Cox Communications Showcases Senior Smart Home

LAKE FOREST, Calif. – Cox Communications partnered with senior living experts today to showcase a new era in digital living that provides older adults with the ability to age in place in their own homes. According to AARP, nearly 90 percent of adults ages 65 and older prefer aging in their current home rather than move to an assisted living or retirement community.

Cox outfitted a single-family home in Lake Forest with smart home technology for the “Connected Independence” senior smart home event, which included senior living experts and internet-enabled smart devices demonstrating how seniors can use new technology to live safely, independently and more comfortably at home while providing their adult children and caregivers with peace of mind.

“Smart home technology can help families avoid the wrenching decision and the expense of moving an aging parent to an assisted living facility,” said Ryland Madison, director of product marketing, Cox Communications. “A connected home ensures seniors can continue their daily routine while maintaining – and even enhancing – their quality of life in their own home.”

The event featured national and San Diego-based senior living innovators, businesses and experts. More than 35 interactive demonstrations, powered by Cox Communications’ broadband network, ran simultaneously throughout the home, including:

• Virtual reality – the Rendever virtual reality platform allows seniors to virtually “travel” to their favorite destinations if they are unable to physically
• Telemedicine sessions –Trapollo telemedicine services let doctors diagnose and treat seniors from the comfort of their home.
• Double Robotics Telepresence Robot – Provides a way to check on older adults when their loved ones can’t be there in person. People can see and be seen as they steer the robot via remote control from anywhere in the world.
• “The future of caregiving” – Demonstrations by Alison Jacobson, The Safety Mom, on how connected devices can assist with caregiving.
• Smart Window/Door Sensor – Wireless device detects when doors and windows are opened.
• Pill Dispensers – Helps seniors stay on schedule with their medications. Helps prevent forgotten dosages or mixed medications, and sends audible and visual alerts up to 30 minutes before pills are scheduled to be taken.
• Readable Voice Mail – Sends transcripts of voice messages to email
• Clarity P300 Handset Landline Telephone – Makes sounds louder and easier to understand. Seniors can call people by pushing a photo button.
• GeniCan – Garbage can that scans items as they’re thrown away. The GeniCan app builds a shopping list based on what needs to be replaced, and schedules home delivery through Amazon Dash.
• Parrot Pot – Seniors never have to worry about their plants again. The Parrot Pot gives plants the right amount of water at the right time. This smart flowerpot has four sensors that monitor light, temperature, and soil moisture and fertilizer levels in real time. The simple app even has a database of over 8,000 plants to give seniors advice on how to help their favorite flowers thrive

Additional stations included a Wi-Fi Slow Cooker, Wi-Fi vacuum, Wi-Fi cat (Joy for All Orange Tabby Cat), electronic pet feeder, electronic fork that tracks eating habits, smart door locks and video cameras, glass break sensors, water/flood sensors, motion sensors and other safety devices.

“By connecting healthcare providers, caregivers and families to innovative care services through the smart home environment, families can prolong the quality of life at home, and lower healthcare costs without sacrificing peace of mind,” Madison said, adding that reliable high-speed internet is essential for multiple devices to work properly at the same time.

Cox Communications continues to aggressively invest in its network as well as new ventures such as healthcare and Internet of Things to better power smart homes, smart businesses and smart cities of the future.

Cox has invested $15 billion in its infrastructure in the past 10 years and is investing another $10 billion in the next five years to bring fiber closer to homes, increase speeds and improve products.