Skip to main content

Alexa is coming to retirement homes and hospitals to keep families in touch

Although smart home technology is often thought of in terms of convenience, it also has another, equally important purpose: Providing independence to elderly loved ones that could live on their own with just a little assistance. Alexa has served that purpose well via Care Hub, but now it’s expanding in another way.

Alexa Smart Properties will allow senior living residents to stay connected with their loved ones and their community straight through the Echo device in their room. Friends and family can easily reach their loved ones just by making a call, while administrators can select tens of thousands of Alexa Skills to tailor their resident experience.

Recommended Videos

This rollout allows senior living communities to more easily communicate announcements and messages to their members. They can use the Echo device to reach residents through voice and video calls, and it allows residents to ask for maintenance or administrative support without leaving their home. Several communities, including Atria and Eskaton, have already made plans to integrate Alexa Smart Properties at select locations.

Senior citizen using Alexa to stay connected
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Senior living communities aren’t the only places planning to utilize Alexa. Select hospitals also plan to work with Alexa Smart Properties to make it easier for patients to reach their nurses, control the devices in their room, or just keep themselves entertained. Health care providers can utilize services like Drop In to speak with patients without the need to enter their rooms, providing more privacy to patients and conserving much-needed medical supplies like masks, gloves, and gowns.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

On the other side of things, patients can check cafeteria menus, place food requests, listen to podcasts and music, and much more using Alexa. Hospital systems including Cedars-Sinai, BayCare, and Houston Methodist are among the first health care facilities to adopt this system.

Alexa Smart Properties can also be deployed in hotels, vacation rentals, and apartments. The API can be used to create custom skills that best fit the needs of the guests at the property to provide a more tailor-made experience. You might begin to see Echo devices in your favorite hotels and vacation destinations soon.

Patrick Hearn
Patrick Hearn writes about smart home technology like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, smart light bulbs, and more. If it's a…
Apple gearing up for ‘first foray into smart home camera market’
Apple Fifth Avenue Store Apple Logo

Apple is planning to release a smart home security camera in 2026, according to Ming-Chi Kuo, a prominent figure with contacts in Apple’s supply chain in Asia.

“Apple is making its first foray into the smart home IP camera market, with mass production scheduled for 2026, targeting annual shipments in the tens of millions,” Kuo wrote in an online post shared on Monday, adding that Chinese tech firm GoerTek will be the exclusive assembly supplier.

Read more
This tiny smart puck can control your smart home without the need for mobile apps
The Linxura with four buttons on the screen.

My home is overrun with smart gadgets, and the main way I interact with them is through my smartphone. This is usually a robust way to control my gadgets, as my phone is never far from my side -- whether I need to toggle my smart lights, adjust my air purifier, or change the thermostat, my smartphone lets me tackle most of these tasks in a matter of seconds. However, having a physical button to perform these actions would certainly be preferred. Instead of diving into apps and wading through menus and automations, a physical controller would perform actions at the press of a button, much like a remote works for a TV.

That’s the idea behind the Linxura Smart Controller -- a disc-shaped object that lets you perform a long list of actions at the press of a button. After syncing it with your smart devices, you’ll no longer need your companion mobile apps. Just tap or double-tap its outer ring, and you can toggle hundreds of different products. I’ve been testing it out in my home, and while I think it’s a fun device, it falls short in a few areas. But if you’re craving a physical remote for your smart home, there’s good reason to take a closer look at the innovative gadget.
Simple, but tedious setup

Read more
Prepare for Halloween with these smart home gadgets
A Ring Video Doorbell next to Halloween decorations.

It’s officially spooky season, and that means Halloween is right around the corner. And if you’re hoping to have the most haunted house on the block, it’s worth looking at how today’s best smart home devices can help you achieve your goal. Whether you’re throwing a costume party, spending the night curled up with a scary movie, or expecting to have hundreds of trick-or-treaters lining up at your door, there’s a good chance upgrading your smart gadgets can make the spooky season all the more exciting.

Here’s a look at how video doorbells, smart lights, and other smart devices can help you celebrate Halloween.
Update your video doorbell with a terrifying chime

Read more