Active seniors are embracing home-automation technology that makes it easier for them to control lights and appliances without running around the house flipping switches.
Baby Boomers are more comfortable with technology than some believe. A recent TV Land survey showed that growing up with television prepared the 78 million-member generation to deal with electronic gadgetry.
As Boomers age and want to continue to live in their homes, a system that allows them to turn off the downstairs lights from an upstairs bedroom becomes more attractive. Likewise, retirees who live part of the year in Arizona and spend summers in cooler climes love being able to remotely check on their vacant homes.
If you’re giving a gift of home automation, choose a system that allows the user to turn all of the home’s lights on and off from a single switch; to dim lights; to change the thermostat setting (or even better, spring for a programmable thermostat that turns itself up and down).
Extras: a voice-recognition system that allows the user to speak commands instead of push buttons; a security system with a camera at the front door so someone inside can see who’s outside; timers on indoor and outdoor lights; and the ability to control it all from a remote telephone or the Internet.
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