“My mum can barely use her mobile phone. How’s she going to cope with smart home technology?”
Every family asks this. It’s the first objection, the biggest worry, the thing that stops people even considering smart home care. If your parent can’t figure out the TV remote, what hope is there for motion sensors and smartphone alerts?
Here’s what most people get wrong: your parent doesn’t have to “use” smart home care the way you use your smartphone. The best systems work invisibly. Your parent just lives their life. The technology watches.
Why this fear is usually overblown
Smart home elderly care isn’t like learning to use a computer. It’s not like mastering a smartphone. It’s not even like programming a video recorder (remember those?).
Most smart home care systems require nothing from your parent. Zero interaction. No buttons to press, no apps to open, no settings to adjust.
Motion sensors detect movement automatically. Door sensors notice when doors open. Smart plugs monitor appliance use. Temperature sensors track the heating. None of this requires your parent to do anything differently than they’ve done for decades.
The technology adapts to your parent’s life. Your parent doesn’t adapt to the technology.
What “using” the technology actually means
For most elderly care setups, your parent’s interaction with the technology is:
Nothing at all. Sensors work invisibly. Your parent won’t even notice them after the first week.
Occasional voice commands (optional). “Call my daughter” or “What’s the weather?” These are additions, not requirements.
Living normally. Getting up, making tea, moving around the house, going to bed. That’s the “use.”
The active user is you, not your parent. You receive alerts on your phone. You check the dashboard. You respond when something seems wrong. Your parent just carries on.
What the research actually shows
Studies on technology adoption in older adults consistently find that age itself isn’t the barrier people assume.
Older people adopt technology when it meets genuine needs, when it’s designed with them in mind, and when they receive proper support. This isn’t speculation; it’s what decades of research into technology adoption consistently finds.
The real barriers are:
Perceived complexity. If something looks complicated, older people won’t try it. But if technology works invisibly or requires only simple interactions, complexity isn’t an issue.
Fear of breaking things. Many older people avoid technology because they’re afraid of pressing the wrong button. Systems that work passively remove this fear entirely.
Lack of obvious benefit. Technology adopted for its own sake gets rejected. Technology that solves a real problem gets accepted.
Poor design. Tiny buttons, confusing interfaces, too many options. These are design failures, not user failures.
No support when things go wrong. When something stops working and there’s no one to call, people give up. Ongoing support matters as much as initial setup.
What predicts successful adoption
Research consistently identifies these factors:
Personalisation. Generic “elderly care” technology feels patronising. Technology configured specifically for your mum, addressing her specific concerns, feels helpful.
Preserved dignity. Anything that feels like surveillance gets rejected. Anything that feels like support gets accepted. The framing matters as much as the features.
User control. Your parent should be able to turn things off, adjust settings, or ignore alerts. Feeling controlled by technology is worse than having none.
Reliable support. Someone to call when it doesn’t work. Someone who explains things patiently. Someone who treats your parent as an adult, not an idiot.
The smartphone comparison doesn’t apply
People assume smart home care will be like smartphones: complicated, frustrating, requiring constant learning. This comparison doesn’t hold.
Smartphones are designed for active, frequent interaction. They assume you want to browse, swipe, tap, install apps, update software, manage notifications. They’re complex because they do everything.
Smart home elderly care is designed for passive, invisible operation. The technology does one thing: notice patterns and alert family when something changes. Your parent doesn’t interact with it at all.
What smartphones require
- Fine motor control for touchscreens
- Good eyesight for small text and icons
- Memory for dozens of apps and gestures
- Regular learning as interfaces update
- Comfort with abstract concepts (apps, accounts, passwords)
What smart home care requires
- Nothing. Sensors work automatically.
- Voice commands require only speech (optional)
- No touchscreens, no apps, no passwords for your parent
The comparison isn’t fair. They’re entirely different categories of technology.
Voice control changes everything
For the parts of smart home care that do require interaction, voice control has changed everything.
Saying “call Sarah” is easier than:
- Finding your phone
- Unlocking it
- Opening the phone app
- Finding contacts
- Scrolling to the right name
- Pressing call
Older people who struggle with touchscreens often find voice control intuitive. Speaking is natural. Tapping tiny icons isn’t.
Voice assistants can:
- Make phone calls to family
- Set reminders for medication
- Answer questions about the weather, news, or anything else
- Play music or radio
- Tell jokes (your parent might actually enjoy this)
- Provide a presence in an otherwise silent home
Not every elderly person takes to voice control. But many do, including people who’ve never used a computer.
