Using Virtual Assistant Devices to Support Home Safety

When your aging loved one lives at home alone or with a partner, you may worry about how they are doing, especially if their mobility or health has declined. Are they making safe decisions? Are they locking the doors and turning off the oven? Have they fallen and need help but cannot reach the phone? Are they taking their medications at the correct time and the proper dose?

Family members stress and worry about their loved one's safety, and for good reason. Older adults are more likely to fall at home and make more frequent medication errors than their younger peers. Unfortunately, most family members cannot be at home with their aging loved one around the clock, and home care assistance is not always warranted or financially viable. So, what can you do to ensure your loved one is safe at home when you're not there?

There's an app for that. And a device.

What Are Virtual Assistant Devices?

A virtual assistant device is a device enabled with AI-powered voice technology that can perform tasks and services for the user. These devices are a staple in many homes, classrooms, and offices. You may even use a virtual assistant on your smartphone or smartwatch.

The most common virtual assistants include:

• Amazon Alexa
• Google Home
• Siri on Apple devices

You can leverage this technology and a compatible device to stay connected with your loved one at home and build routines that enhance their day-to-day safety.

Using Alarms

Using a virtual assistant device to ensure safety for your senior loved one begins with using it to set up alarms. Personalize your loved one's alarms based on their unique challenges, such as taking medications or when to make lunch. Here are some other ideas for alarms you can create for your loved one:

• wake up
• begin the bedtime routine
• medication administration times
• when to check the mail
• when to call or text a loved one for a daily check-in
• when to brush their teeth in the morning and at night
• when their neighbor is coming over for coffee
• when the visiting home care caregiver stops by

These alarms can be used as friendly reminders. Program the alarms to sound and explain why they are going off. If your loved one uses a smartphone or tablet, make sure the alarms are synched there as well so they can get the notification about what the alarm signifies.

Using Routines

Virtual assistants and devices can be paired with other smart-home technology, making life more fun and more convenient. For example, you can set a routine with your Amazon Alexa app that has been paired with smart plugs throughout the home to turn on lamps and the coffee maker when your loved one says, "Alexa, good morning ". This is helpful, especially during the winter months when the house may be darker than usual when they wake up.

Similarly, you can create a routine for bedtime where your loved one's virtual assistant turns off certain lamps and activates nightlights throughout the home. This can assist with safety and reduce fall risk. Even better, your loved one can activate this routine when they are already safe in bed.

Routines can be customized as well. You can set one to tell your loved one the morning news and remind them to make breakfast, or you can create one to tell them a joke in the middle of the day. Have a little fun experimenting with setting them up together.

Using In Case of an Emergency

Virtual assistant devices can also come in handy in an emergency, such as a fall or other health scare. Set up your loved one's device so it can call specific phone numbers when your loved one tells it to. For example, your loved one may say, "Hey Google, call Lisa ", if they are feeling sick, or, "Alexa, dial 9-1-1 " if they have fallen and need assistance.

You can also explore what additional benefits are available on your chosen device. For example, Amazon's Alexa Emergency Assist is available for Prime members at a monthly fee. It connects the user to trained operators who can dispatch first responders and alert emergency contacts designated in the user's profile.

Teaching Your Loved One How to Use It

There are plenty of benefits to using a virtual assistant device, especially when it comes to senior safety at home. However, devices are only as effective as the user. This is why setting up the device in your loved one's home so that it is helpful to them, not necessarily to you, is crucial. If your loved one won't use it, the device isn't helpful to anyone.

When setting up your loved one's virtual assistant device, keep these considerations in mind:

• Let them choose the design they want and where to put it. For example, do they want it in the living room, the kitchen, or both?
• Connect the device to the internet and pair it with any smart plugs or other smart home features during your next visit. Then, create a few fun routines for them to try out right away.
• When setting up alarms, don't set up too many at first. Try one, perhaps for their morning medications, for the first few weeks. Ask them how it's going. See if they feel it's helpful, overwhelming, or confusing.
• Make sure sound levels are appropriate. You want them to be able to hear the device, but you don't want it so loud that it is overstimulating or frustrating.

Most importantly, remember that no device can replace human oversight. If your loved one is living with cognitive decline or if they are unsafe at home alone due to another condition or fall risk, explore other options that include in-home caregivers or a senior living community.