During Amazon’s fall event, the company announced a new, useful feature: Alexa Care Hub. Alexa makes it possible to stay connected with loved ones even from afar thanks to calling, drop-in, and much more, but until now there wasn’t a dedicated way to keep an eye on them.
Alexa Hub Care makes it possible to designate a family member as the aging loved one’s emergency contact. If something happens, they can say, “Alexa, call for help,” and you will be notified no matter where you are. It’s a better option than just a phone call thanks to the Echo’s far-field microphones.
Once Care Hub is set up, you’ll be able to access a feed of all your loved ones’ interactions with an Echo device, or other connected smart home device. This lets you know what they’re doing and what room of the home they’re in. You can also set up a feature to alert you if no activity is detected by a certain time of day.
In a time when people are separated for safety reasons, the Care Hub is a great option for staying connected that allows you to check in on loved ones without violating their privacy. While the Care Hub isn’t the same as seeing someone in person, it can provide peace of mind when you have elderly parents or relatives that live alone.
This isn’t Amazon’s first foray into the world of health-focused devices. The company has introduced multiple connected products like the Halo, a fitness tracking band. Amazon also purchased PillPack in 2018 and has a slew of Alexa Skills focused on providing telemedicine to people at home.
Alexa, combined with smart bulbs and other smart home devices, makes living alone safer for the elderly. Rather than wandering through a darkened room to find the light switch, all your loved one has to do is ask Alexa to turn on the lights. While Alexa still can’t call 911, the ability to call a trusted contact for help is one step closer in the right direction. Thanks to Care Hub, you can help those you love even if you are far away.
Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated that two users could make each other as their emergency contact with Alexa Care Hub. They can’t.
