City of Côte Saint-Luc

By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

Côte St. Luc councillor Dida Berku made an appeal for vulnerable and isolated older adults to take part in the The Living Lab of the City of Côte Saint-Luc,” a Smart Homes program done in collaboration with the CIUSS West-Central Montreal healthcare network.

“This project is to try to help seniors living alone to monitor their daily pattern and see if they’re okay, and to, with technology, let people know — family, friends, our organizations — if something seems amiss, the right people can come to help them, not only for medical purposes but to improve their quality of life on a daily basis,” CSL Mayor Mitchell Brownstein explained at the project’s 2022 launch. Berku pointed out that this is the last year of the subsidized project.

“I’m addressing this to everyone out there and any person who knows someone who can benefit from this,” she said. “If you live alone and have your routine, if you’re willing to try something new, the Living Lab project may be for you. Over the next six months, we’ll be installing smart sensors inside the homes and apartments of seniors. You can install it on your front door, on your stove or wherever you choose.”

The councillor said the motion sensors will detect when there is a break in the resident’s daily routine, and that they are not cameras.

“If you don’t open the fridge in 24 hours or leave your bedroom or apartment over a period of days, the sensors will send out an alert to the person of your choice — it could be a family member living near or far, a neighbour or even your doctor or pharmacist.”

Berku said people are being signed up now to participate.

“If you or your family are interested, please contact me at dberku@cotesaintluc.org or call city hall and leave a message for me. We’re looking for all types of candidates.”