[BLOG] THE WISE GENERATION

How to turn a surveillance camera into a key telecare tool to look after our elderly?

Our elderly are not afraid of loneliness. In fact, according to recent data, more than 2 million people over 65 years old live alone in our country. Of course, some of them will have chosen that independence themselves and will know how to take advantage of the benefits that living alone brings. But it is more likely that another percentage of this group has to face imposed loneliness. In both cases, the more cared for they feel, even from a distance, the better. It is no coincidence that about 33% of people over 65 and 50% of those over 80 suffer at least one domestic fall per year. We know that at these ages, a fall can cause more complications than if a younger person falls. There is a very simple solution to care for and attend to our elderly relatives while they are at home, even if they live alone. These are smart surveillance cameras. They are very discreet devices that do not require installation work and are equipped with “digital intelligence” to send alerts to a smartphone or tablet when needed. In this way, in a very unobtrusive manner, relatives of elderly people can also see at any time of day how our father/mother or grandfather/grandmother is doing, without disturbing their daily routines or making them feel like they are being watched. It is easy to find a wide range on the market, but it is important to consider some aspects when choosing a camera that will not only provide security inside our home but will also serve as remote assistance for elderly people. We give you the key points to choose a smart camera you can trust to assist the elderly: 1.- That it covers all angles of a room: it is important to have the entire space of a room under control, whether it is the bedroom where the elderly person sleeps or the living room, where they may spend most of their time. There are cameras with a 360º rotating head. This means their lens covers the entire surface of the space and can be oriented both horizontally and vertically. 2.- That it has a compact size that does not bother the elderly person at home: for the greater comfort of the elderly, especially those who have made their own decision to live alone in their homes, it is essential not to invade their privacy. Therefore, if we have chosen to use a video surveillance camera to feel closer to them, we must avoid intrusiveness and choose a model that is compact and unobtrusive. 3.- That it offers extra features to detect movement and sound: this way, we can not only hear if strange sounds are occurring in the elderly person’s home while they are there (knocks, glass breaking, conversations, etc.), but also when no one is home, which would reveal an unexpected presence. 4.- That it syncs with a mobile app that is also very easy to use and manage from the phone: choosing a smart camera is a bet on simple and intuitive remote control and management of the device from a smartphone or tablet. The convenience of this type of product lies, of course, in being able to know in real time what is happening around that relative and in being able to manage it from anywhere at any time. 5.- That it includes two-way audio functionality: thanks to this feature, we can chat and have conversations in both directions through the camera. This way, if our elderly relative has a specific need or is in an emergency situation, they can communicate it to whoever is on the other side and vice versa. Surely, in certain circumstances, hearing a friendly voice can help calm and cope with a difficult moment. 6.- That it includes night vision to continue assisting our elderly relative even at night: because seeing at night is as important as seeing during the day, especially for our elderly. Therefore, even when they may be resting in bed, the infrared vision of some security cameras can watch over them and clearly see everything happening in the room. And that same image clarity can be seen by their relatives through the mobile app, so we can be calm knowing they are having their best sleep without incidents.