My Needs
To be truly useful, a smart home must be carefully tailored to meet the specific needs of its inhabitants. Elsewhere, we’ve identified the 28 technologies that now define the smart home arena. See Technologies.
To help clarify the specific needs for you and your family, we’ve identified Five Lifestyle Patterns which are built upon these smart home technologies—many of which can be custom-tailored to support specific lifestyle needs.
After you explore these five lifestyle patterns, complete My Smart Home Plan [coming soon] below to assess the relative importance of these patterns in the life of your household.
FIVE LIFESTYLE PATTERNS
PROTECT
“My home is my castle. I want it to protect my family and all we have worked to create.”
Safeguard your family, possessions and home with:
- Remote monitoring and control of door locks and windows
- Intrusion alarms for doors and windows
- Smoke, fire, and carbon monoxide detectors and alerts
- Security lighting (exterior and interior)
- Controls to limit access to medicine, liquor, and gun cabinets
- Surveillance cameras, with local and/or cloud storage of images
- Temperature, moisture, and flooding alerts
CONNECT
“I want to be able to check on my home and family—from within the house, and when I am away.”
Instant connectivity for home monitoring and control:
- Monitoring and control features which are integrated into your remote controls, smartphone, tablet and/or laptop
- Conveniently-located in-home control panels
- World-wide remote access to smart home systems via a smartphone or table
- Use of an integration processor to coordinate the various systems
- Automated text messages which are set up for email alerts
- Cloud storage of images and data, as desired
ENJOY
“I want to relax, enjoy my entertainment systems, and control my smart home technology features with ease.”
Enjoy your home with comfort, convenience & style:
- Easy-to-use multi-room music, video, and streaming
- Effortless control of your home theater
- Remotely access and control an audio or video server
- Automatically control custom lighting scenes & illuminate pathways
- Wirelessly adjust shades and drapes
- Remotely control a fireplace, spa, or water features
CONSERVE
“I want to use our home resources thoughtfully—to save money, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and help preserve the environment.”
Use less electricity, gas and water with:
- Lighting control, using dimming and scene-setting functions
- Occupancy sensors, which automatically turn lighting on when a room is occupied, and off when it is vacant
- Automated window coverings to optimize solar gain in winter, and limit it in summer
- Remotely manage heating & AC, to save money (and energy) when you are away
- Monitor and control water use with flow meters and leak detectors
- Remotely manage pool, spa, sauna & irrigation systems
ADAPT
“I want to support family members with special needs, so they can continue to live at home—with comfort, security, and freedom from worry.”
Adapt smart home technologies to support Aging-in-Place and other Special Needs:
- Occupancy sensors to track and time their movements throughout the home
- Bed sensors to monitor sleep quality and vital signs
- Security cameras to oversee independent living
- Smart appliances to help monitor nutrition & safety
- Door & window locks to monitor and control for safety and security
- Medication dispensers to confirm & control prescription compliance
- Any PROTECT feature, for added safety and security
Note: Adapting smart home features to the special needs of a household member typically requires careful coordination between their home health care specialist and the smart home expert who is installing the technologies.
What are your Smart Home needs?
To create a working overview, complete My Smart Home Plan [coming soon] now. It will help you clarify your needs, so you can more easily weigh your choices.