If you’re the person helping an older loved one, smart devices can provide round-the-clock monitoring without being intrusive or complicated. ( Ring and SimpliSafe have service plans that start at $18 a month.) Devices to Assist Caregiversįor some, any modern tech device may be too much to deal with, and would be better handled by friends, family members or caregivers.
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All of those can be connected to professional monitoring services, which check for suspicious activity 24/7 and can alert close contacts and emergency medical workers when needed. Do-it-yourself systems like Ring and SimpliSafe have options for door and window sensors, motion sensors, security cameras and even video doorbells and cameras. If you want to amp up the protection, a whole-house security system can monitor for fire and flood threats, and alert you if someone leaves the house in the middle of the night or if a door or window is left open for too long.
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The rechargeable battery can operate for up to four months on a full charge. The Eufy Security Video Doorbell 2K (Battery-Powered) ($200) can only differentiate between people and general motion, but it’s good for users who don’t have an existing doorbell. The Arlo Essential Wired Video Doorbell ($150) can distinguish whether that movement is caused by people, packages, animals or cars. If you share access to the doorbell with friends, family members or caregivers who have the same app, a video doorbell can alert others to movement around the door, even if no one actually rings the bell. For Apple users, Siri can be used to control HomeKit smart devices via your iPhone or the $99 Apple HomePod Mini.Ī SMART VIDEO DOORBELL alerts you when someone is at the door, and lets you see and speak with the person whether or not you’re in the house - especially useful for anyone with mobility issues. The Amazon Echo Dot ($50) and Google Nest Mini ($40) are both inexpensive, and they’re compact enough to fit on a shelf or counter. Most smart-home devices are compatible with the digital assistants Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, which function as speakers. Even better, they allow you to use voice commands to control most popular smart devices, so you can turn off upstairs lights from the kitchen or tweak your thermostat from the couch without even opening the apps on your smartphone. SMART SPEAKERS come in a number of sizes and can play music, podcasts and news anywhere in the house. It makes regular bulbs act like smart ones, but installation is more complex and may require an electrician. A more useful and permanent solution is an in-wall smart switch and dimmer, like the Lutron Caséta Wireless In-Wall Smart Dimmer ($90).
If you’re not ready to give up the feel and function of a light switch, Hue bulbs can be paired with a smart adapter, like the Lutron Aurora ($40), which clips over an existing toggle switch. Smart bulbs don’t work as well for those who prefer to flip lights on and off using a switch. (They do require using a special hub, a small puck that connects to your home’s Wi-Fi router and boosts the wireless signal.) Philips Hue bulbs are pricier (a package of three goes for about $100), but offer a large ecosystem of bulbs that work together. Smart LED light bulbs like the Wyze Bulb Color ($15) are the easiest and least expensive ways to add smart lighting - just screw the bulb into any standard fixture and pair it with an app on your phone or tablet. With smart light bulbs, you can use an app to control bulbs remotely, or set them to a schedule an “away” mode triggers lights randomly so your home appears occupied when you’re not there. The TP-Link Kasa EP10 ($17) and Wemo Wi-Fi Smart Plug ($25) are easy to use and compact enough to fit into outlets behind furniture, allowing remote control of connected devices so you can make sure that, say, a lamp turns on at dusk and off after bedtime.
That can mean setting lights on a regular schedule, or controlling a device remotely when you aren’t home.