People with

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Relief in your home

Obsessive-compulsive disorder challenges

People with obsessive-compulsive disorder are confronted with a variety of daily challenges including persistent, unwanted intrusive thoughts (obsessions) that trigger intense anxiety, and repetitive, ritualistic behaviours (compulsions) that provide temporary relief.

Common challenges involve excessive handwashing and cleaning, repeated checking of locks or appliances, arranging things in specific patterns, compulsive counting, and repeating words or phrases silently. These behaviours consume significant time and energy, often disrupting daily life, work, and relationships, and can lead to feelings of shame, frustration, and guilt.

Following are just some of the common daily challenges associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder:

Obsessive Thoughts:

Unwanted, distressing, and intrusive thoughts, images, or urges that can cause severe anxiety.

Compulsive Behaviours:

The repetitive actions performed to relieve anxiety from obsessions. Examples include:

Washing/Cleaning: Excessive handwashing or cleaning of one's home to avoid contamination or illness.
Checking: Repeatedly checking that doors are locked, stoves are off, or other safety measures are in place.
Ordering/Arranging: Arranging objects, clothes, or furniture in a specific, symmetrical, or precise way.
Mental Compulsions: Silently repeating words, numbers, or phrases, or mentally counting to a certain number.
Seeking Reassurance: Constantly asking for reassurance from others about whether something is safe or has been done correctly.

Impact on Daily Life:

Time Consumption: The time spent on compulsions can interfere with daily activities, work, and leisure.
Social Isolation: Difficulty with social relationships due to fear of contamination or the need for rituals.
Emotional Distress: Feelings of guilt, shame, frustration, and low self-esteem due to the inability to stop the behaviours.
Impact on Others: Loved ones may become entangled in the person's compulsions by offering reassurance or performing actions for them.

Positive outcomes for people with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Automated Spaces offers a variety of Independent Living Technology solutions that can provide a broad range of positive outcomes for those with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder:

Increased Independence
Improved Dignity
Reduced Risk of Major Flooding Damage
Improved Home Safety
Positively Impact Focus & Cognitive Performance
Reduced Anxiety/Stress
Increased Confidence

Some of our Independent Living Technology solutions also can provide the following outcomes for those caring for people with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder:

Reduced Demand on their Time
Increased Quality of Time with Family Member/Friend
Reduced Stress/Anxiety

If you would like to know more about how we can provide these outcomes

Independent living technology solutions for obsessive-compulsive disorder

Automated Spaces can provide the following Independent Living Technology solutions for obsessive-compulsive disorders:

See the following sections for further details about the independent living technologies for obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Smart home scenes

A Smart Home Hub can be programmed with various Smart home scenes. These scenes can simultaneously automate numerous actions around the home e.g., an ‘Exit’ scene that automatically turn off all the TVs, Radios, Lights as well as check that all the windows and doors are closed before arming the intruder alarm.

This means that a series of tasks, can be structured to occur automatically without any physical effort being required. An audible announcement can also be made, to provide reassurance, that the series of tasks has been completed successfully.

Useful for those trying to break the habit of repeatedly having to physically complete a series of activities or the habit of having to check several times that a task has occurred. Also useful in reducing the amount of time spent leaving your home.

Smart home hub

A Smart Home Control System acts as a central hub for a wide range of 3rd party devices and variety of differing manufacturer’s products. It translates the communications between these different devices, which use differing programming languages, so that they can all share information with the central smart home control hub.

The hub can then co-ordinate the appropriate resulting action, based on the incoming signals, on the relevant devices around the home. When an 'Exit' smart home scene is triggered due to someone leaving a property, the control hub completes a series of checks, based on the results of those checks the hub will then either make an audible announcement confirming the arming of the intruder alarm or reason why it can’t arm the alarm.

An example of the checks could be:

Are all the external windows closed?
As part of the ‘Exit’ programming sequence:
Have all the lights been switched off successfully?
Have all the TV displays switched off successfully?
Have all the Radios/Audio Sources switched off successfully?

Useful for those who need to seek reassurance that their house is fully secure before they can leave. Also useful in reducing the amount of time the process of leaving your home takes.

Water damage prevention

A sensor that detects water usage and leaks, placed on the mains water pipes for the property, combined with sensors that detect if the bath water is overflowing and whether there is occupancy in the room.

With the ability to automatically switch off the mains water supply, issue an audible alert in the home and send a push notification alert.

The water usage sensor, typically will be connected to the Internet, meaning that the mains water supply can also be switched off remotely even when away from the property.

Useful for those who must repeatedly check things such as whether a tap has been turned off when they might be away from their home. It also is useful in reducing time spent having to return to your home to check, if you have turned off a tap, due to unbearable anxiety levels associated with not being sure.

Smart intruder alarm

Smart intruder alarm, when the resident goes to bed, that automatically checks all windows and doors around the home are closed, if required closes any automated doors/windows, turns off all the lights, TVs and radios around the home, before arming the night-time mode of the intruder alarm.

A smart intruder alarm, typically will be connected to the Internet, meaning that it’s status can be checked even when away from the property.

Useful for those who must repeatedly check things such as whether their intruder alarm is still armed when they might be away from their home.

Smart door locks

Multipoint door locks with integrated fingerprint scanner, that can be unlocked using just your fingerprint or a smart phone removing the need to carry around door keys.

The smart door lock, typically will be connected to the Internet, meaning that it’s status can be checked even when away from the property. A command to lock or unlock the door lock can also be sent remotely. Meaning that even if somehow you accidently left the door lock unlocked when you left your home you can immediately lock the door lock without having to physically return to the property.

Useful to reduce the anxiety associated with not being sure if you have locked your front door when you’re away from your home. It also is useful in reducing time spent having to return to your home to check, if you have a locked your door lock, due to unbearable anxiety levels associated with not being sure.

Door / window contact sensors

Door/window contact sensors that can be checked during the ‘Exit’ routine to confirm that they are closed. The smart home hub can only complete the exit process and play an audible announcement confirming the completion of the exit process when the windows/doors have been confirmed as being closed by the contact sensor.

This also allows the quick identification of specific windows or doors that have been left open. Meaning that you no longer need to start to check all the windows to find out which one has been left open. Instead, you can go directly to and close the individual window that is open.

The door/window contact sensors’ open or closed status can also be checked remotely while you are away from your home.

Useful for those who need to seek reassurance that their house is fully secure before they can leave or while they are away from their property. Also useful in reducing the amount of time the process of leaving your home takes.

Smart mains power sockets & adaptors

Smart mains power adaptors who’s on/off status can be remotely checked; the adaptors can also be remotely switched on or off; or using a smart hub we can activate a timer that automatically switches off power after a certain amount of time.

Smart mains power wall sockets that can be remotely switched on or off.

Useful for those who need to seek reassurance that they have turned off appliances while they are away from their home. It also is useful in reducing time spent having to return to your home to check, if you have turned off an appliance, due to unbearable anxiety levels associated with not being sure.

Layered home security

Layered home security systems that includes an Intruder alarm, CCTV system, window/door contacts and automated door locks fully integrated with a smart home hub, that can provide people peace of mind whilst a resident is away from their home as they can remotely check on the status of the property.

Useful for those who need to seek reassurance that their house is fully secure before they can leave or while they are away from their property. It also is useful in reducing time spent having to return to your home to check, if your home is secure, due to unbearable anxiety levels associated with not being sure.