routines with a single voice command. Whatever combinations make your home work better for you.

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Majority of adults would be willing to monitor basic vitals at home

More than 90 percent of us would be ready to monitor basic health indicators, such as blood pressure, heart-rate and weight at home, which could be achieved via Internet of Things (IoT) enabled devices.

Though perhaps not surprisingly, monitoring things that sound a bit more complicated, insulin levels, for example, or mental well-being, did not appeal to so many people, just 44 percent and 29 percent, respectively.

Almost three quarters of us consider that the presence of monitoring technology in an elderly relative’s home would provide greater peace of mind, and allow the relative to live independently for longer.

In the Netherlands, a new whole house sensor system is to be installed in the homes of 3000 older people, to support their independence. Based on tech company Qorvo’s Internet of Things chipsets, the sensors will detect falls and monitor the environment for any adverse changes.

The hope is that this will mean people can continue to live safely alone, without the need for so many care visits.

Click to return to top or check out related resources below

Further reading and resources

For people with serious impairments, RECES can provide environmental controls free of charge

There is a section of Independent Living dedicated to Telecare and Telehealth

Easylink UK has a range of connected monitors – you can find out more on their showcase page

Smart and Connected Places Programme

A commission has been launched into the role of digital technology in social care

Report into the role of automation and AI in improving health and social care

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