For Disabled/Elderly

[msilman]

You are probably right - a plain ol' WiFi doorbell / intercom is probably the simplest solution, just means one more thing to carry on the wheelchair (cell phone, house phone, door bell/intercom plus the drink or kindle or whatever all while driving with your one good hand....)

[mike27oct]

I have seen wireless doorbells for sale at Home Depot, etc.  Pricy.  Well, ponder/search this a while and see what idea works best for the price.  And, what do you do if visitors are door knockers and don't use the doorbell?  A basic wireless intercom instead of a doorbell may do the job in this case.

[strayfish]

This is a UK organisation but there may be some ideas here you can search for where you are. http://assistive-technology.co.uk/home_control1

[msilman]

Strayfish - thanks for the link, it looks interesting - but initial thought is that this is a standalone custom solution. That is not necessarily a problem, but having a tablet like device mounted on the wheelchair from which the user can control stuff is what I am hoping the Alexa AI and device interfaces will make superfluous.

Instead of having custom hardware and personalised software, it will be much nicer to have a standard bit of kit with a suitable Wi-Fi bridge or hub and the necessary skill in Alexa to allow voice control.

My issue with most aids for the disabled is that they are either immensely low volume and therefore custom and expensive (which also has the disadvantage that the amount of research and development is also not that extensive) or they are built in response to the needs of major healthcare providers in which case they are even more expensive and often no less crudely built.

I'd like to see this whole industry replaced with simple, mass produced home automation tools, AI's like Alexa and autonomous driving solutions - but until then, I will keep chipping away trying to hack existing components to better meet the need in my own household.

[kclark2001]

That hits the nail on the head.  For like 40 times the cost you can get a medical device that only works under ideal situations and does very little.  I think for about $1000 we should be able to get almost everything on that list.  My mother is actually very pleased just turning on and off her light when she wants it and playing audible books.  That's just a tiny fraction of the potential.

The one I'm trying to tackle now is paging another room (even when someone is sleeping.)  I need some kind of alarm or bell that can be triggered by bluetooth or wifi.  Should be able to designate which room, and be fairly cheap so that we can have them throughout the house.  I can't find anything.  I might need to get them built.

I'm sort of new at this, but aren't there smarthome sensors, like for a light, that could instead trigger a bell that you can label and distribute around the house that would respond to Alexa commands?

[kclark2001]

I have an elderly friend in a nursing home who is very isolated; no immediate family and the home is pretty far from people who might otherwise visit.  She cannot use her arms enough to pick up the phone (though she can manage the TV remote).

I am wondering if an Echo might help her interact with the world a bit and make life more interesting (she is really bored among other things).  Having never used one I wonder about a couple potential problems: (a) she speaks very softly and her head usually hangs down, and (b) her roommate's TV is often very loud.  Can anyone tell me how well the Echo might work in such a situation?  I'm picturing it sitting on the little rolling table a few feet from her head.

Ideally I should borrow one and give it a try, but I don't offhand know anyone I can borrow from.

Thanks.

Amazon boasts of the Echo's ability to filter out even its own blasting music to hear commands. There's also a remote you can buy that should help alot.

[kclark2001]

Just getting used to posting. Hope this "sticks" to the right post. In response to the need of someone with Cerebral Palsy, an Echo Remote might help with audibility, and it eliminates the need for a wake word.

[strayfish]

Amazon boasts of the Echo's ability to filter out even its own blasting music to hear commands. There's also a remote you can buy that should help alot.

I'm not convinced about its ability to hear over its own output - it often doesn't hear me yelling at it from inches away while it's belting out music. A remote is a really handy mediator and I use that for when I have deliberately loud music going on several yards away and I need to pick up a phone call or something.

[kestrel4]

My mother is 92 with somewhat restricted mobility and slightly failing recall: otherwise fit and alert and able to live on her own.  She will not use any sort of keyboard.

It would be great if Alexa could initiate and manage internet phone calls and messaging (e.g. Skype or WhatsApp), as well as acting as a companion - discussing crossword clues and sports results, for example.  Operation of household gadgets is a second priority. 

Posts on this site so far indicate that the phone is not yet possible.  Am I right? Can anyone advise and update?

Thanks

[renegade600]

My mother is 92 with somewhat restricted mobility and slightly failing recall: otherwise fit and alert and able to live on her own.  She will not use any sort of keyboard.

It would be great if Alexa could initiate and manage internet phone calls and messaging (e.g. Skype or WhatsApp), as well as acting as a companion - discussing crossword clues and sports results, for example.  Operation of household gadgets is a second priority. 

Posts on this site so far indicate that the phone is not yet possible.  Am I right? Can anyone advise and update?

Thanks

there was a recent article about  the echo being able to do phone calls this year.  I think it will be in the next generation of the echo. 

 there is a echo device called triby where you can make calls.  It is through voip, not skype - I dont remember the service.    in addition you can send text messages if you have at$t or through some skill that is currently available in the skill section.