Amazon announced the rebranding of Alexa Care Hub into Alexa Together during its fall event a few months ago. This is a paid service to help users care for their aging family members. Well, the service is now officially available in the U.S. for $19.99/month. Amazon is also offering an annual subscription plan at $199 per year.
Existing users of Alexa Care Hub get the service free of cost for one year until December 7, 2022. Meanwhile, new users are eligible for a six-month free trial. This is a limited-time promotion, although it’s unclear how long it will last.
“Alexa Together is a new way to provide support for your loved ones, keeping you together even when you’re apart. All it takes to get started is an Alexa Together subscription and an Echo device. Make sure you both have your own Amazon.com accounts too,” the company said on its website (via).
Amazon said it would maintain the privacy of seniors with Alexa Together
The service works pretty smoothly for the elderly, although they must have an Alexa device for voice commands. When set up, Alexa Together can perform actions including calling for emergency assistance with a “call for help” command.
The caretakers or family members are immediately notified whenever an emergency call goes through via Alexa Together. This allows everybody to stay in the loop and take the necessary action in a timely manner.
Additionally, this service can also send fall detection alerts provided there are sensors from the likes of ATS or Vayyar. Amazon said it is adding support for more fall detection devices in the future.
Despite the clear flow of communication between the elderly and their caretakers, Amazon said it would respect the privacy of the seniors. Remotely assisting seniors via this service requires their permission, mainly to help set up contacts or reminders. Movie and music requests are shared, although Amazon won’t mention what title was playing.
In its current form, Amazon Together only supports one caregiver per account. However, the company plans to cover multiple caregivers or family members sometime in early 2022.
Remote caring for elderly members of the family became tedious with the onset of the pandemic last year. Amazon is changing that with Alexa Together, thanks to features like “Remote Assist” and “Circle of Support.”
2021-12-08 15:06:48