Skip to main content

Alexa Care Hub helps families to keep track of loved ones’ interactions

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.

Related Videos

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.

Alexa Care Hub

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.

Editors' Recommendations

Everything announced at Amazon’s 2022 Fall Event: new Echos, Fire TVs, Kindle Scribe, and more
Amazon Astro in a build with Ring Virtual Security Guard on its screen.

Amazon announced everything from new Echos, to security cameras, to Fire TVs, and more at its September 28 devices and services event. The new hardware underscores a commitment to what the company dubs "ambient intelligence:" every interaction should be intuitive, proactive, and personalized to help you enjoy the here and now. What's the secret sauce that lets Amazon deliver these contextual experiences? Sensors. Many of the products announced today come with sensors designed to help monitor and enhance a person's environment and experience. Of course, you can adjust the settings to still keep your data private.

Most of the products will be available later this year, with others (ahem, Astro) coming one day. We've rounded up everything Amazon announced today.
Amazon smart speakers

Read more
New Ring cams get radar, fresh design, and now they can dispatch Amazon Astro’s robot
Ring Spotlight Cam Pro wired on a wall.

During Wednesday's Amazon event, Ring announced a bevy of new products to join its large lineup. These products include the new Spotlight Cam Pro, Virtual Security Guard, and new software features for older products.
Ring Spotlight Cam Pro
First up is the new Spotlight Cam Pro, focusing on using radar sensors for improved motion detection. With the new radar sensor in the camera, you can set precise thresholds on when the Cam Pro starts to record and alert you to motion. Those sensors also power the Bird's Eye View feature that will show you an estimated path someone may have followed. So, if a delivery driver dropped off a package, you can see exactly what route they took around your property. This view will show in a picture-in-picture format whether you're watching live or a past event.

Ring Spotlight Cam Plus
The next generation of the Spotlight Cam is coined Spotlight Cam Plus. It offers a new design while maintaining all the features that customers expect, including two-way talk, color night vision, live view, and a security siren. The Spotlight Cam Plus will also be available in multiple power options, including Solar, Battery Wired, and Plug-in. You can pre-order the Spotlight Cam Plus now, starting at $200.

Read more
Blink gets a wired floodlight camera and a pan-and-tilt mount
The Blink Mini installed in the Pan-Tilt Mount.

Amazon didn’t pull any punches during its Devices & Services event, announcing a slew of new gadgets that’ll help customers build their perfect smart home. The Blink lineup was a particular standout, with both the Blink Wired Floodlight Camera and Blink Mini Pan Tilt mount getting an official reveal during the livestream.

The Amazon-owned Blink already offered a robust lineup of cameras and security systems, but a wired floodlight was noticeably missing from its catalog. That’ll change within the next few months with the arrival of the aptly named Blink Wired Floodlight Camera. Offering 2,600 lumens of LED lighting, 1080p footage, two-way audio, and a simple setup that doesn’t require professional know-how, the new floodlight is hoping to be a reliable security device that doesn’t break the bank.

Read more