'Alexa, what's for lunch?': Nursing home residents in Shropshire get smart with technology

Morris Care wanted to find a service specifically made for the needs of their residents and those caring for them at Isle Court Nursing Home in Shrewsbury.

So Alexa Smart Properties for Senior Living was created by The Digital Line with privacy in mind, with no personal information shared with the system. And it uses Amazon Echo devices with multiple layers of privacy protection, and residents can disable Alexa’s ability to respond to the 'wake word' at any time.

Residents and staff can simply make requests by voice, providing an intuitive way to interact with technology. For example, residents can keep up to date with daily activities in the home, check on menus for lunch or make video calls to a loved one.

The new innovation can support residents to achieve greater independence with smart home features, such as smart lighting, blinds or thermostats that allow residents to control their in-room environment with just their voice, also saving staff time and allowing them to focus on care.

Care staff and team members can communicate more efficiently with residents using Alexa communication features, which enable them to make announcements, voice and video calls to other enabled devices throughout the property.

Lucy Holl, chief executive of Morris Care was delighted to be asked to take part as an early adopter in the initiative.

Ms Holl said: “We are strong believers in providing innovative ways to empower residents to stay informed and entertained and this exciting new product offers just that.

“As a family run company, we are passionate about ensuring our residents remain connected to our staff, other residents and their families and the introduction of Alexa Smart Properties at Isle Court is already being embraced and enjoyed.”

The innovation also enables residents to stay in touch with others outside the property thanks to Alexa-to-Alexa calling.

Family members can easily get in touch and see their loved ones via video calling, bringing them peace of mind. Alexa Smart Properties can also help property managers to tailor resident experiences and support engagement within their properties by displaying activities, menus and reminders with Amazon Echo Show devices (devices with screens).

Ms Holl added: “From a business perspective this has the potential to reduce costs whilst ensuring that the resident experience remains at the heart of life in our homes.”

Martin Green, chief executive of Care England, said: “We in the care sector need to invest resources in innovation in order to provide the best possible experience for residents and to thrive in the current environment where our clients demand the best service possible.

"Alexa Smart Properties for Senior Living reminds us all that it doesn’t matter what age you are, voice technology is a powerful, easy-to-use tool. There is so much potential to integrate Alexa Smart Properties with property services, care planning and other care and operational systems that it could revolutionise how care providers provide best quality care.”