The Alexa Program for Homebound Seniors is an attempt to connect older adults with their loved ones and the World Wide Web, along with assisting them with daily tasks and offering some level of companionship. Alexa is a voice-activated virtual assistant that works through the Amazon smart speaker Echo Show 10. All it takes to activate assistance is the command phrase “Alexa.” For example, if you want to set a timer for 10 minutes, you would say, “Alexa, set timer for 10 minutes.” Alexa would confirm your timer and when the timer ends, Alexa would light up and beep. To stop the beep, all you say is, “Alexa, stop timer.”

Alexa can be incredibly useful for someone who is having memory issues. It can remind you to take your medication or when your next doctor’s appointment is. You can even use it to order prescription refills and have them delivered to your home. Alexa can help create a list of daily tasks, such as a grocery list and then be linked to your phone to give you access while you are out shopping. Alexa can let you know when you have an incoming call or text message, and alert you to the latest news and weather reports. It also offers a wide range of health and fitness apps, along with brain games to keep your mind sharp. You can also access music streaming services and Kindle books.

Though this is not an end-all solution to help older adults dealing with isolation issues, it is a viable tool to keep them connected to the outside world, provide stimulation, and assist as a medical companion to help with mental and physical health.

This program is funded by a grant from the Massachusetts Council on Aging and is completely free of charge. RiverMills Center will provide set up assistance which will be conducted by phone. The center will provide a PDF guide on how to use Alexa, and if needed, a tablet to use along with the Amazon Echo device.