Westminster Village, the Life Plan Community serving Terre Haute and the Wabash Valley of western Indiana, has opened a demonstration model SMART apartment. Equipped with the latest technology, the new features are designed to make life easier for its residents.
> Click here for a video on the SMART apartment: http://www.mywabashvalley.com/news/senior-living-made-smarter/985130910
“We’ve found retirees today are interested in keeping up with technology. Many carry smartphones and own tablets. They want to, in their own words, ‘keep up with the times’,” says Executive Director Dan Smith. “So, at Westminster Village, we’re going to help them. That’s why we developed our demonstration model SMART apartment.”
Visitors to the new model will find an apartment equipped with Amazon Alexa, the cloud-based voice service, plus additional remote Amazon Dots. The system controls the apartment’s smart TV, lights and thermostat, plus several small appliances. It is also programmed to connect with the Westminster Village emergency call system designed to alert staff when residents need help.
According to Smith, “Visitors are intrigued when they learn everyday tasks can be completed with a simple voice command. The coffee pot can begin brewing in the kitchen and the curling iron in the bathroom can be turned on or off simply by telling Alexa to do it.”
Smith adds that visitors are also fascinated to learn that because Amazon Alexa pulls information from the internet, they can ask hundreds of questions and get answers. “We demonstrate that they can ask anything from ‘What is the weather?’ to ‘How tall is Mount Everest?’. They can even command Alexa to ‘Tell me a joke.’”
The fully-equipped demonstration model SMART apartment also features a Honeywell smart thermostat with remote control capabilities allowing residents to adjust the temperature when they are away from home.
What’s more, residents with a Pandora or Spotify radio app and the Sonos speaker featured in the model apartment can command Alexa to play music of any genre.
Westminster Village offers residents SMART apartment technology packages starting at $1,200, and their own IT team provides on-site set-up and assistance.
The Westminster Village demonstration model SMART apartment is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and retirees and their families are invited to schedule a visit by calling (812) 242-4611 or visiting WestminsterVillageIN.com.
Westminster Village Life Plan Community offers independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing and rehabilitative services—all under one roof. Serving Terre Haute and the Wabash Valley of western Indiana, it is located at 1120 E. Davis Drive and managed by Life Care Services®, An LCS® Company.
