DIY Smart Home for the Elderly:Implement wellness
monitoring for parents living elsewhere using IoT

Akiko Wada

Wellness Monitoring Tech Coordinator

1. Smart home for the elderly

After my father passed away last year, I spent several months
converting our family home, where my 79-year-old mother lived
by herself, to a DIY smart home. My goal was to watch overmy mother, who is at risk for stroke, and to prevent falls andhyperthermia remotely. With early dementia, difficulties due tomistaking the date or day of the week is common, so I also wantedto help her check the date and day of the week, and to check any
upcoming plans.
The results were beyond my expectations. The time andpsychological burden on family watching over her remotely was
greatly reduced, and being able to see inside the home enables us
to handle any trouble that occurs quickly. She also has difficulty
walking, so adding voice commands to appliances and lighting
also greatly reduced discomfort and inconvenience in daily life. I
found her playing songs from her favorite singers on YouTube andenjoying it.
It also changed me. Sometimes I would lose my patience andspeak harshly, “Mom! I’m always telling you, you have to checkthe date first!” and hate myself for it. But I am doing that less now,and when faced with a new difficulty, I now get excited thinking,“I’m sure I can solve this using IoT too!” I can handle visitors
remotely with the smart door bell that I installed, and I can use it
to connect with neighbors and my mother’s friends too.
This article introduces my initiatives to convert a family home
to a smart home to help and watch over an elderly person, somepoints of note from the installation, and some issues for the future.

2. First, a list of issues

The highest priority was to check wellness. Creating a system
to notice if something goes wrong in the house as quickly as
possible, helps reduce not only my concern, but also my mother’sconcerns. She has also suffered a mild stroke, and with vascularbrain disease, starting treatment as soon as possible after onset
can greatly affect the prognosis for life and recovery. There is also
increased risk of broken bones from a fall, and of hyperthermia
when remaining immobile for long periods of time during thesummer.
Regarding fall prevention, hand rails were already installed
and steps were eliminated, but falls could still happen easily if
she gets up during the night and moves around in the dark, or in
the early mornings when her body is stiff from the cold. She has
difficulty walking, and just getting up is onerous, so she has sat for20

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long periods after sunset without turning on the lights, and spent
the whole day without opening the curtains. These conditions are
not desirable for mental health.
She also has difficulty knowing the date and day-of-the week,
due to disorientation that occurs in the early stages of dementia.
As a result, she has called a taxi and travelled 30 km to thehospital on a day that she does not have an appointment, and often
has waited in the entry-way to meet the home care service person
for long periods on the wrong day. Hearing her grieve, “Is there
something wrong with my head?” was heartbreaking!

3. Cameras and other sensors: The eyes forwatching overI first worked on network cameras. I installed two camerasin the living room and the bedroom, where my mother spends
most of the day. These were from the American company, Arlo
Technologies, and originally intended for crime prevention. They
are connected to the network by Wi-Fi and automatically record
video for about 10 seconds before and after they detect movement,
which is stored in the cloud for a set period of time. This recorded
video and the live video can be checked using a smartphoneapp, so by just looking at the list of recorded videos, I can checkthat the daily routine is going smoothly, meals are being eaten,
interactions with home helpers are okay, and I get clues to any
changes in her bodily condition by watching how she moves
around the room. She has also fallen in front of the bathroom and■ Figure 1: “Arlo Pro 2” 130 degree, wide field of view
network camera

in the entryway, so I also installed a Xiaomi network camera witha lens that can rotate 360 degrees in the hallway.
To help with wellness monitoring using the cameras, I also
installed three sensors from SwitchBot Inc. One was a person
detector in the toilet. It is configured to notify my smartphoneeach time she uses the toilet, so I can check that everything is okay
without having to check the camera app frequently throughout theday.
I attached an opened-closed sensor to the front door. It also
has movement and light-level sensors, so I get notifications on
my smartphone if my mother approaches the door. If she is at theentrance getting ready to go out when there is no scheduled homecare or hospital appointment, I can talk to her through the speakerof the network camera in the hallway and let her know she ismistaken. I also get a notification when she returns home, so I cansay “Welcome home!” through the same camera.
I installed a networked temperature and humidity sensor
in the living room. This is configured to send a notification
to my smartphone if the room temperature exceeds a set value
during the summer, mainly to prevent hyperthermia. The price
was moderate, just under 2,000 yen, so I plan to add one to thebedroom as well this year.

