Does New Feature on Alexa Together Help Seniors?

Alexa Together is a subscription service, designed to help seniors feel more comfortable and confident to live independently, says The Business Standard’s recent article entitled “Amazon adds custom alerts to Alexa Together caregiver service.”

This service has many features including 24/7 hands-free access to professional Urgent Response agents who can get a senior the assistance they need if they say, “Alexa, call for help.”

With custom alert, the user will be notified if the care receiver, for example, opened a sensor-equipped medicine cabinet or turned on the bedroom light at the right time in the morning.

Users can enable custom alerts through the "More" section in the Alexa Appellant. It requires at least one Echo device for the person receiving support.

Alexa Together provides a variety of remote assistance, including 24/7 urgent-care responses, remote assistance for features like reminders and fall detection with compatible sensors.

The Circle of Support allows you to add up to 10 additional family members or friends to support your aging family member.

This device was created during the height of the pandemic when in-person care was frequently impractical, but it’s promoted as a way to give independence to the elderly and others who would otherwise require physical check-ins.

Amazon says that there are "multiple layers" of protection to address any privacy concerns. This includes limited information in the activity feed and the ability to revoke permission.

Customers can sign up for a free trial of Alexa Together. After the trial period concludes, they’ll automatically be charged $19.99/month or $199/year, depending on the purchased plan.

Reference: Business Standard (Nov. 15, 2022) “Amazon adds custom alerts to Alexa Together caregiver service”