Alexa for Senior Living
SmartCare
The SmartCare voice application
The SmartCare solution utilises the Alexa Smart Properties Senior Living platform from Amazon. This enables care providers to deploy and manage Alexa-enabled devices at scale. Further information about "Alexa Smart Properties" can be found here and about "Alexa Smart Properties for Senior Living" on the Amazon website.
The SmartCare solution of DiscVision is setup by three main components:
SmartCare Skill
The SmartCare skill by DiscVision provides the care client with enhanced services and provides the care provider with operational efficiency gains. It is suitable for use in a range of care settings:
- Care home
- Sheltered / Assisted living homes
- Retirement villages
- Domiciliary care
The SmartCare solution may additionally be integrated with workflow orchestration systems such as Ascom’s Ofelia that enable the care provider to achieve operational efficiencies and enhanced quality of service:
- Enhanced staff efficiency through automated task management – using ASP functionality to design digital workflows via the Ascom orchestration platform to create automated staff-specific tasks from the voice interactions/skills for greater situational awareness.
- Enabling care staff through the orchestration of voice interactions via the alert management platform to remove unnecessary alarming for different system and collating all this information together via the Ascom mobile devices and application – therefore decreasing the potential for alarm fatigue for the care staff.
- Ability to input care interactions, via Alexa voice commands, and integrate the information into the resident’s individual digital care record.
- Data driven insights to support best practice.
The SmartCare skill brings a range of benefits for both the care client and the care provider:
Care provider
- Improvement in property efficiency
- Combination of Alexa and Ascom Ofelia gives significant operational efficiencies
- Reduction in task completion times
- Better utilisation of staff
- Reduction in alarm fatigue
- Remote management of Alexa devices
Care client
- Promotes better outcomes
- Reduction of isolation
- Easy access to information about their care environment
- Enhanced communication with families
- Additional entertainment options
The SmartCare skill may be
- Easily tailored to the requirements of a single or group of care homes using an interactive web application to customise the various services offered by the SmartCare voice skill
- Integration with Ascom Ofelia mobility solution
- Integration with care management systems for a complete service
- Scalable to large number of clients per care setting and support care home groups / chains
- Support of various technological platforms such as amazon Alexa smart properties senior living
Services offered by the SmartCare voice application
The SmartCare skill offers a wide range of services tailored to the care environment which are fully customisable to the requirements of the care home or domiciliary care provider.
SERVICE CATEGORIES
ROTATING CARDS
- Rotating cards are screens that are displayed when the Alexa device is inactive. These are a powerful tool for providing key messages to care clients. Each screen may be scheduled to display over a defined time period and during that time is displayed in turn in a rotation with the other screens scheduled. The rotating cards may be used to present information about activities, hints on using the system, links to promoted skills, upselling of services, general reminders, a picture frame, selected advertising or other information of interest to the care clients.
MEALS
- This service gives information about the meals that will be served: breakfast, lunch, tea, and dinner. The care client can find out what meals are served for the coming week simply by asking “Alexa, what is for lunch today?” They are provided with a spoken and visual response. The client can also use the service to select their meals if the care provider supports this service.
FALLS PREVENTION
- This service enables the care client to let the staff know that they need some help if they have dropped, lost or are unable to reach an item. This helps prevent the care client from trying to reach an item and have a fall.
IN-ROOM SERVICES
- The care client is able to request various services in their room using the SmartCare skill. This can range from asking for a cup of tea or assistance with tasks. Whilst this provides the care client with an enhanced service it also means that the care provider staff know what the client needs and can dispatch an appropriate staff member to attend to the request.
FAULT REPORTING
- This service enables the care client or staff members to immediately report maintenance issues that need attention while they are in the client’s room. A range of items are covered and this ensures that any issues can be dealt with promptly.
EVENTS
- This service enables the care client to find out what activities are going on in the care home. They are presented with a spoken and written description of the activities. They can also set reminders so they don’t forget to go to one they are interested in.
DAYPLAN
- This service provides the client with a personalised dayplan. It may include reminders for appointments, visitors or TV program that they wish to watch.
MESSAGING
- This service enables the care provider to send messages to individual care clients or, when the device is inactive, to display a sequence of rotating cards on the screen. These can be used to inform clients of activities, show general reminders or promote services available in the care home.
CALLING
- This service enables Alexa to Alexa calling, or calling to mobiles and landlines (UK only). This enables care clients to have video calls with their family and friends. The address book is managed by the care provider.
FAMILY MESSENGER
- This service enables the family members to pair the SmartCare App on their smartphone with the care client’s Alexa device. In this way they are able to send messages and pictures to the care client. The care client is then also able to send messages to the family members. Pictures may be selected and displayed on the Alexa device like a digital picture frame.
RADIO
- This service enables the care client to access the huge range of radio stations available via Alexa.
KNOWLEDGE
- This service enables the care client to find out about topics that they are interested in. It provides stimulation and interest for the care client.
WEATHER
- If you want to find out the weather for today, or are interested in the weather for a particular location then this service does just that for you.
SKILLS
- Alexa Smart Properties enables the Care Provider to manage the skills available to ensure they are all appropriate. This service enables the care client to find out what skills are available for them to use. In addition a skill may be promoted by linking it to a rotating screen so that care clients can easily launch it.
SmartCare Portal
For the care provider one of the big benefits of Alexa smart Properties platforms is that you no longer need an Amazon account for each Alexa user. The care provider has a master account that is used by all devices.
In addition DiscVision provides a web interface (SmartCare Portal) that the care provider can use to manage all aspects of the service:
- Setup and manage multiple care homes
- Service categories
- Create clients, in groups or as single users
- Assign Amazon Echo systems to rooms
- Assign Skills to a service category
- Set default radio station
- Create & manage phone books for each resident
- Enter the meal menus
- Enter events/activities and reminders
- Enter a personal dayplan for each resident
- Send different types of messages
- Manage rotating cards
- Enable 3rd party skills
- See usage statistics
SmartCare App
The Family Messenger skill by DiscVision leverages the AI based voice recognition of Alexa to deliver an enhanced experience for your residents. Using an App on the mobile device and an Echo Show in the resident’s room the solution enables residents to keep in touch with their family and reduce the feelings of isolation.
The mobile phone app:
- Takes up the style and ease of use of Whatsapp
- Allows to pair to up to Echo Show of four residents
- Allows sending pictures, camera feeds and messages
- Receives notification for all messages received
The Family messenger skill:
- Add family members via QR code (secure)
- Secure messaging
- Send text messages generated by voice
- New messages announced by Alexa
- Ask Alexa to read out your messages
- Automatic creation of slide show of pictures received
Advantages:
For the Resident it is a convenient way to:
- Keep in touch with their family
- Easy to use interface using voice or touch
- See family pictures on the screen
- Send messages to their family
- Voice and Video calling (coming soon)
For the care home it enables:
- Better connection between residents and family
- Happier residents due to reduced sense of isolation
- Does not need staff time to pass messages and arrange call
Downloads
The SmartCare skill offers a wide range of services tailored to the care environment which are fully customisable to the requirements of the care home or Domiciliary care provider.
If you would like for find out more about how the SmartCare skill helps you in either residential or domiciliary care then please download the applicable guide.
The Family Messenger skill provides the care client with an easy method to keep in touch with their family. It enables the family members to share messages and pictures with the care client. These are displayed on the care client's Alexa device and they can even use the Alexa device as a digital photo frame so the pictures are easily viewed by the care client.
- Family-Messenger-skill Download
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