cconnected, and therefore monitored. But also informed and entertained. Seniors can benefit a lot from having a voice assistant in their life. That they are alone, as highlighted by a study by the Research Center of the EngageMinds HUB Catholic University. Or that they live in a nursing home. Lhe possibility of integrating the most famous of the vocal assistants into the structures of the RSA is fresh news. Amazon has in fact announced yesterday the arrival in Italy of Alexa Smart Properties for Senior Livinga kind of voice assistant for the elderly designed specifically for their and their caregivers’ needs.
Voice assistant for seniors, so life changes
Among the possibilities it offers to residents of RSAs, that of easily contact loved ones thanks to calls and video calls. Facility managers will find it easier to assist guests with day-to-day activities, such as having them view tasks, menus and reminders through Amazon’s Echo Show devices with screens.
But the elderly can also feel more independent through Alexa functions related to the Smart Home, such as smart lights and sockets and the control of shutters or thermostats, saving time for staff who can concentrate on assistance and care activities. Already integrated into select properties in France and the UK, Alexa Smart Properties for Senior Living will soon be available in Germany and also in Italy, at the Mother Teresa of Calcutta Social Assistance Residence in Sarezzo (BS).
(photo Alexa Smart Properties for Senior Living)
More well-being and desire to communicate, less loneliness
The goodness of the use of these tools by the elderly has already been investigated since Research center of the Catholic University EngageMinds HUB in collaboration with DataWizard and with contributions from Amazon. In particular, the Voice4Health project has analyzed the relationship between the elderly and the use of the voice assistant, highlighting that more than 6 out of 10 over 65 said they felt less alone thanks alexa. Almost all expressed a greater willingness to communicate with other people using new technologies. 75% of the sample then declared at the end of the trial that they had seen an increase in their state of well-being.
Voice assistants, how many there are in the world, and how many there will be
Of course, Alexa isn’t the only voice assistant. There is also Google and its ecosystem Google Assistant which can send messages, initiate calls, play music, provide information or translate sentences into other languages, but also control home automation, such as temperature regulation or the lighting system.
And then Siri, Apple’s voice assistantwhich integrates perfectly with all the devices in the house, but also with certified home automation accessories Works with Apple HomeKit. Join the race too Microsoft with Cortana. How many are there in all? About 4.2 billion in 2020. But by 2024, according to Statista, they will reach 8.4 billion units.
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