How Smarthome Technologies Can Help Seniors?

Alexa, Google, Cortana, and other smart assistants will soon have a new member in the club. Roku wants to integrate with force in the smart home market and has a series of new features and proposals that could make the entertainment in your home more complete and easy to control.

From its early years, Roku was known for making some of the best streaming devices, and then integrating its technology into a platform that could be part of smart TVs. Now, the company is expanding its reach even further with Roku Connect, a platform for smart TVs, speakers and sound bars that includes the Roku Entertainment Assistant, controlled by voice. This new platform will allow the company’s partners, such as those who are already manufacturing Roku-branded televisions, to offer products that work together as a complete network of intelligent home entertainment. This will not only allow multi-room transmission.

How It Helps Seniors At Home?

The past decade has shown us a radical shift towards more intensive use of technology in our daily lives. Because of this change, we discovered embedded technology and digital assistants like Alexa, which allows you to run commands and manage tabs with a simple voice command. Technology like Amazon Echo allows us to stay organized, work more efficiently and make simple tasks like turning off lights and locking doors even more convenient. For seniors who are aging at home, this can help to make that desire a reality. Here’s how this and other technology opens the door for more seniors to age at home:

Note: You must check your smart devices for integration with Amazon Alexa.

1. Turn Off / On the Lights and Set the Thermostat

Although these tasks seem already simplified, it is sometimes more dangerous for a senior to get up when he is tired or simply needs to sit or lie down. With compatible devices, older people can also use Amazon Echo and Alexa to turn the fan on or off at night without getting up or looking for a remote in the dark.

2. Set Reminders, Appointments, or Timers

We all know that no matter how old we are; we have to forget something. Whether it’s an appointment or a reminder, we all make the mistake of forgetting something important and seniors are not exempt. As a common secondary effect of aging, they are often more likely to experience this forgetfulness than we do. With Amazon Echo, older people can incorporate calendars to set appointments, reminders (perform a task or take medication) or set a timer. The timer function is especially useful for tasks such as cooking or ironing.

3. Listening To News, Radio Shows or Audio books

Advances in technology have certainly made things a lot easier for many of us, but that does not mean it has not been made more difficult for others. On request, seniors can tune into their favorite radio station, listen to the latest news or listen to Alexa read audible books. This is particularly useful for older people who have difficulty seeing or reading at a later age and prefer to listen to a story rather than read one.

4. Can Turn On the TV and Change the Channel/Volume

For those of us who are less tech-savvy, if we press the wrong button on the remote, we find it hard to find the path we want to be. With the appropriate built-in peripherals, Amazon Echo help you turn on the TV, change channels, increase or decrease volume. Unless you have a smart TV that integrates with Amazon Echo and Alexa, you will need to purchase a universal smart remote or a Fire TV to use these features.

5. Ask What Day or Whether It Is

It can be helpful for all seniors to know what day it is or what time it is, but these features are especially useful for older people with dementia, who may have trouble remembering dates or sudden changes in their age and time.

6. Telephoning/Phoning With Other Family Members

Although you can use these features to call family members with Amazon Echo Standard, if you opt for the Amazon Echo Show, you can use the video call and call feature with other family members with the same peripheral devices. Seniors can contact their friends and family members if they are not near their phone or have trouble dialing or calling on their phones.

With constant technological advances like Amazon Echo for everyday consumers, seniors can use these technologies to their advantage to stay longer at home. Devices such as Amazon Echo offer many features useful for the elderly and people with diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. They can also relieve some of the stressors for caregivers by setting timers, appointments and more.

If you or you’re loved one needs extra care or a counselor who can be with them when you cannot, please contact us today. We can help you and your family fined the perfect plan for them.

Resource:  https://downloadalexa.wordpress.com/2018/10/25/how-smarthome-technologies-can-help-seniors/