How Home Security Can Make You Feel Safer

I used to love watching the TV drama "Criminal Minds" with my then-husband. We'd cuddle on the couch in our family room, sharing snacks and commenting on the well-written program. When we separated and I moved into my own place almost 15 years ago, I found that I couldn't handle watching it any longer; living on my own as an older woman raised new fears about my safety at home that crime shows exacerbate.

Recent trends among older adults, particularly women on our own, have shown that I'm not alone in my fears, though that's not necessarily showing up in others' entertainment habits.  

"In my therapy work with older adult women, my clients express concern about the threat of intruders, home invasions and the risk of being targeted for robberies and assaults. These fears stem from their vulnerability due to their age and living alone," says St. Louis-based licensed and board certified counseling psychologist Jameca Woody Cooper. What's driving this, she says, is the experiences of neighbors or loved ones, as well as events they've seen in the news.

"When it comes to fear of crime, an individual's mental and physical health, as well as their mobility levels, play significant roles," the psychologist adds. "Older adults who face health challenges and have limited mobility often exhibit heightened concerns about crime and safety."

"Women live longer than men by about six years (average), so the older the client, the more likely they are to be female and live alone," says Pamela Toto, director of the clinical science program in the Department of Occupational Therapy at  the University of Pittsburgh's School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences.

It's typically fall prevention and daily task management that prompt an occupational therapist to complete a home visit, she says, but security questions do arise. "In terms of home security and crime, most of my clients are worried about someone coming into their home and harming them versus someone stealing something."

Aldo Iemma is a New York City-based real estate broker and a Senior Real Estate Specialist, who educates his agents on supporting older home buyers and sellers in his greater metro area. "Many people in this age group pay attention to crime rates," he notes, commenting that some buyers follow police activity and use technology like the Citizen App to stay safe. "Local cable news stations play the same reports all day and of course it has a negative effect, especially with the older viewers," he adds.

The pandemic was a game changer, Iemma notes. "Older clients talk about the world we are living in." They're concerned about crime overall and that can impact their choice of home, he notes. "Buyers' first concern is crime rate in that particular neighborhood and in the case of a cooperative or condominium they want to know as much as they can about the building itself and its tenants," Iemma says.

Security consultant Kim Michels in the greater New York area agrees. "We are much busier than in the past," he comments. Three quarters of Michels' clients are 50 or older, he says, and the percentage keeps increasing as mature homeowners become more willing to invest in securing their residences. Their major concerns, he says, lean toward street crime driven by desperate individuals. Looking at their overall concerns about crime, he says, "Our clients are preparing for things to get worse and I think they are wise to do so."

For some New Yorkers (and 70% of Jews across the country, according to one survey), there has been tremendous fear of antisemitic attacks in the wake of the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. In recent months, the homes of multiple Brooklyn Museum board members were vandalized by angry protesters.

"I have heard from a friend in another part of town where members of the Jewish community are very concerned," Iemma comments. The concerns span age groups, he notes, but it's not unreasonable to expect that older adults – particularly women living alone – may feel particularly vulnerable.

Michels is hearing clients express concerns about antisemitism and safety. "The tension is clearly in the air," he observes. New York isn't alone in experiencing or reporting hate crimes. Other cities and groups have experienced headline-driven attacks on targeted minorities, including Asian Americans assaulted during the pandemic, Muslims attacked at home and on the street both post-9/11 and 10/7 and a surge in attacks on the LGBTQ community in recent years, to name a few.

By law, real estate agents cannot get involved with safety and security issues when it comes to where buyers want to live, Iemma explains, but they do discuss numerous ideas that can help them stay safe at home on a variety of age-friendly issues. Technology, like video doorbells, is among them.

Toto sees the benefit of smart home technology for protecting older adults at home. "Video doorbells are an excellent example," the occupational therapist suggests. "Even better are smart video doorbells that can be integrated into a smart home system that can allow them to 'see' who is at the door and even lock/unlock [it] with a simple verbal command. It is quickly becoming a myth that older adults can't or don't want to use technology," she comments, citing a recent AARP tech trends survey for the 50-plus adult.

Grand Rapids, Michigan area technology integrator Amanda Wildman works with numerous older clients, she says; about 70% of her homeowners are 50 and older. She credits the pandemic with creating awareness of professionals like herself who make the process of adding technology easier for homeowners.

Many of her clients anticipate a future where they might need extra support, she notes. "They are often building these spaces as their final home, so they are taking more things into consideration to allow them to be able to independently live alone within the home should that be in their future."

While a video doorbell and cameras add a measure of security and perhaps some peace of mind, integrators look beyond these solutions, Wildman says. "With things like lighting control systems, we can help you be able to have a button that turns on your exterior lights from your bedroom so if you hear a noise, you can illuminate spaces on the outside, or even the inside of your home to make you feel safer and more secure." 

You can use technology to automate lights and privacy, she points out. "Motorized shades can be programmed to open and close throughout the day, making it difficult for people to know when the space is unoccupied." Programmable locks and smart garage doors are gaining in popularity too because they let you control who has access to your home when – e.g., cleaning person, pet sitter, weekend guest – and eliminate the need for spare keys that can be lost or duplicated.

Wildman suggests that people concerned about their safety at home find a technology advisor who can advise them on their needs and, if budget dictates, phase in components. Referrals are one approach if available. Two industry associations, CEDIA and the Home Technology Association, can connect you with certified members in your area.

"Your relationship with an integrator should be one that is ongoing," Wildman suggests, urging homeowners to find a professional they can trust and develop a plan. This pro "can offer you support and updates as necessary in the future," she suggests, advice that I'm keen on taking. In fact, I'm starting to interview integrators myself for my own forever home.

Technology isn't the answer to every problem, as anyone who has ever been frustrated by Siri or Alexa can attest! For some older adults, physical security at home is a desirable (or even necessary) option, and that's when Michels calls on his relationship as an FBS Fortified and Ballistic Security dealer, creating safe rooms and reinforced windows and entries. "We recommend either a secure bedroom door, main entrance door or both," Michels comments. "In the case of condos, one or two doors can make the whole area secure and very difficult to penetrate."

His final word on this topic: "Fortification is better than notification."