As we age, our homes can become dangerous places.
For those with elderly parents who live alone, it can be very stressful not knowing if they’re safe. Did they take their medication? Did they remember to close the garage door? Are they eating enough?
Creating a smarter home with Notion can help you put these concerns to rest.
Through Notion’s multi-manager role, you can monitor and better understand the habits of your elderly loved one. It can help bring any problems to your attention sooner and help you make more informed decisions about their care.
We’ve rounded up 6 ways that Notion products can help you monitor elderly parents in the home:
Tip #1: Monitor Anyone Who Comes and Goes
If you’d like to keep track of who’s coming and going from your elderly parents’ home, a home monitoring system like Notion can help.
When you install Notion sensors on the doors and windows of your or your parents’ home, you’ll receive an alert when they’re opened or closed – right on your phone through the Notion app.
This can be helpful for a few reasons.
You’ll be able to track when your parents have left for an appointment and when they get back home, and more; you can track when a nurse or caretaker has or hasn’t arrived; and, you’ll be able to see if a garage door or window has been left open.
This is especially valuable for those with parents who have Alzheimers or dementia. In fact, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, 6 in 10 people with dementia will wander, which can be very dangerous if they become disoriented or lost. Keeping you on top of when your parents leave their home with Notion sensors is a great way to help prevent this.
Tip #2: Oversee Activity Within the Home
Knowing that your loved ones are safe and sound can be difficult to get off your mind – especially if you live far away.
By installing Notion sensors around your parent’s home, you’ll have a better understanding of their daily habits (when they go on walks, appointments, and more) and be able to monitor their safety.
One of the great things about the Notion sensors is that they’re super versatile!
As we mentioned earlier, you can place them on doors around the home to track who’s coming and going, but you can also place them on medicine cabinets to check when your elderly parents have taken their medication, fridges to monitor food intake, garage doors, and more.
If you notice anything out of the ordinary, like a late-night alert about an open door, you can quickly make contact to make sure everything is okay.
Tip #3: Monitor the Home’s Temperature
Keeping your home’s temperature stable isn’t just about comfortability – it can also have health implications.
This is especially a concern for elderly parents, as they can suffer health issues from peaks or drops in internal body temperature.
Of course, as the seasons change, it can be easy to forget to adjust the thermostat. And if your parents’ AC breaks, they may not know how to fix it.
Whatever the scenario, keeping tabs on your parent’s home temperature is important, especially if they’re unwell or immobile.
For this, you should consider installing a Notion temperature sensor in your home. When the sensor detects a change in temperature (if it gets too hot or too cold), you’ll receive an alert on your smartphone.
Tip #4: Keep Track of Food Intake
Want to make sure your loved ones are eating on a regular schedule?
As your parents get older, it’s common for them to lose their appetite and forget about eating at regular meal times.
This is especially common for those with Alzheimers and dementia. As a person's cognitive function declines, he or she may become overwhelmed with too many food choices, forget to eat or have difficulty with eating utensils.
It’s a good idea to place a Notion sensor on your elderly parents’ fridge – it will give you more awareness about how often the fridge is being used, which will ultimately give you a better understanding of your loved ones eating habits.
If you see that the fridge is not being opened as regularly as it should, you’ll be able to make better-informed decisions about your parent’s care.
Tip #5: Monitor the Medicine Cabinet
As your parents get older, it’s important to help them manage their medications.
Of course, this can be very difficult if you live in a different city and can’t physically be there to help organize their pillboxes or coordinate with doctors and pharmacies.
So what can you do?
First of all, it’s a good idea to enlist outside support if your parent or parents require a lot of help with their medication management – this can be a nurse, caregiver, or even a sibling!
But you should also consider installing a Notion sensor on your parents’ medicine cabinet. This can help you keep track of when and how often your parents are taking their medication.
If you notice that the cabinet hasn’t been opened when it should be, you quickly can give your parents a call to check-in.
Many older adults are required to take medication at several different times per day. Being able to monitor this schedule from afar can be extremely reassuring.
Tip #6: Watch Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms
People with limited physical and cognitive abilities, especially older adults, are at a higher risk of death from fire than other groups.
In fact, according to the National Fire Data Center, older adults account for 32 percent of fire deaths and 12 percent of estimated fire injuries.
This is another area where Notion can help!
By placing a Notion sensor next to your parents’ smoke or carbon monoxide alarms, you’ll receive an alert to your smartphone when they go off so you can take swift action.
Thanks for reading! We hope you enjoyed our tips on how Notion products and services can help you monitor your elderly loved ones and keep them safe!
