Who exactly is Alexa? Alexa is a speaker-like object that is Amazon’s “virtual personal assistant.” Amazon recently began selling an interactive speaker that has access to the Internet. It is called Amazon Echo. This technology may be very beneficial for seniors, particularly seniors with Alzheimer’s disease, because they can interact with it, ask questions and be entertained. Alexa may give seniors a sense of empowerment and even a feeling of normalcy to be able to stay connected and know what is going on in the world around them. Below are some ways that Alexa can be beneficial in your senior living community.
- They Can Ask Alexa the Weather, Date and Time
As you may know, forgetfulness is very common with Alzheimer’s, so Alexa may be beneficial to have in your community because your residents can ask what day it is if they forget. It is also useful to know that Alexa doesn’t get frustrated. If your residents struggle to remember appointment times or when to take medicine, Alexa can help them keep track of the time of day. They can also get reports on the weather.
- They Can Ask Alexa to Find Information on the Internet
It is very frustrating for some individuals to grasp to remember things that they have known for years. Alexa makes it easy to find that information. Your residents would simply need to give the voice command for Alexa to connect to Google. They can also ask Alexa to connect to Google to find out about current events, so they can stay connected to the rest of the world.
- They Can Access Music and Several Riddles and Jokes
It has often been said that laughter is the best medicine.This may certainly be true with Alzheimer’s disease. Because Alzheimer’s can be an extremely difficult and debilitating disease to live with, laughter may help seniors to feel a sense of escape from the negativity surrounding their illness, even if it is only for a little while. Your residents can also ask Alexa to play a song that they can dance to, sing along with or just relax to. Some fun things that your residents can say to/ask Alexa can be: “Alexa, why did the chicken cross the road?” “Alexa, will it rain today?” “Alexa, who plays Jack Dawson in Titanic?” “Alexa, what’s the definition of vindicate?” “Alexa, tell me a story.”
Give Alexa a try at your senior living community! From joking with Alexa, getting information from Alexa and just interacting with Alexa, your residents will surely feel empowered by staying connected and knowing what is going on in the world around them.