Smart home technology can be a great convenience to any of us, but is often particularly valuable to those with disabilities.
Brian Morris told us that both his uncle and his roommate have cognitive disabilities. They wanted to have the independence of living in their own place, but Brian obviously wanted to ensure that they were safe – and to be able to provide help and support from his own home, a few blocks away.
He said he wanted something that would fill the gap between the drop-in support they receive from healthcare providers and the things they are able to do without assistance.
One ever-present concern with a cognitive impairment is the risk of visitors taking advantage of them, an issue which was addressed with a Ring doorbell. This also provides a number of other benefits.
Brian also invested in a Nucleus smart intercom system, which is used as a video-conferencing system between his own home and that of his uncle. A key benefit of this over something like FaceTime was that Brian can activate it remotely, while still protecting his uncle’s privacy.
They like to visit the video store, mailbox, gas station convenience store and we can see that they’ve left the apartment and also see that they return a short while later.
Brian said that devices and services pitched specifically at disabled people are often prohibitively expensive, while smart tech aimed at the general population can offer the same benefits at a cost affordable to families. The Ring 2 video doorbell costs less than $200, while the Nucleus Anywhere Intercom is less than $400 for a twin-pack.
We can also buzz into their place to get the live feed. It has a privacy mode they can engage when they want to.
Do you use any smart home tech in a similar way? If so, do please share in the comments.
