Alexa devices for caregiving?

never mind!

My dad used one for reminders and alarms. He is blind and can't use notes on the refrigerator so the Alexa would remind him of activities and things on his schedule. He also used it as an alarm clock that he could set himself - "Alexa, wake me up at 7 am tomorrow." I would add entries for what was being served on the menu each day in the dining room so he could figure out what he would like for dinner before he got there and have the server read the menu for him and then wait for him to make up his mind. As others have pointed out it was very useful for music and some "books on tape". He's now 101 and has forgotten how it works but he really enjoyed it when it was something he could still use.

I did have a small issue at the Assisted Living when they told me they weren't allowed "for privacy reasons." I asked to see the rule on that and pointed out that it was also being used as an assistive device. I offered to post a note on his door that an Amazon Echo was in use in his apartment so if anyone was concerned they would be warned. They quickly backed down and never mentioned it again.

Sounds interesting but I'll stick with my video baby monitor for checking on my mom at night.

With my sister and I both unable to be with my 82 yo mother on a scheduled basis, I would love to utilize current technology so that she may age-in-place as long as possible, and I want her to have all the benefits of improved communication and recreation. However, she doesn't even remember to take her flip-phone cell with her when she leaves the house. I won't upgrade her to a smartphone (which she keeps asking for) until I feel confident she will actually use it.

My Mom's Alexa Echo Dot arrived last week. She loves it! I decided to upgrade the music for her to Amazon's Echo $3.99 a month unlimited plan. Now she can ask for her favorite singers, bands and the name of a song (if she can remember it.) And if she can't she asks for top hits from a certain year. She likes to ask the time, and says "Good morning and good night" to it.

She's very relaxed this morning, she's been listening to her old time music and that makes her very happy. We're going to use it mostly for radio/music purposes for her.
When I'm assisting her (she's bedridden/blind) and she starts getting agitated - I ask Alexa to play a song and that soothes her & she can relax.

Well worth the money! Makes both of our days much better and more relaxing. That hardest part is making her remember the name "Alexa." I may have to change it to "Echo", but I think she's getting used to it now.

I’m in a NH. Alexa devices, etc. have been banned because of the noise level from hard of hearing, unable to understand elders yelling at devices.

I put three Apple HomePod Mini throughout my dad’s condo. This was so he could say, “Siri, call 911” or “Siri call Xxxx” when he fell down. (He loved asking what the weather was.) This worked fine until his dementia progressed and he forgot how to do use voice assistants. I had to put them away after he started to believe there was a human named Siri listening all the time.

I think they do sound like a revolutionary asset in the role of caregiving, but I also think that many of us are just enough out of step with modern tech that the thought of buying and setting up a system is not appealing and even downright scary. That may be a new business opportunity for someone 🤔

I agree from experience that very elderly people adapting to anything new will be a frustrating pursuit, no matter how "simple" it seems to us. Any tech has to be completely controlled by you, with no participation at all from the elder.

Best thing we did for my mom who’s in a memory unit was to put an Echo Show device in her room. It faces the bed where she spends all of her time. She doesn’t have to do a thing. I use the Alexa app on my phone to “drop in” daily. We talk and can see each other. We ordered ours through Amazon. My brother also has one for himself in my mother’s room next to mine. I live out of state and can only visit once a month so this helps with communication and I can also put eyes on her daily.