Advice/Opinion/Insight/Events/Case study/Customer care/Training ASSISTED LIVING If you have an opinion about an issue concerning the electrical industry, let us know. Email nick.martindale@ redactive.co.uk
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Home help Smart technology offers the potential to transform the assisted living sector, and this should create opportunities for savvy contractors, says Marie Parry
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ecause we are living longer, traditional arrangements for supporting people with age-related, long-term health issues are unsustainable. The way we design homes now and in the future will help people with different levels of mobility and capability to remain in their homes. Current thinking is to integrate traditional building technologies with new and emerging ones. There are enormous potential benefits from using mobile devices and services that operate seamlessly with home-based solutions, supporting users to manage conditions inside the home. Rather than crossing a dark room to turn on a switch, for example, automated technology can be set up to trigger the coming on of lights once there is motion detected in the space. Rather than fiddling with an array of controllers for heating, a centralised app on a smartphone or tablet can control the entire house at once. A smart home doesn’t require a complete home refurbishment project and it doesn’t need to cost tens
of thousands of pounds. The ability to easily adapt and update a home is being made more achievable due to the wireless control and automation products available. These enable the upgrade of an electrical installation to provide added security, energy saving, comfort and control for those in need of assisted living, without the need for intrusive and unwanted disturbance. For example, a bedtime route can be created that turns all lights on and off to allow the occupier to get to bed without the need to switch lights on or off. Because of the flexibility of this type of system, it will be easy to change an installation to meet the evolving requirements of the occupier. With dementia one of the main causes of disability later in life and expected to double globally by 2030, the assisted living sector is one that will continue to grow, bringing with it the potential for additional business for those contractors who embrace new technologies and products.
Marie Parry is group marketing manager at Scolmore
IN FOCUS// KAREN CHUGG
» Karen Chugg Intelligent Abodes
How did you come to start the business? My husband Tim had his own electrical firm and started venturing into lighting control. In 2008 I recognised the potential of specialising in home automation. I’m the customer interface and Tim handles the technical side. What type of premises do you work in? Mainly higher-end homes, but we have done a few hotels and restaurants. What type of installations do you do? Whatever people want
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to control! So lighting, heating, automated blinds and curtains, music, TV, networking, as well as security, door-entry and irrigation systems. Do you do all the electrical work yourselves? We employ two electricians and work with other contractors. But because we have qualified electricians and NICEIC registration, we can terminate the 230V wiring in the lighting control panels, which is something other home automation companies may not be able to offer.
Where do you cover? We work in Dorset, Devon and Cornwall. You won an award… ? We won the Venus customer service award for Devon, which recognises the contribution women make to business. How big could you grow? It’s only just getting off the ground... What do you do outside work? We’re both into cycling. We have a young family too but working together helps us manage our time.
Illustration: Cameron Law
If you are a small business or sole trader and would like to feature in In Focus, email nick.martindale@ redactive.co.uk
Winter 2015-2016 Connections
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