4. Smart remote controls for high costperformance

What my mother was most happy about were the “GoogleNest Hub” smart display and the “SwitchBot Hub Mini” smart
remote control. By registering the infrared remote controls ofexisting home appliances, a smart remote can control all of theappliances at once from a smartphone. By also linking with asmart speaker or smart display with an AI assistant, such as
Google Assistant or Alexa, household electronics can be controlledwith voice commands such as, “OK Google, turn on the airconditioner,” or “Alexa, turn off the television”.
All of the electronics in our family home are ten years old

or more, so they certainly do not support IoT. Nevertheless, byinstalling a smart remote control for only about 4,000 yen, the air
conditioner and ceiling lights can be turned on and off with voicecommands through a smart speaker, and I can also do it remotely.
It is an all-powerful device for home monitoring. The house is 40years old, so there is no remote control for the ceiling lights, butattaching a “finger robot” to the wall switch for about 2,000 yen,makes them smart. It is a marvelous device with a short arm thatcomes out and physically pushes the switch on the wall when it
receives a Bluetooth signal. I also attached a special device to thecurtain rods so I can say “OK Google, open the curtains half-way,”
to open the left and right curtains.
Doing complex actions, like opening the door to the livingroom and pushing the wall switch to turn on the light while
holding a coffee cup in one hand, can lead to a fall, so just adding
voice control for the lights can reduce this risk.
If she forgets to turn off the living room air conditioner, she
can do it from the bedroom, and by starting it automatically, theroom can be warmed up before she gets up.

5. A I assistant complements an elderly
person’s cognitive function

Someone asked me, “Can a 79-year-old use an AI assistant?”
Actually, I was also a bit skeptical, but advances in current speechrecognition technology have been great, and they can understandand answer questions even if they are a bit unclear. I also wrote
some common phrases, such as “Okay Google, turn on the lights,”
and “What is the schedule for today?” on tape using a magic
marker and attached them to the table and in the bedroom.
■ Figure 3: Voice commands needed to use the AI assistant■ Figure 2: Moving the curtains using the roller on the top

The AI assistant also actively manages her schedule and gives
reminders to take her medicines in the morning and evening. Mytasks were to create a Google account for her and enter plans suchas her hospital and rehabilitation appointments into the online
calendar. When she says “Okay Google, good morning,” theassistant reads out here plans for the day, and she can say “Whatare this week’s plans?” to check upcoming plans. After breakfast,New Breeze Autumn 2023

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it asks, “Did you take your medicine this morning?” Just having
this reminder greatly reduces the times she forgets to take themedicine. If a family member asks her each time, “Did you takeyour medicine?” she is likely to resist saying, “I know, I know! Iwas just taking it now!” but it does not seem to hurt her self esteem
to be reminded by the AI assistant.
There is one more reason why voice commands are necessary.
As my mother’s cognitive and decision making functions havedeclined, she is having more difficulty with operations that require“pushing a lot of buttons,” in other words, with remote controls
and her smartphone. She has no trouble with voice commands.
Now, she can enjoy music on the smart display, just by
specifying a singer’s name, such as “Okay Google, play a song by
Ichiro Toba.” She is not aware that this is playback from YouTubeMusic, so when I checked the app history, I noticed that she tried
to stop playback unsuccessfully several times with the command,“Okay Google, stop the CD.” I added a setting so that playbackwould also stop with the command “Stop the CD.”

6. Meet visitors remotely by making theentryway smart

The entryway is an important part of the house because it
connects the inside with the outside, but problems can also occur
there. My mother has difficulty getting to the door when visitors
ring the doorbell so increasingly often, she just pretends not tobe home. Thus, even people worried about her who come to visit
can get turned away. For this, I installed a smart lock and a smart
doorbell. Both connect to the internet by Wi-Fi, so I get notified
on my smartphone when someone comes to the door. I can checkusing the camera and respond if she is having a nap or otherwise
cannot. If it is a familiar delivery company or a neighbor, I cantemporarily unlock the door remotely and have them leave the■ Figure 4: Smart door bell screen in the smartphone app22New Breeze Autumn 2023

parcel or a note in the entryway. If she falls out of bed and cannot
move, I can also unlock the door remotely and ask a neighbor tohelp her back into bed, or I could ask them to call an ambulance
if that was necessary. Before now, I had no way to know what
was happening in the house without going home, so I would nothave been able to call an ambulance either. Actually, there was atime when I stopped work and travelled three and a half hours tothe family home to find her fallen out of bed and had to call an
ambulance. She had been there more than half the day and wasdehydrated, so it was a dangerous situation.

