Door automation is the key to freedom

Situation

After experiencing a stroke, Logan, 52, lives with left sided hemiparesis, a loss of left peripheral vision, and chronic pain. Logan’s cognition has also been affected, with short-term memory being difficult. He has no functional movement in his left hand and has very limited movement in his left arm and leg.

Logan lives alone but has support workers assisting throughout the day. Due to fatigue, he spends a significant amount of time in bed.

Logan did not have any way of seeing who was at his front door or opening his front door for his support workers or other visitors. This was particularly an issue when he was resting in bed, so he would often leave his door unlocked, compromising his security.

In addition, Logan would often forget to turn lights off before going to bed. Due to reduced mobility and fatigue in the evenings, he would be unable to leave his bed to turn the lights off, meaning they were often left on until the support workers returned the next day.

Solution

To enable Logan to independently access his front door as well as open it for visitors, our occupational therapist (OT) recommended an automated door. We also recommended a smart keypad, allowing Logan to give unique entry PIN codes to trusted visitors or support workers when needed. This meant he no longer had to leave his door unlocked.

We also installed a video doorbell, which gave Logan the ability to see and talk to callers at the front door, using his smartphone. This meant he could safely interact with the visitor before deciding whether to open the door. The video doorbell meant Logan could also open the front door within the same app, both reducing confusion and allowing him to open the door from wherever he was in the house (even in bed).

Smart bulbs were also installed through the home, with a smart speaker giving Logan the option of controlling all the lights in his home using only his voice.

Outcome

With the door automation, keypad and doorbell installed, Logan is completely independent in accessing his front door. This significantly increased his sense of security at home as he no longer needed to leave his door unlocked. Logan also has control over PIN codes for the keypad at the front door, so he can choose to give access to trusted visitors.

Summary pointers for OTs, technicians, and the intended user (person with disability)

• The technology described above has worked well for Logan, so we think it’s worth consideration by OTs, technicians, and people with disability, in similar situations.

• When recommending and installing door automation it is important to keep in mind that this is a key feature in ensuring the person’s everyday safety and security. It is important to train the person and their supports in the different access methods and discuss a backup plan should the door malfunction.

• In this instance we chose to install a hardwired doorbell rather than a battery operated one. There are pros and cons to both options, and it is important to consider which option is best suited to the individual's situation.

  • One of the benefits of a hardwired doorbell is that it does not need to be charged every few months. The DoorBird is also one of the only doorbells that integrates with an electric strike, allowing the user to see who is there and unlock the door using the same app.

  • The downside of a hardwired doorbell is that it is costly to install and difficult to re-locate if the user moves to a new home.

*Logan is not our customer's real name. Their name has been changed to maintain their privacy.