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Get your personalized list of tech products to help you stay safe at home.
Technology has enriched the lives of seniors in many ways. This includes helping to connect with loved ones more easily through social media or simplifying finances with online banking. New innovations are now adding to another important area in the lives of older adults — home safety. There are devices that can alert emergency contacts automatically when there's a fall. While others allow family and caregivers to virtually check-in on you when they can't be physically present.
These new possibilities are exciting because they can greatly benefit 83% of seniors who want to continue living independently in their homes. And the latest devices will allow you to do this safely, confidently, and for a longer time.
But with all the choices out there, it can be difficult deciding which are the best for your needs and circumstances. Our unique algorithm has done the hard work for you by scanning over 1000 devices to narrow down the most useful ones — specifically for the needs of seniors.
In this guide, you'll discover the best devices that can help with your safety and wellness at home. You'll also learn about the benefits of home safety technology and how to choose the right device for your circumstance. Keep reading to discover our top picks!
How Can Home Technology Products Improve Your Safety and Wellness?
If you've already done some basic home safety changes to your home (like getting rid of trip hazards and ensuring there's good lighting), that's awesome!
But what about instances where you'd like a loved one to check-in when they can't be physically present? Or how will you alert an emergency contact when you've fallen down and can't reach a phone?
This is where the following benefits of technology can help to take your home safety and wellness to the next level:
Easily and quickly connect with people you love so that others can know if you're safe and well or in need of help.
Smart technology can monitor and prevent mishaps. Allowing you to feel more confident about living alone.
Allow your loved ones to check-in with you virtually. Many of these devices can be controlled remotely or send a video feed to your loved one's phone. Let others know you're OK even while you're apart.
24/7 peace of mind as devices are always operating to keep you safe. It's impossible for any human to provide care at all times of the day. With technology, it never stops working to make sure you're OK.
The latest technology gives almost immediate access to health information. Quickly measure your heart rate and other vital signs whenever you're wearing it. This can help you detect if something doesn't look right physically and prompt you to seek help early.
8 Best Home Safety and Wellness Technology for Seniors
Searching for the best home-safety products can be confusing, and HelloEd hopes to make the process a little easier for you. We used a smart algorithm to scan over 1000 technology devices and determined the most senior-friendly and useful ones.
Here are the top picks:
1. Live Life Personal SOS Alarm: Easily Call or Send SOS Alerts
What we loved about Live Life Personal SOS Alarm:
Has a sensor to detect falls and automatically texts your loved one so you can get help as soon as possible. (store up to 5 contacts)
GPS locator allows your contacts to see your exact location.
Easy 2-way talk with in-built speaker and microphone.
Easy to use in an emergency with just 2 buttons — 1 for SOS, and 1 for calling.
Can be worn as a discreet pendant or wristwatch.
Best for:
Seniors who want a simple all-in-one emergency alert system that allows them to stay independent and safe at the same time.
This is a complete system with fall detection, GPS, and 2-way talk capabilities.
If it senses a fall, it sends your loved ones (up to 5 contacts) a text explaining what has happened and your GPS location. They'll be able to respond to the situation quickly and won't have to worry about being able to reach a phone because the Personal SOS Alarm can do it for you.
You can also opt to speak to your loved one instead by pressing the SOS button. Personal SOS Alarm will immediately call the 5 contacts saved on the device in order (it even allows you to save the "000" number). And you'll be able to speak to whoever picks up first through the in-built speaker and microphone. It's sleek and modern design makes it look like a normal watch or swipe-key for an apartment. So it doesn't look obvious when you wear it. 2. Home 8 Fall Detector: Get Help Quickly When Incidents Happen
What we loved about Home 8 Fall Protector:
Peace of mind for everyone as the fall sensor is always looking out for you.
Sends a signal to your emergency contact when there's a fall so you don't have to worry if you're unable to reach a phone when hurt.
Battery lasts up to 7 days so it doesn't require frequent charging.
Quickly contact your loved one in an emergency with just 1 button.
Simple, compact design that doesn't intrude into your loved one's daily life.
Best for:
Seniors who want a wearable emergency contact device with a simple design.
Falls are one of the most prevalent home-safety issues for seniors. And this simple little device provides peace of mind to caregivers that their elderly loved one can get quick help if a tumble occurs.
