MORE INDEPENDENCE, LESS ISOLATION, MORE COMMUNICATION
According to a Pew report published in May, around 42 percent of adults aged 65 and older own a smartphone. The numbers have increased significantly since 2013, when just 18 percent of seniors owned smart devices.
So, it makes sense that the elderly population is also more open to using technology if it means more help with a variety of tasks. According to a test performed by a home health agency, seniors participating in the experiment claimed that in-home virtual assistants have proven to be quite useful in maintaining independence, eliminating or at least reducing isolation, facilitating the connection with family and friends and communication with caregivers.
Top three in-home virtual assistants
CORTANA INVOKE
The Invoke speaker is a smart speaker powered by Microsoft’s Cortana voice assistant, similar to Google’s Home, and Amazon’s Echo. It is designed for Windows users and connects to all devices in your home, once you download the app and link it to your Windows account.
AMAZON ECHO
Echo is Amazon’s virtual assistant but most of us know it simply by the name Alexa. Being among the first in the industry, Alexa has had plenty of time to optimize its features and cater to every need, becoming a great tool for everyone, including seniors. You can choose from several variations, among which the original smart speaker, the smaller Dot, and newer versions such as Smart Display and Echo Show.
GOOGLE HOME
Google Home is one of the most popular smart speakers in the world, providing a slew of benefits to its users. You can also find it in various forms, including the original Home Speaker, Google Home Max, and the video-enhanced Google Home Hub.
Google Home, like most virtual assistants on the market, can perform various tasks for you, like dimming the lights, turning on/off the oven, schedule the dishwasher and more.
