Making It Easier to Command Alexa
Remembering the specific name of lights in each room can prove difficult, even when we use them daily! Here are solutions to that issue.
Impact Theme: Using Technology
Modern technologies like smartphones, computers, wearables, and the internet can be used in many ways that are very relevant for older adults. But they frequently are looking for help and advice on how to use the technology, how to choose it, and how to get it supported.Below you can hear our discussions, and share what we are learning about these topics.NOTE: Discussions about specific topics like Alexa or Apple Watch are found in other areas. Look under "Recommendations" in the top, main menu for things like Smarthome, Robotics and AI, or Medical Alerts, or if you are interested in video interactions you would look under Social isolation and Loneliness..
Alexa Calendaring
A partial solution to this problem is to create an Alexa Calendar for your parent. Here is a detailed "How to" published by Frank Engelman on Tech-enhanced Life.
Add a Calendar to Alexa for Your Parent
This solution is for people who want to be able to help a parent with appointments; or possibly enter joint appointments into a calendar that they are able to see; or generally facilitate them being able to use Alexa for calendaring issues.
Simple Shared Calendaring for Distant Parent
It’s a common situation: an aging parent starts needing help from family members organizing things like doctors visits, or other care-related or social activities. How do you set up and maintain some type of mutually convenient, calendaring solution that maintains the right balance between “collaborating” and “helping” and “keeping things simple”?
How to Share Photos on Echo Show
We have recently been exploring ways to leverage “shared photos” as another way to encourage remote interactions among family members, and we wanted to find ways that an Echo Show could be used for photo sharing. The good news: there are several ways to do that, and this solution explains how.
Automate Joining a Zoom Meeting with Alexa
In a previous article, I described how to set up a Zoom meeting in your loved one’s calendar for their Echo Show. Using that setup, they can say “Alexa, join the meeting” and later “Yes” to confirm that they want to join.
Closed Captioning for Zoom Video Calls
You have been enjoying Zoom video calls with your loved one, but sometimes they have a problem understanding what you are saying. If you have wished for a closed captioning service on Zoom for the hard of hearing, I have a solution for you!
Instant Zoom Popup Meeting
While Zoom is a great free video chatting tool that runs on many platforms, it can be a bit daunting for your loved one when trying to join a Zoom Meeting. Here is a way to have an instant “popup” Zoom meeting, without the other person needing to fuss with an “invite link”.
Making Zoom Even Easier
Now that "Zooming" is a verb, knowing how to make video calls via Zoom is becoming an important life skill. The truth is Zoom is extremely easy to use, which is why it became so popular during COVID. But some people still have difficulties with some aspects.
Tech Support: Older Adults Explore
Modern gadgets need quite a bit of ongoing “tech support”. Getting help — especially virtually — is tricky. Here is what the Longevity Explorers do. The good thing about modern technological innovations — like smart phones, smart homes, computers, video call technology, or telehealth — is that they can improve quality of life in a … Read more