How to introduce technology successfully
If you’re worried about whether your parent will accept smart home care, how you introduce it matters more than what you install.
Start with their concerns, not your gadgets
Don’t lead with “I’ve found this great smart home system.” Lead with “I worry about you, and I’d like to find a way to worry less while you keep your independence.”
Ask what they worry about. Falls? Forgetting things? Feeling isolated? The conversation should be about their life, not about technology.
Then, and only then, explain how specific technology addresses specific concerns. “You mentioned worrying about leaving the hob on. There’s a smart plug that can turn it off automatically after an hour.”
Involve them in decisions
Don’t install anything without your parent’s knowledge. That’s surveillance, not support. Even if you think you’re helping, they’ll feel spied on.
Explain what each device does. Show them where sensors will go. Ask if there are places they’d rather not have monitoring (bedroom, bathroom). Respect their boundaries.
Some parents want to be involved in every detail. Others want you to handle it and just tell them what’s happening. Either approach works. Imposing technology without consent doesn’t.
Start small
Don’t install a complete system on day one. Start with one or two things that address specific concerns.
A motion-activated night light is invisible and immediately useful. No one objects to lights that turn on automatically.
A smart plug on the kettle gives you a daily “mum’s up and making tea” signal without feeling like surveillance.
Once your parent sees that technology is helpful and unobtrusive, adding more becomes easier.
Arrange guided setup support
Look for providers that offer setup guidance rather than figuring everything out alone. Good setup support will:
- Provide pre-configured devices ready to use
- Guide you through placement via video call
- Help test the whole system remotely
- Explain things clearly to your parent
- Be available for ongoing support
The value of guided setup is worth it. A system that works properly from day one builds confidence. A system that keeps glitching undermines trust.
Provide ongoing support
The weeks after installation matter. Check in regularly. Ask if anything’s confusing. Fix problems quickly.
If your parent can’t figure out how to mute the voice assistant at night, they’ll unplug it. If you help them adjust the settings, they’ll keep using it.
Choose a provider with good customer support. When something goes wrong at 2pm on a Tuesday, someone should answer the phone.
Common objections and what to do
”I don’t need it”
This usually means “I don’t want to admit I need help.” Don’t argue. Instead, frame it as something for your benefit.
“I know you’re fine. But I worry, and I’d feel better knowing I’d hear if something was wrong. Would you do it for me?”
Many parents accept technology specifically because they want to reduce their children’s worry.
”It’s too complicated”
Show, don’t tell. Demonstrate how sensors work invisibly. Show them that they don’t have to do anything.
If possible, show the app on your phone. “This is all I see. It just tells me you’re up and moving around. That’s it."
"I don’t want to be watched”
This is a legitimate concern. Respect it.
Explain that most systems don’t use cameras. Motion sensors detect presence, not images. Nobody sees video of them.
Offer control. “If you ever want to turn it off, you can. I’ll show you how.”
And be honest: the alternative might eventually be more intrusive. A care home has staff checking on residents. Live-in carers are present constantly. Sensors that work invisibly are the least intrusive option.
”It’s too expensive”
Share the costs if you can. Or put it in context: smart home technology costs a fraction of residential care. If it extends independent living by even a few months, it pays for itself many times over.
Some local councils provide basic telecare equipment for people who qualify. Worth checking.
When technology alone won’t work
Not every parent will accept smart home technology, and that’s their right.
If your parent consistently removes sensors, unplugs devices, or refuses all monitoring, you can’t force it. You can explain the benefits, address concerns, and offer control. But ultimately, it’s their home and their choice.
If dementia is advanced, your parent might not understand what the technology is or why it’s there. They might remove sensors thinking they’re something else. In these cases, technology may not be appropriate, or may need to be combined with regular human check-ins.
Technology works best when your parent:
- Understands what it does (even if they don’t understand how)
- Sees some benefit, even if reluctantly
- Tolerates it, even if they don’t embrace it
If none of these apply, other approaches might be needed.
The real question
The question isn’t “will my parent use smart home technology?” The question is “will my parent accept smart home technology existing in their home?”
And for most older people, the answer is yes, if:
- It’s introduced respectfully
- It addresses genuine concerns
- It doesn’t feel like surveillance
- It doesn’t require them to learn new skills
- They maintain control over their own home
The technology adapts to them. Not the other way around.
Ready to see whether smart home care could work for your family? Our needs assessment helps you think through what your parent actually needs. Or book a free consultation to talk through your specific situation.
