Is Alexa good for the elderly? What are Amazon Echo and Alexa?

The Amazon Echo or, Alexa is a voice-activated technology device. Unlike other voice-activated technologies, Alexa is screenless.

While many kids are learning to utilize Alexa to help with homework or provide entertainment, alexa is for old people too! Alexa makes a great tool for engaging loved ones with dementia. Below are a few ways in which Alexa can engage and help your loved one with dementia.

Alexa for old people

Not even a human being is as submissive as this device, because it will never get tired of answering your questions and responding to your commands.

Is Alexa good for senior citizens? Alexa is ideal for elderly people or senior citizens keeping in mind its ability to answer all sorts of questions and perform a myriad of tasks commanded which enables people of all ages to a more convenient and accessible life. It is also good those elderly people who struggle with memory, the ability to read (due to weakening vision), mobility, and memorization.

What are Amazon Echo and Alexa?

Before going on, for those readers who are not sure what we are talking about, here is a brief description of what Amazon Echo and Alexa are. Listen to the audio clip below to hear some of our Longevity Explorers talk about what the Amazon Echo does, and why they like it.

The Amazon Echo is a cylindrical product about the shape and size of a flower vase, shown in the image on the right. It is designed for you to speak to it, and ask it questions and give commands. And inside it is an artificial intelligence (AI) called “Alexa” who responds and takes actions at your command.

This product is made by Amazon, and you can find a huge amount more about it in the popular press and on the Amazon website(link is external), and we are not going to give an extensive review here, or describe it in more detail. As well as the Echo, there are several other similar products in the family (eg the “Dot”), which vary in subtle ways, but are part of the same family.

What do Longevity Explorers Think of Alexa?

After discussing Alexa at all five of Longevity Explorer circles, some patterns started to emerge.

First, in most of the circles, one or more explorers already had an Alexa, and almost all the explorers who had them liked them quite a lot. Many of them were what we might call “new owners” though, and it will be interesting to see if the enthusiasm persists in a year or so.

We did get one report from explorer Richard, who said he no longer used his — and the primary reasons he cited were privacy concerns and the fact that he had to pay to get the music he wanted.

Among the explorers who did not yet have an Amazon Echo, we found fairly mixed views. Quite a few people seemed rather enthusiastic after listening to their peers talk about the product. But a significant fraction seemed distinctly unimpressed. For example, when it came to the topic of checking the weather or the news each day, one man said “I don’t need that. I can just look on my iPhone or computer”.

This was a bit of a recurring theme. Mostly, Alexa does not do something you can’t do by other techniques. It just does it using a voice interface rather than some other interface. Some people really like the simple voice interface. But people who have not tried it are not always so enthusiastic about the idea.

How Can Alexa Help The Visually Impaired?

The Alexa device is a voice activated tool (for the most part – the Echo Show also has a touch screen).

As a result of the fact that you can use your voice to activate it – those who are visually impaired / blind can use it for tasks such as texting, phone calls, listing making, checking their calendar, checking the weather and news, turning devices on and off, and much more!

Can Alexa call 911?

In short, Alexa can call 911, but not directly. Alexa needs to use the assistance of a smart hub, like Amazon’s Echo Connect to make direct voice calls. The Echo connect is compatible with all Alexa-enabled devices and is a fast, easy way to quickly sync up all your phone contacts with your Amazon Alexa.

Once it’s set up, you can directly dial contacts by voice command from anywhere in the room: so, if you have a fall you can get help from almost anywhere in your home.

Other third-party applications like My SOS Family or Ask My Buddy are alternatives to buying an Echo Connect. All you need is your Alexa voice assistant and internet connection to use them.

These apps work by helping you define a personal network from your contacts list, and automatically contacting them by phone, text message and email when you say ‘check on me’.

What’s more interesting though, is that you can also use these for positive confirmation too, to stop loved ones or carers worrying unnecessarily about you. Imagine you accidentally drop your Alexa and it triggers a fall alert, but you personally feel fine.

You’d be able to tell your personal network ‘I’m ok’ and automate emails being sent, and texts being delivered without ever even touching your phone!

Tips And Tricks For Using Amazon alexa for old people

While using the Alexa is really simple, there are a few tips and tricks that’ll make using the device more user-friendly.

Mute the “Alexa” wake up word. Your Amazon device is always on, listening for the wake up word (Alexa). You can turn this off press the “mute” button on the device. When you want to turn it back on, just press the button again.

Change the wake up word. If you don’t like the name, “Alexa” or if you have someone in the home named Alex or something like it, you can change the wake up word to whatever you want. To do this, you will want to go into the app (settings > your Alexa device > wake word) and choose any word on the list.

Control voice purchasing. Buying things on Amazon is super easy with the Alexa – maybe a little too easy. You can prevent your Alexa from automatically buying things by adding a pin number at checkout, or you can completely turn this feature off via the app (settings > voice purchasing).

Challenges You May Experience When Using Amazon alexa for old people

One of the biggest challenges with the elderly and Alexa is when the elderly person is in the early stages of dementia. While at this point it is beneficial for the elderly person to have unrestricted access to information through Alexa, it could become an annoyance as the condition progresses.

Another problem seniors have with Alexa is that seniors can use Alexa to order things on Amazon if it’s connected to an Amazon account.

This means if your Alexa is linked to your (or someone else’s) Amazon account, you are liable for paying for that purchase. If you have problems remembering things, you could forget what you’ve ordered, or order things you don’t need.

Can Alexa help someone with dementia?

Whether ageing in place or in residential care, it helps to not have to fumble around with buttons and controls. However, people living with dementia have especially found a friend in Alexa. This personal assistant of sorts is a useful tool, helping them to navigate each day with more ease.

Which home assistant is best for seniors?

Google home is a very good voice assistant device for seniors but Amazon’s Alexa has more skills. Both Google Home and Alexa devices provide skills such as reminders, routines, ability to make phone calls, weather and news and access to 911 and so much more. But Alexa has over 100,000 skills vs Google’s 80,000 skills.

Can Alexa help you if you fall?

The Alexa life alert is easy to use. In the event of a fall or other medical episode, all you have to say is “Alexa Open My SOS Family” and ask for help. The system then sends an alert to each person in your response circle.