Technology is everywhere, and it’s changing how we live our lives. Instead of jotting down items to add to a grocery list on a Post-It note, you can tell your refrigerator to do it for you. Instead of getting up to turn off the lights by hand, you can press a button or use a voice command. That’s the beauty of technology – it just makes life a little easier.
So what do you do when you have elderly parents who want to maintain their independence but they’re starting to struggle with day to day things like remembering their medication, making phone calls, or even reading?
You could leave paper notes everywhere or check in on them every now and then, but what if you don’t live nearby? You can get a virtual assistant like Alexa, the voice inside the Amazon Echo.
In this guide, we’re going to give you some useful tips on how to show your parents the many Amazon Alexa uses and get them on board with using it themselves.
What Are Some Of Amazon Alexa Uses?
When you surprise your parents with their new Echo device, they may give you some resistance and say things like, “I can’t use one of those!” or “I don’t want a bunch of wires all over the house.”
Don’t worry, you don’t have to return the device just yet. You can try to win them over by talking about all of the useful Amazon Alexa skills that you can enable on the device, as well as the basics.
Before we get into the skills, let’s talk about the basic uses that’ll help your elderly parents when you’re not there.
Reminders
Your parents can ask Alexa to set reminders for a variety of things. Most elderly users make reminders for doctor’s appointments, taking medication, feed the dog, and to remind them when they have visitors coming. Whatever you need reminding of, Alexa can do it.
Entertainment
Your parents can use Alexa to keep them entertained by playing music, podcasts, programs on a streaming service (if you have the Echo Show), and even play audiobooks.
Smart Home
For parents who have mobility issues, you can find Alexa compatible plugs, switches, and more that can control everything from turning the coffee pot on in the morning to turning off the lights in the bathroom and much more.
In-Home Communication
With multiple Alexa compatible devices in the home, you can activate the Drop-In feature which turns the Alexa devices into an intercom system. When this feature is enabled, you can hear or see (with the Echo Show or the Echo Spot) whatever is happening on the other end.
Updates
It doesn’t matter if they like to keep up to date on how their favorite team is doing, if they want to check on the stock market, or if they just want to know the weather or news… All your parents have to do is ask Alexa!
There are so many great Amazon Alexa uses, it won’t be hard to convince them to give Alexa a try. You can even tell them that they can customize the Alexa with useful Amazon Alexa skills. We’ll give you a few of our top picks for must-have Alexa skills for seniors later.
Getting Started
The real beauty of an Alexa device is that all you need to get started using it is a wireless internet connection, a smart device or computer, and your Echo. That’s it.
If you don’t have an Echo of your own but you want to help your parents set up their new device, you’ll be happy to know that it is extremely simple. All you need to do is:
That’s it! Now your parent’s will be connected and you’ll have some peace of mind. From here, your parent’s can test out the basic commands, but be sure to leave them this list of fun commands too!
You can customize their Alexa by enabling some really useful Amazon Alexa skills, too. For example, you can enable either Lyft or Uber skills if your parents don’t like driving but still need to get from one place to another.
You can enable the TaskRabbit skill so they can call a handy man, a housekeeper, and more. If you’re worried that your parents will have an emergency and you’re unable to get there, you can enable the Ask My Buddy skill to alert your contacts in case of an emergency.
For more skills that we think your parents will love, check out our blog post, here.
Final Thoughts
Getting your parents on board with trying a new piece of technology can be a little tricky. However, with a little convincing and showing them how Alexa and the Echo work, don’t be too surprised if they absolutely love it. Plus, with so many useful Amazon Alexa skills (there are thousands!), they’ll have no problem finding things that interest them.
You can tell your parents to check out the complete Amazon skill library here. Leave us a comment below and tell us why you think your parents should have an Alexa device in their home. We want to hear from you!
Resources
Leave a Reply