Traditionally, seniors have been somewhat reluctant to embrace technology. The chances are that you have someone in your family, like a parent or grandparent, who avoids anything “futuristic” at all costs – whether it’s a smartphone or a computer.
However, in an age where older people are searching for ways to remain independent in their later years, technology can offer the tools for empowerment.
One of the most impressive developments in the modern healthcare environment is the arrival of smart speakers and virtual assistants. Tools like Google Home, Amazon Alexa, and the SOFIHUB home device offer security to seniors, and peace of mind to their loved ones.
Google Home: Best for Communication and Information
If you’ve ever watched your parent or grandparent struggle to navigate a phone before, you’ll know how helpful devices powered by voice can really be.
There are no complicated screens brimming with tiny text to read and nothing to tap or swipe. The Google Home smart speaker works through voice alone, meaning that anyone can browse the internet and connect to the outside world without a screen.
While there are many benefits to tools like the Google Home, we find that it’s best for two things: communication and information.
From a communication perspective, Google Home allows users to automatically dial and speak to their friends and family with just a voice command. It can’t call the emergency services, but it can keep your loved one connected to virtually any other number.
On the other hand, when it comes to information, the Google Home speaker comes from one of the most knowledgeable tech companies in the world. It’s the perfect way to help seniors break free from feelings of isolation by allowing them to:
- Listen to the news without having to navigate a television or screen
- Search for information online and get immediate answers to their questions
- Learn more about essential things that are happening in the world around them
For seniors that have trouble with their memory, the Google Home device can even store personal files and other information that your relative can tap into when they need a reminder of something essential that happened in their life recently. You can even set Google Home up with the Google Calendar to ensure that your loved one doesn’t forget about critical appointments.
Amazon Alexa: Best for Entertainment and Home Management
In a lot of ways, Amazon Alexa is very similar to Google Home. Like the Google Home device, Alexa is a simple black speaker that responds to voice commands. The artificial intelligence within Alexa is easy to understand and friendly, which can help seniors to feel less nervous about the concept of using new technology.
Similar to the Google Home device, Amazon Alexa can search for information on a user’s behalf and set calendar reminders. However, we think that this particular tool is best suited for entertainment and home management options.
For instance, with Amazon Alexa, you can sign your grandparent or parent up to a Prime Music, where they can stream endless content from their favourite albums over the years. It’s a great way to keep an older person entertained, mainly if they don’t get much joy out of watching the television. Alexa can also be set up to manage the TV too, making it easier for your loved one to skip through channels and find movies to watch.
With Alexa, seniors can find out what the weather looks like for the day so that they can prepare for going outside. There’s also a number of ways that your loved one can use Alexa for managing their home, for instance:
- Turning out the lights: Combining Alexa with smart lights means that your elderly loved one doesn’t have to stumble to bed in the dark.
- Adjusting the thermostat: A smart thermostat makes it simpler for anyone to turn their heating up or down with a voice command.
- Using other smart devices: You can even get Alexa-compatible devices like kettles and coffee machines that automatically respond to a command from Alexa.
SOFIHome: Best for Comprehensive Care
Finally, while most smart speakers have benefits to bring to today’s seniors, there are few options specifically designed for care. The SOFIHUB home is one of the most impressive intelligent speaker choices on the market today because it caters specifically to the needs of seniors and those with disabilities. With state-of-the-art technology, this personal reminder device and smart assistant gives individuals a smarter way to live.
SOFIHUB home is the only smart speaker on the market today that combines all the features a senior needs to regain their independence when living without a care provider. With SOFIHUB home, your loved one will get a friendly greeting whenever they walk in the door, as well as useful reminders for their appointments, and medications that they need to take. You’ll be able to log into the SOFIHUB web portal back-end to add reminders as you see fit.
The SOFIHUB home can also send notifications to care providers like yourself, giving you information about what your loved one has been doing that day, and whether they’ve successfully received their medication reminders. The SOFIHUB home adaptive care technology offers people from all backgrounds and of all ages the freedom to live independently and reduce their reliance on care providers.
With the SOFIHUB home, there are even time-based messages available that play at a specific time according to the needs of individual users. Unlike other smart speakers, SOFIHUB home gives seniors a proactive companion that they can rely on around the home.
SOFIHUB home offers benefits like:
- Medication and appointment reminders
- Care provider alerts
- A complete online management portal
- Insights into user behavior
- Support for user independence
Choosing the Right Smart Assistant
Solutions such as the SOFIHUB home aren’t just for the everyday elderly individuals and people in need of additional support that are located all across Australia today. These smart assistant options also help family members and care providers to offer better support for their loved ones too.
While Amazon Alexa and Google Home are great for things like entertainment and information, they don’t compare with the SOFIHUB home for specialist care.