7. F amily home smart-home conversion
exceeds expectations

I am still continuing by trial and error, but it has beenvery effective so far. Earlier, if the weather report said “Todaywill be a mid-summer day,” I would worry all day long about
whether my mother had turned on the air conditioner properly.
If I called to ask her to turn it on, she might start an unpleasantargument saying, “Who do you think you’re worried about?”
Now, if the living room gets warmer than a set temperature, I
get a notification, and if she has not turned on the air conditioner
despite the higher risk of hyperthermia, I can do it remotely.
Increasingly, my mother cannot answer her mobile phonewhen I call, but this is not a problem because we can talk throughone of the cameras or smart speakers. I also see her smiling more
often in video calls.
It has improved my relationship with my mother. It takes timeto accept that parents are aging, even though you understand it
in your head. There can be even life-threatening risk so, while
I might have spoken harshly earlier, saying, “Mom! How manytimes do I have to tell you!” I have changed my mind-set now,
to saying, “It’s no longer reasonable to depend on her judgment
and cognitive ability, so maybe we can solve this with smart
technology.” Thinking about the best way to handle a situation
also feels a bit like a game challenge, so I can react more positively
to new difficulties than I did before.
Google Assistant has a bigger heart than her own daughter.
It answers brightly, without a hint of irritation, even if she asks,“What day is it today?” over and over. Looking at the logs, I
even saw interactions like “Okay Google, thanks a lot!” “You’rewelcome!” It acts like a personal valet for my mother, so I hope toexpand what it can do for her in the future.
Providing care to a parent whose physical and mental abilities
are weakening can be depressing because it can sow seeds of fearand uncertainty regarding one’s own old age. Through theseefforts, I can now envision a brighter future. I now think, “I canuse IT to complement declining physical and mental abilities andto reduce inconvenience and disability somewhat,” “Technologywill continue to advance, so I should be able to have a comfortable
life even when I’m old,” and “Soon I’ll even be able to climb
Mount Everest in VR, even if I can’t leave the house!” This is
another result of converting our family home to a smart home.

8. Issues with smart homes for seniors

When I published stories of this experience on a web site
and SNS, they attracted interest and concern from people of mygeneration, saying things like, “I want to do the same thing in myfamily home,” and “One of my parents is also living alone, so I
have the same worries and needs.” Another person said, “I’ll needthis information in the near future too.”
Even if both parents are still healthy, just a small event canchange things quickly, so it may be good to start introducing thesetechnologies early, so they can get used to them.
Another issue is that smart home devices are now available
at volume appliance shops and net shops, so they are very easy
to obtain and set up. However, for elderly people to install themthemselves, the hurdles are high. Their children could also be in
their 50s or older, so not everyone will be skilled at setting themup, which consists mainly of configuring a smartphone app.
Since the person configuring it is not the user, it can bedifficult to know how to best link multiple user accounts, and it
takes effort to restore everything if trouble occurs.
Current apps for smart-home devices have not been createdwith “wellness monitoring” in mind either, so in some cases they
do not fit with what is needed. For example, when I installed theperson sensor in the toilet room, I needed an alert if a person was
not detected for over three hours, but when setting an automatic
notification for not detecting movement, the maximum time was
30 minutes. I suspect this was designed for applications such as
automatically turning off lights or air conditioning when a room isempty. The need to respond as quickly as possible if a parent has astroke and cannot move was not envisioned.
The preconception that the elderly cannot use the internet isalso a barrier to using smart technology. In fact, if the initial setup
can be done by someone who is comfortable with smartphone apps
and IT devices and can anticipate elderly people’s needs and risks,
the elderly person can manage well using voice commands. Family
can also use the devices for remote wellness monitoring. Many
older people with early-stage dementia may also find using voicecommands to be more fun than using a remote control covered
with buttons.
Of course, as dementia progresses further, voice commands
may also become difficult, but even in that case, devices canbe configured to turn on the air conditioner and read out the
day’s schedule with a single command, such as “Okay Google,
good morning.” Various sensors can also be configured to trigger
actions.

9. T he need for a wellness-monitoring Tech
CoordinatorI also received inquiries from people who wanted to set up
smart-home technology for their aging parents, but did not havethe time or know-how. There is a need for a so-called “Wellness
monitoring Tech,” a person who can provide advice on introducing
IT technologies and products for wellness monitoring for theelderly, and sometimes installing and configuring it. I could
use the experience and know-how I have gained converting
my family home with smart-home technology to provide freeconsultation online or if necessary, to start acting as an agent
or giving support for a fee. Just as it helped me, such an effort
would reduce the burden on those worrying about monitoring
wellness for parents who live apart from them using smart-hometechnology. It could also contribute to having fewer people left
behind in the unfortunate situation of dying in isolation, which isa heavy burden to bear.
Many products such as network cameras, smart door bells andsmart locks have been appearing on the market these past years. If
care managers and others involved in care and welfare of the aged
could get the necessary product information and knowledge to usethem, they could reach more of the people that need them. Familyhomes without an internet connection are also an easy problem tosolve, using a low-cost SIM + mobile router, among other options.
■ Figure 5: Configuring to give a periodic reminder to takemedicine

10. Conclusion

How and where will we spend the final stages of life, perhaps
reaching 100 years of age? At the moment, my mother can justmanage life by herself in her home, and she earnestly desires to live
there with her pet cat, as she has become accustomed. She could
also move to an institution, but this is not what she wants and I do
not want to insist, just because it is dangerous to be alone. At thesame time, I do not want to quit work, return home, and devote
myself to her care.
Wellness monitoring tech is a powerful tool to enable elderly
people to live in their own homes safely and to reduce the burden
on family members watching over them. I look forward to further
advances in technology and seeing products and services on themarket that are optimized for wellness monitoring of the elderly.

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