Staying safe in the home is no longer restricted to locking your door and having a great neighborhood watch. These days, new technology advancements have made it possible to protect your home from nearly every front – both inside and outside. High-tech security products may seem overwhelming to some, but they’re all designed to connect seamlessly to Wi-Fi and be just as easy to use as a lock and key.
As you’re thinking through new security options for your home, make sure you’re considering entrance security, cameras, alarms, smart devices, and even medical alerts for the elderly.
Entrance Security
Your home entrances are your first level of protection from the outside world. Whether it’s your front door or garage and back entryways, a secure home should have various methods for keeping out intruders as well as deterring any suspicious activity.
The tech products that will help keep your entryways secure include smart locks and smart doorbells. With a smart lock, you don’t need to rely on a physical key that could get lost or stolen. Smart locks require a key-code that’s pre-programmed by you when it’s first installed, or some even work with your fingerprint. Either way, you know the only people getting inside are those who the lock is programmed for.
A smart doorbell also provides an added level of security where you’ll be able to check who’s at your door before you need to open it. The smart doorbell will need to be installed to your door just like a traditional doorbell, but it differs in that it connects to Wi-Fi and allows you access through a mobile app. Directly from your home, you’ll be able to see who’s at your door and can even communicate directly through an intercom system.
One other great tech advancement you could utilize for your entryways are smart lights. Similar to the doorbell, these will connect to Wi-Fi so you can access them through an app, or they can also be motion-activated. Bright lights can help deter suspicious activity and keep your home safe.
Security Cameras
Another great security feature you should consider for your home is visibility, both inside and out. Security cameras these days are incredibly easy to install and smaller than ever. A security camera inside the home will give you extra peace of mind to know that you’ll have evidence in the case of a burglary or other intrusion. Furthermore, if you have aging seniors or children living in the home a security camera can help you keep track of them if they tend to get up and move about throughout the night.
Alarms
Alarms for fire, smoke, and carbon dioxide are required for most homes and buildings. However, many homes haven’t taken advantage of the improvements made to this type of technology in recent years.
Instead of purchasing and installing separate alarms, you can usually find one device that will work to protect your home from a variety of problems, including those mentioned above as well as broken glass (intrusion), motion sensors to detect unusual activity, and flooding. Most of these alarms are also designed to be smart devices, so you can view real-time reports in an app no matter where you are. This feature is especially helpful for people who travel a lot or might own rentals or vacation homes they don’t live in all the time.
Using an alarm-integrated mobile app will help show you if something worrisome is happening, well before it becomes a full emergency. For example, your smart alarm may have water leak sensors detect unusual amounts of moisture and alert your mobile app with enough time for you to notify emergency responders and help prevent a possible flood due to things like plumbing failure.
Smart Devices
The biggest advancement to in-home security is truly how easy it’s all become to manage and track. With wireless devices and home assistants, you have the ability to connect everything and control what happens through simple voice commands.
For example, with the Google Home or Amazon Echo, you could connect any apps you use to control smart lights, doorbells, security cameras, or alarms. If you’re leaving on a trip, all you have to do is tell your device to turn on the outdoor lights and security cameras. Everything is controlled from the comfort of your home.
Medical Alerts
If you’re an aging senior or family caregiver, one great revolution to home technology that you’ll want to take advantage of is wearable medical alerts. Unlike the other devices we’ve mentioned, these security devices work to protect those inside the home rather than keeping anyone from coming inside.
Companies like Medical Guardian and MobileHelp have developed these technologies so they’re easy-to-use, hassle-free, and efficient. For instance, each company offers lightweight neck and wrist pendants that connect to a home base station. If the user is experiencing a medical emergency, all they have to do is press their wearable button to call for help from emergency responders or family members.
Some products offered will even automatically call for help if a fall is detected. With these devices, caregivers can usually use a website or app to log in and view their loved ones’ activity, while also helping to set up things like medication reminders. If someone in your home is dealing with injury or surgery recovery, dementia or Alzheimer’s, or just general frailty, these devices will keep them safe and connected to the rest of the family.
Conclusion
Technology will always continue to change, but our homes will always remain the spaces where we should feel the most comfortable and secure. This year, take advantage of the latest technology advancements to make sure your home is as safe as it could be for those living inside as well as guests and visitors. Technology like alarms, doorbells, alerts, and cameras have evolved to be easier to use, yet more informative than ever. Above everything, they’ll provide peace of mind and safety.