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Hank Norsworthy was tired of having to walk down a dark hallway to get to bed. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 40 years ago, he uses a rollator (a walker with wheels) to get around. After several friends adopted smart home technology to automate certain features, he decided to give it a try.

He bought an Echo Dot as well as some smart lightbulbs and smart plugs to help automate his lighting. With these adjustments, he can now simply ask Alexa to turn his lights on or off.

Norsworthy has been so happy with the results, he’s considering getting a smart lock for his front door and more smart lights for his garage. “This beats the little motion-detector lights I was using before,” said Norsworthy, 77, of Jacksonville, Florida.

More older adults are discovering and adopting easy-to-use, voice-activated smart home technology because it relies on something all of them know how to do: speak.

The percentage of adults 50 years and older that own smart home technology nearly doubled in just a year, from 10% in 2019 to 19% in 2020, according to AARP’s report “2021 Tech Trends and the 50+.”

Choosing a system

Using the system may be easy, but the real challenge is choosing which one you want. There are three main brands: Amazon’s Alexa Smart Home, Google’s Nest and Apple’s HomeKit.

Because the technology isn’t always interchangeable across platforms, consumers can get locked into buying only one company’s products and accessories. So, think about which smart home features you want and why before investing in a system.

Each company offers smart speakers — such as Echo for Amazon, Google’s Nest Audio and HomePod mini for Apple — that let you ask questions to a virtual assistant or give it voice commands.

To do this, you start the question with what’s called a “wake word.” For example, for an Amazon device, you could say, “Alexa, what’s the temperature outside?” For Google Assistant, you would say, “Hey Google, what’s today’s date?” The wake phrase for Apple is “Hey Siri.”

Other smart home products include thermostats, doorbells, lights and locks. Each product comes with its own app that you can control through your smartphone. You can also control these products through the smart speaker.

Although using voice commands to control smart home technology is not required, many older adults find that feature helpful if they have shaky hands or declining vision, which can make a smartphone app harder to use, says Richard Caro, co-founder of Tech-enhanced Life, which looks at how aging intersects with technology, including smart home products for seniors. “They like it partly because it’s a different way to interact with things,” Caro says.

Not every smart doorbell or light will work with each ecosystem. Typically, a product will work with Amazon’s and Google’s technology but not necessarily Apple’s. If you already own one piece of smart technology, it’s best to stick with that brand.

A variety of products

Many smart home products have potential to help older adults age in place. For instance, Amazon last year launched its Care Hub, a free service “designed to help aging customers maintain independence and provide assurance and peace of mind to their family members,” said Nicolas Maynard, senior manager for Alexa for Everyone at Amazon.

By connecting their Alexa accounts, a caregiver can check in on a family member remotely. One feature even includes an alert if the other person’s Alexa has not been used by a certain time. (Google and Apple did not respond to a request for comment for this story.)

Experts recommend smart lighting for older adults because turning lights on and off with your voice or an app can help prevent falls. Philips produces a line of smart lightbulbs, whether it’s a single white bulb or a pack of three that change color.

You can also buy smart plugs that work with almost anything, such as lamps or coffeemakers, and that let you control the appliance with your voice through a smart speaker.

Because they’re fairly inexpensive and easy to use, smart plugs are a good way for a beginner to try out smart home technology without making a significant investment.

Experts also like video doorbells, particularly for seniors. These doorbells allow the homeowner to see and speak with a visitor at the door without having to walk over and open it.

Amazon dominates the market with Ring, a brand that has captured about 40% of the video doorbell market, according to research from Strategy Analytics. Google accounts for only about a quarter of that same market.

Tutorials, classes can help

Most of these products are fairly easy to install, experts say. There are also plenty of video tutorials online about setting up a smart speaker.

Amazon has gone a step further with its “Certified for Humans” stamp of approval on any products it considers easy to set up, though you can always hire someone to do it for you.

Local libraries, senior centers and organizations such as Senior Planet often offer technology courses. GetSetUp.io provides classes on a range of topics, including one on the basics of smart home technology and several on using Alexa.

Norsworthy, who worked in IT before retiring, says taking a class about Alexa through GetSetUp “supplied the last bit of knowledge” he needed before buying his Echo.

His advice to fellow retirees: “Just go for it.”

© The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.