Amazon Alexa launched a new feature Nov. 11 to help caregivers better monitor seniors who opt to age in place rather than move into nursing homes or assisted care facilities, according to CNBC.
Five details:
1. The new feature, named Care Hub, allows customers with an Alexa voice assistant to link their account to an aging relative's Alexa account.
2. Once the family member accepts the invite, the caregiver can send alerts so they can view their activity feed, which shows a summary including information such as when lights are being used in the home.
3. Care Hub also includes an emergency contact feature, which allows the elderly person can say "Alexa, call for help," and the voice assistant will then send an immediate push notification to the caregiver.
4. Amazon has been developing Care Hub for about 18 months but pushed prioritization up during the COVID-19 pandemic since more people are staying at home and are unable to see relatives in person.
5. The retail giant has been doing beta testing for Care Hub with Amazon employees and their loved ones over the last few months before now opening it to a wider user population.