By: Frank Engelman | Posted: August 13, 2021 | Updated: April 18, 2023
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The Problem to be Solved
Fridge for Forgetful Senior
We have several problems relating to a fridge and a forgetful senior who lives alone. We worry that she will leave the fridge open by mistake and that the food will spoil and make her sick. We worry that she forgets to throw out food as it gets old, and that the food in her fridge includes food that is past its “eat by date”.
While we all may keep the fridge door open a while when searching for something to eat, your loved one may also forget to close it. This could result in wasted energy or even undetected food spoilage.
You could install door sensors on the fridge and freezer doors to determine if they have been left open too long. I did.
Caption: fridge and freezer door sensor
But, it takes a bit of DIY to do it.
Here is what it takes to detect a fridge door left open with a YoLink door sensor and speak an alert to your loved one’s Alexa device repeatedly until they close the door.
Two Alexa Skills (YoLink and IFTTTrigger)
Four Alexa Routines (Enable, Timer, Alert, Disable)
One IFTTT applet (YoLink with IFTTTrigger)
If you want to implement the fridge minder “door left open” features:
See the Smart Kitchen Kit List for specific products and Routines to use (Fridge Minder Kit List section).
What about potential food spoilage due to a power loss or fridge malfunction?
I suggest adding fridge and freezer temperature sensors to alert your loved one as well as remote family caregivers.
YoLink has great fridge & freezer temp sensors that can have Alexa verbally alert your loved one through an IFTTT applet.
In addition to a local display in the fridge, it can also send the family caregiver notifications, emails and even a text message.
In addition to notifications, there is a history of fridge/freezer readings you can access in the YoLink app.
One of the features I really like about the YoLink temperature sensors is that they give a repeated reminder when the temperature is exceeded versus just a one-time alert.
Caption: Fridge temp tracking
Caption: Freezer temp tracking
If you think that a temperature display would confuse your loved one, I have also included a temperature sensor in the kit list that does not have a display as seen in the above photo.
This is actually MUCH easier to implement than the door sensor, as the temperature alerts can be detected by an IFTTT applet and cause Alexa to alert your loved one through a Routine triggered by the IFTTTrigger Alexa Skill.
Here is what it takes.
Two Alexa Skills (YoLink and IFTTTrigger)
Two Alexa Routines (Freezer too warm, Fridge too warm)
Two IFTTT applets (YoLink with IFTTTrigger)
If you want to implement the fridge minder temperature exceeded features, see the Kit List for specific products and Routines to use, and use the instructions below.
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Retired Intel Engineer wanting to share DIY technology tips for the children of parents wanting to remain living independently. I like posting ideas and answering technical questions. If a product or software has an issue making it hard for seniors to use, I try to offer workarounds and also try to contact the manufacturer for solutions. I write a column for this website in the Innovation- Homebrew Solutions & Ideas section
