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Remote Controlled Music for Person in Memory Care

By:  Frank Engelman   |  Posted: February 4, 2022   |  Updated: April 18, 2023

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The Problem to be Solved

Music for Person with Dementia

Music for Person with Dementia

Your loved one would like some personalized music, but they are unable to speak the commands to play music on an Amazon Echo Dot, or manage conventional sources of music.

View the problem

Solution Details

 

Here is my solution to providing music for a person living in a memory care unit, addressing a “question” from one of the Longevity Explorers.

See the music solution in action in this video

 

 

Some Details

If you are not comfortable with creating Alexa Routines to play music for them as described in our article “Solution: Make Alexa Proactive: Create Routines”, here is a solution that will allow you to speak commands to remotely start, stop and change the volume of the music on your remote loved one’s Echo Dot speaker.

This is done by adding an Echo Dot to your Amazon account, just like it was being used in another room in your house.

Amazon provides a “music transfer” feature between Echo devices, IF they are on the same account.

 

 

Some Implementation Tips

Since your loved one’s device will be added to your Amazon account, you should ensure that you don’t enable voice-purchasing on your account

If your loved one never plans to speak to Alexa, you can change the wake word to deter others from using it.

Just say “Alexa, change the wake word” and she’ll give you some choices.

 

 

Set up instructions

  1. Order an Echo Dot with clock gen 4. (Looks like a clock radio)

 

  1. Set up the Echo Dot to your account by following the Amazon instructions.
  • I suggest naming it something that you can easily remember, e.g. Bill’s speaker

 

  1. Add the Amazon Prime Unlimited Music app with a single-user subscription ($9.99/month)
  • This allows the transfer of music between devices

 

  1. Test the “Music transfer” feature (I suggest muting the microphone on Bill’s speaker during these tests)
  • Start music on your Echo device (This can be your Echo device or your mobile phone)
    • “Alexa, play roll on big boy” e.g. any song….
  • Transfer to husband’s Alexa
    • “Alexa, transfer music to Bill’s speaker”
  • You can also remotely adjust the volume on Bill’s speaker in the Alexa app
  • You can transfer the music back to your Echo Dot to see how it’s doing, or to stop it
    • “Alexa, transfer music here”
    • “Alexa, stop music”

 

  1. In addition to specific songs, you can play “radio stations” or “genres”
  1. “Alexa, play 50’s music”
  2. “Alexa, play classical music”
  3. “Alexa, play soft jazz”
  4. “Alexa, play Mozart”

 

  1. You can also create playlists in the Amazon Music app
  1. Tap Playlist
  2. Tap Create New Playlist
  3. Type in a name, e.g. Bill’s list 1
  4. Add songs to the playlist and save it
  5. To test it, say this
  • “Alexa, play Bill’s list 1”

 

 

Installation instructions (when you are at the memory care facility)

  1. Plug Bill’s Echo Speaker into power (You can tell your loved one that it’s a clock-radio)
  2. Connect your phone to the facility’s Wi-Fi
  3. Open the Alexa app
  • Tap on Bill’s Echo Dot under Devices
  • Tap Settings
  • Tap Wi-Fi network
  • Tap Change
    • Follow the on-screen instructions
  1. Test the Music transfer function as you did at home
  • This can be done using your mobile phone

 

 

Kit List for this Solution

 

 

 

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Author

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Frank Engelman

Retired Intel Engineer wanting to share DIY technology tips for the children of parents wanting to remain living independently. I like posting ideas and answering technical questions. If a product or software has an issue making it hard for seniors to use, I try to offer workarounds and also try to contact the manufacturer for solutions. I write a column for this website in the Innovation- Homebrew Solutions & Ideas section

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