It has a sensor that detects falls and automatically sends a signal to caregivers to notify them. This way, your loved one won’t have to worry about reaching for the phone to call for help (which can be difficult if hurt).
A single button in the middle can also trigger an emergency alarm. This is especially convenient in situations when you haven't fallen but still need help (e.g. accidentally locked in a room).
Because it’s small and can be worn either as a pendant or on your wrist, it's very discreet. Perfect for seniors who are uncomfortable wearing bulkier devices that look more obvious.
Its long battery life (up to 7 days) means you'll only need to remember to charge it once a week.
3. Home 8 In-Home-Care Monitoring System: Complete Home Safety
What we loved about Home 8 Smart Security Systems:
Activity tracking sensors (e.g. for appliance use, door opening) lets caregivers know if there's anything out of the ordinary with your routine.
Medication sensor reminds you to take your pills and tracks when you've taken them.
Discreet, 360° camera that let's loved ones easily check-in with how you're doing.
Easy-to-activate panic button in emergencies.
Best for:
Seniors who may not be comfortable with or can't remember to use wearables.
When there’s not enough activity in your loved one’s home, this could be a sign that something is wrong. Perhaps they’ve fallen and can’t get up or are having trouble getting out of bed. This is where the Home 8 Inactivity Alert Sensor comes in handy.
Place it in the living or bedroom and it will constantly monitor for movements with a 120° angle coverage. If no motion is detected after a while, it will send an alert to a caregiver. The activation hours are also programmable (between 1-24 hours), which means it'll only work when you want it to.
This device is also great for seniors who may not be comfortable with wearable movement detectors. So there’s nothing that needs to be done on the part of your loved one to activate it or recharge it. Once it’s set up, simply leave it to monitor the room on your behalf.
We also love its clean and minimal design that blends in seamlessly with most home environments. Because it won’t stand out too much, you’re less likely to receive objections from your loved one about installing it in their personal space.
4. LEPU Smart ECG Watch: Get Quick Access to Your Vitals
What we loved about the LEPU Smart ECG Watch:
Get quick access to your vital signs like heart rate and blood pressure in 8 seconds.
Able to identify 30+ heart rhythm abnormalities using artificial intelligence so you can seek help early.
Additional sleep, fatigue, and sports mode tracking.
Data is easily accessed through the linked app.
Best for:
Seniors who want fast and accurate vital sign readings through a small and unobtrusive wearable.
This watch is great for anyone who wants to track their heart health in a fast and accurate way without any bulky attachments and wires. Using artificial intelligence, it helps you to make sense of the ECG data that the watch is collecting about your heart. It will even alert you to abnormalities in your heart rate or blood pressure so that you can seek help before a serious clinical episode happens.
Its additional features like sleep tracking, fatigue-monitoring, and sports mode also help to support your general physical wellness. We loved that the design is also simple and looks like a normal smart watch. Perfect for people who may be self-conscious about wearing more obvious devices.
5. Ring Video Doorbell: Protect Yourself From Uninvited Guests
What we loved about Ring Video Doorbell:
Video camera above the doorbell streams a video of what's happening to your smartphone and lets you check on who's outside your door at any time.
Motion detector alerts you if there's someone outside — so it works even if the doorbell isn't rung.
Two-way talk lets you speak to whoever's there through your smartphone so you don't have to open the door for extra safety.
Best for:
Seniors who want added protection from intruders.
Another home safety concern for seniors comes externally from intruders. Sometimes you might find it hard to turn someone away if you're speaking to them face-to-face. Or if the person is much stronger, he could force his way in much more easily once you've opened the door.
With Ring Video Doorbell, you can see and speak to whoever is outside through your smartphone through video streaming. So you won't have to open the door if you're not comfortable. It can also be connected to multiple phones, so you can ask a loved one to speak to the person on your behalf if needed.
The motion detector even alerts you if there’s movement at your front door — so you can see who's there even if the person doesn't ring the bell.
6. Umps Smart Plug: Identifies Areas of Home Help to Support Independent Living
What we loved about Umps Smart Plug:
Monitors usual appliance usage patterns so you and loved ones can be updated about significant changes — which can be a sign of health or safety problems.
Simple, discreet design that looks just like a normal plug.
You can do all the setup, and leave it to do the monitoring — no need to charge.
