As communication technology advances, it’s easy to forget that many people don’t find connection so simple. For older people living alone, the challenges can be significant. In the United Kingdom, 30 percent of older adults have said they speak to less than one person a day.
Hafod has delivered in-home care and other support in Wales for over 50 years, so its teams are well aware of how loneliness can seriously impact older adults. However, the problem worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hafod teamed up with Accenture and Swansea University to find out how technology could help. Teams interviewed roughly 1,400 members of at-risk groups by phone to understand what support people needed most, and that feedback informed a pilot project called HomeCare, which complements real-world care with personalized digital services.
Using an Amazon Echo Show Device, HomeCare can help participants maintain daily routines, such as sending reminders to take medicines or lock the front door. It can also guide them to sign up for social events and manage food delivery or food bank services. Behavioral data capture and machine learning algorithms can even help HomeCare monitor participants’ health and detect anomalies, like a sudden decrease in activity, and prompt caretakers to check in—potentially addressing a problem before it becomes a crisis.
Ultimately, the device makes it easier to stay connected with people that matter. The voice-activated solution is purpose-built with personalization, privacy, and ease in mind. Running on Amazon Web Services (AWS), it can scale and adapt to serve different organizations or use cases, so more people who need it can enjoy all the benefits of a daily, caring connection.
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