Smart Assistant

Many senior people in retirement communities experience decline in mobility, memory, or other capacities. They often have fewer companions and feel lonely. There should be a lot of assistance for them.

Front Porch is a family of non-profit companies that, among other things, serve those in retirement communities. Front Porch wants to use innovative methods to improve the life quality of retired people. What might be some technologies that are easy to use and useful for the elderly? This seems to be a very tricky question because older people are less capable of using new technologies, so says conventional wisdom.

Except that, it might not be the case. While the older might not be very attracted to apps that are popular in teenagers, they do find some other technology features quite useful. Front Porch has used Alexa, the voice assistant, for many customers and obtained very positive feedback. Alexa has been used for appointments, music, radio, weather, dictionary, and sometimes, just chatting. For older people with declining vision, Alexa’s conversation-based operation is easy to use and sometimes, just fun. They are also testing the use of Alexa for people with dementia to help them know where they are.

In Netherland, Google Home has been used to help explain to the elderly how to get pension. People also appreciate the fact that there is a device that they can talk to everyday 24/7. These voice technologies might not be designed initially for the retired, but they surely can be applied effectively.

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