Smart home support for seniors

A new online course aims to demystify smart home technology for older Australians.

The NSW office of eSafety is offering the course on smart homes and cloud technology as part of its Be Connected program.

eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant says there is huge potential for smart home technology to help seniors around the home.

Some 1.5 million Australians aged over 55 own a smart speaker, eSafety says.

“Smart speakers offer a lot of convenience for older Australians but also importantly, they can help seniors who may be mobility or vision impaired,” Ms Grant says.

“Just by using their voice, they can make appointments, get the latest news and weather updates and more.”

She says its estimated that by 2025 more than four million Australians will be using smart speakers.

“So this is technology that is becoming increasingly common and beneficial to many older Australians,” she says.

The course explains smart technology, and how to set up a smart speaker and use voice control to perform tasks like setting reminders or searching for recipes.

It also explains what cloud technology is and how to use it safely.

The smart homes and cloud technology  course is available for free here.

Be Connected is an Australian government initiative committed to improving the online confidence, skills and safety of seniors.

Managed by eSafety, it provides free information, learning modules and webinars designed to empower older Australians to safely use the internet and digital technology.

It also supports people to mentor older family members or friends.

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