Best for:
Seniors who want to continue living at home independently but want to identify areas where they may need support with daily activities.
Changes in your appliance usage can be a sign of health or safety risks. For example, you may start using the kettle a lot more often if you have early signs of memory loss. Umps Smart Plug helps to identify if anything's off with your usual appliance usage and sends a report of the data to an app. This will help you and your support system identify areas where you might need assistance with in-home care so you can remain independent for as long as possible. We also loved that it looks almost exactly like a normal electrical plug so it'll easily blend in with any home environment.
7. Arlo Wireless Camera with Night Vision: Allows Your Loved Ones to Stay Connected to You
What we loved about Arlo Wireless Camera:
Use it as an indoor camera to let loved ones check-in with you through its HD video streaming on smartphones.
Can be used as an outdoor camera to monitor for intruders as it's weather-proof and has night vision.
Wireless feature lets you move it around the home easily e.g. living room, driveway or front door.
Sleek, unobtrusive design that blends in with most homes.
Best for:
Seniors who want flexibility to move the camera indoors (e.g. feeling unwell) or outdoors (e.g. security concerns).
Give your family peace of mind by allowing them to see how you're doing with the Arlo Wireless Camera that streams a video recording to linked smartphones. Its movement sensors, two-way talk, and text alerts all work together to help to keep your loved ones informed if anything is amiss in your home. Staying connected means you'll feel safer too as you can have an extra set of eyes looking out for you.
The Arlo Wireless Camera offers many possibilities because of its wireless design. You can bring it with you wherever you are (e.g. outside fixing something, or in the kitchen having a meal). Place it outside to see if there are intruders or check on external help (e.g. cleaners or carers).
There are a whole range of accessories, including added floodlights and solar powered chargers. You can also choose WiFi or connect it to your mobile network with an Arlo subscription. There is plenty of flexibility and uses with this one camera.
8. MemRabel 2: Reminder Clock Helps With Daily Routines
What we loved about MemRabel Reminder Clock:
Get reminders for what you need to do in different ways: audio, video, message, pictures or words
Displays time and date clearly for those that need the assurance (e.g. those with memory problems)
Flexibility to program reminders through the device or remotely (via WiFi)
Wide range of settings for recurring prompts (daily, weekly etc.) using pre-loaded options. Or you can create your own.
Best for:
Anyone who has trouble with their memory.
Sometimes it can be difficult keeping up with what we need to do each day. Whether you have memory problems or just general forgetfulness, MemRabel 2 makes things easier by automatically playing your personalised messages and reminders on the video screen. This can be simple prompts to drink some water or even more important tasks like remembering to take your medication.
With a wide variety of settings, you can customize your messages to suit your preferred style. Use the voice, audio and visuals that are already loaded in the library on a recurring basis (daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly). Or create the reminders on your own by recording it yourself.
How to Choose the Best Home Safety Devices For Your Needs?
There are several factors that come into play when deciding which device is best for you. And here are our top criteria to guide your decision making:
Is the physical design of the device suited for you? Everyone has different needs and abilities. For example, if you're having issues with fine motor skills, you can choose a device with bigger buttons.
Are the functions of the device adequate for your needs? For example, do you want a device that only tracks heart rate? Or do you want it to monitor your sleep too?
Are there ongoing costs? Some devices require a subscription to upload data to their servers as it tracks your health data. Others may require a mobile subscription.
Is it better to have a set-and-forget or daily use device? If you have problems charging or remembering to wear your device, it may be better to choose one that doesn't require as much involvement from you.
Is your home set up for the device? Some require pairing with a smartphone or WiFi capabilities.
Do you feel happy with how the device looks on you or in your home? Some devices look more obvious than others and people have different ideas about what they prefer. Have several choices, so you can feel comfortable with the look of your final purchase.
Use Technology to Boost Your Home Safety and Wellness
Using technology is a great way to enhance the safety of your home and general wellness. When you choose the right products for the circumstance, you're helping yourself live independently for longer while giving your loved ones peace of mind — a win-win for everybody.
If you're still having trouble deciding which products are best for you, HelloEd can create a personalized list of devices that are best for your needs. Simply click the link below, answer a few questions about your situation, and our smart algorithm picks the most suitable technology for you — for free.
Get a personalized list of top products for your safety, health, and wellness needs.
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