About two years ago, my mother called me. “You know,” she said, “that Alexa really works out. I was feeling a little depressed so I told Alexa to play some nice music and that’s exactly what she did. Within minutes I felt much better!”
Alexa became not quite a companion, but a presence in my mother’s house – one that made both her and me feel a little better. This was at least part of what I hoped would happen when I first bought the Echo device. Elder care websites are full of tips on how to add Amazon smart speakers as a useful tool, and Amazon’s technology is designed to make technology more affordable and accessible – which it often, but not always, achieves.
The Verge examines how far the voice assistant has come in a decade: its successes, failures, and potential future.
Here’s how it started. My mother worked as a teacher in the New York City public schools for most of her life, a bright, savvy woman with a master’s degree in education, a progressive political point of view, and a sometimes maddening ability to take charge of almost any situation. But now she was in her late 90s and starting to have serious problems with her health and short-term memory. Despite her determination to remain independent as long as possible – playing computer games, keeping up with the news, and writing extensive journal entries about her daily activities – this increasingly impacted her ability to complete simple tasks, learn new skills, and live independently.
We managed to hire a helper to help her during the day – preparing meals, cleaning and helping with other duties that she was now unable to do on her own. But my mother was also stubborn and didn’t want to have anyone around at night or carry any emergency button in case she needed help. I lived about 40 minutes away and only spent weekends with her. We needed some way to make sure she was okay since she was the only person in the apartment.
My mother grew up in a time when just having a home phone was new and exciting
So I bought her an Amazon Echo Show 8 smart display in hopes that it could be the start of a smart home system that would help keep her safe and active. It all depended on how well the device would be received by my mother, who grew up at a time when just having a home phone was something new and exciting. The Echo’s eight-inch screen was large enough that she could easily view it, but small enough that it didn’t overwhelm the room. She was able to interact with her personal assistant, and the camera allowed me to interact with her remotely. I set it up and introduced her to Alexa.
And – it worked. Rather.
I thought we could start by using this as a way of visual communication. It was rather a failure. My mother was used to calling people on the phone, and although she was impressed by the “see the person you’re talking to” idea, she wasn’t very enthusiastic about using it herself. “It’s not for me,” she said firmly.
Verger Jennifer Pattison Tuohy may have stopped by to visit her dad via the Echo Show. My mother wasn’t as cooperative. Photo: Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge
OK, I thought, there’s always a drop-in feature. I could use it to monitor what’s going on in the apartment. However, the Echo Show was placed in a small room off the kitchen that we called “The Den” where my mother ate her meals, wrote in her journal, and spent a lot of time – as a result, it could only be a “peek in” to this room and the kitchen. When I once suggested that I put cameras throughout my apartment, I heard one of her looks – the one that made me feel like I was five years old again. Camera in the bedroom? No way.
But luckily, there were a few things that Echo helped with. It was about this time that the old clock radio by my mother’s bed finally gave up the ghost. With some trepidation, I replaced it with an Echo Dot with a clock on it – and was delighted when my mother informed me that she loved it! She could not only see what time it was, but also ask Alexa what the weather was like, right from her bed. And what made me happy was that I was able to teach her to shout, “Alexa, call Barbara” if she needed me in an emergency. Between the dot and the show, Alexa could now respond no matter where my mom was in the apartment – including the bathroom with the door closed. (I checked). She only used this feature a few times and never in an urgent situation, but it was “just in case.”
Ultimately, however, the most important gift that the two Echoes gave my mother was music.
Decades ago, my parents purchased what was then the latest in audio technology: a modular stereo system consisting of a turntable, receiver, AM/FM radio, and cassette player. Now it sat unused and became too complicated for my mother to handle. But with Echo, she could play music whenever she wanted. She didn’t even have to remember the names of songs she liked or musicians she used to like. All she had to do was say, “Alexa, play quiet music” or “Alexa, play happy music.” Alexa played old blues, folk or big band music. I get calls telling me how she listened to her music and how good it made her feel.
The Echo Dot with clock nicely replaced the old clock radio. Photo: Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge
Did the two Echos do everything I expected? Well, yes and no. They certainly gave my mother a simple and friendly way to get information and reminders. More importantly, they allowed her to contact me in an emergency. But I never found the time to install the other smart configurations that were available. At least back then, it was just too complicated a task to handle.
In fact, Amazon has been experimenting with making its smart devices more useful for seniors. I’ve never tried Amazon’s $20-a-month Alexa Together service, which connects to 24/7 emergency services – and it apparently wasn’t very successful, as it was discontinued in June of this year. I might opt for the cheaper Emergency Assistant feature, which allows users to contact emergency services and was introduced last September. But by then, my mother was receiving 24-hour care from family and co-workers and no longer needed it.
Still, it was worth having Echo. Towards the end of her life, when my mother was bedridden and too weak to speak, I could sit next to her and say, “Alexa, play a little Woody Guthrie” or “Alexa, play a little Bessie Smith” or “Alexa, play a little Count Basia. The music would come on and my mother would smile and feel better for a while. And although Amazon’s smart speaker wasn’t the perfect answer to all our needs, I will always be grateful to Alexa for those few moments.
Credit : www.theverge.com
