philip lelyveld The world of entertainment technology

Amazon launches its $19.99 per month ‘Alexa Together’ elder care subscription for families

Once configured, the system allows the elderly person to say “Alexa, call for help,” if they’re ever in need of emergency assistance. A trained agent on the other end will then be able to dispatch the police, the fire department or an ambulance to their location, much like what’s possible with some home security systems. However, the Alexa Together system can also work with third-party devices from Assistive Technology Service (ATS) and Vayyar to detect if the customer may be in need of emergency assistance from a fall and proactively help.

Vayyar Care is a wall-mounted sensor that is able to identify when a fall has happened, while SkyAngelCare by ATS is a fall-detection pendant that aging customers wear around their neck. Both can detect a fall — the latter if the customer presses a help button on their pendant. Amazon says more device makers will be added to Alexa Together in time.

The subscription service is offering an expansive six-month free trial to allow customers to determine if the solution is a good fit for them. And existing Alexa Care Hub customers will also now receive a free year of Alexa Together starting today until December 7, 2022.

See the full story here: https://techcrunch.com/2021/12/07/amazon-launches-its-19-99-per-month-alexa-together-elder-care-subscription-for-families/