Using Alexa to Monitor Elderly Parents (2 Best Options)

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Smart gadgets make it easier for you to maintain a constant connection with your elderly parents who live far.

Amazon’s Alexa is one of seniors’ favorite gadgets because of its extensive features to keep seniors informed, entertained, and connected.

Alexa’s easy-to-use commands and senior-friendly skills make it a popular choice among older adults.

But, can you monitor someone with an Alexa? The answer is yes, you can.

There are two ways of using Alexa to monitor elderly parents and senior loved ones.

• Alexa Together (Paid Subscription – $19.99/Month)
• Alexa Drop-in Feature (Pre-installed – Free of Cost)

Let us have a look at both options.

Option 1: Alexa Together

Alexa Together is one of the most affordable, user-friendly, and accessible solutions for remotely monitoring and supporting elderly loved ones.

Designed to provide peace of mind for the entire family, it creates a circle of support around aging parents and seniors, ensuring they stay safe and connected.

5 Best Features of Alexa Together

1: 24/7 Urgent Response

Older adults get 24/7 hands-free access to trained agents who can assist them instantly—an essential feature that can be life-saving in case of a fall.

According to the CDC, 36 million seniors in the U.S. experience falls each year, leading to over 32,000 deaths and 3 million emergency treatments.

Reaching a phone for help can be difficult in such situations, but with Alexa Together, seniors only need to say, “Alexa, I need help” to be instantly connected with a trained agent.

Calls are typically answered within three rings, and the operator already has the caller’s identity from account details. In an emergency, they can dispatch 911 or contact a designated family member or friend.

The selected contact is notified via text and an Alexa app alert when the call ends, allowing them to follow up with a call, Drop In, or message.

2: Customized Alerts

Amazon has added a custom alert feature to Alexa Together. You can set up alerts to get notified about your loved one’s first Alexa interaction of the day.

This feature allows caregivers to set up notifications from connected smart home devices like smart locks. For example, you can set up an alert when a door is open or a light is turned on.

Set up customize Alexa Together alert using the following instructions.

• Open the Alexa app and tap on the Menu (3 horizontal lines on the top left corner)
• Select Alexa Together
• Select Alerts > Create a New Alert
• Choose when to get a notification and select Save

Custom alerts can be used to ping up to 10 caregivers for any activity. Alexa can notify you if there is no activity, when your loved one first interacts with Alexa, or in case of an unexpected event.

3: Activity Feed

Activity Feed shows a snapshot view of your loved one’s interactions so you know they are active around the house.

You can get information about their smart home device use. Caregivers are also notified in case of no activity.

Alexa Together supports up to 10 caregivers (family and friends) which means seniors are not dependent on one person.

They have a circle of support around them and are confident that they will get help when they need it.

4: Remote Assistance

I love this feature, and in my opinion, it’s one of the most valuable aspects of Alexa Together.

Helping elderly loved ones with tech issues can be frustrating—you try to explain over the phone, but it often leads to confusion. Remote Assistance solves this by allowing you to adjust their Echo device settings directly from your Alexa app.

Here’s what you can do with Remote Assistance:

• Set reminders – Schedule medication reminders so they take their medicines on time.
• Manage lists – Create, update, and remove items from shopping or to-do lists.
• Add contacts – Set up Alexa Calling with important contacts.
• Configure music & podcasts – Help them access their favorite music or podcasts.
• Manage Drop-In settings – Control who can check in on them via Alexa.

And much more—making it easier to support your loved ones without the tech struggles!

Use the following instructions to access Remote Assist to help your loved ones remotely.

• Open the Alexa app and tap on the Menu
• Select Alexa Together > Remote Assist (at the top of the Alexa Together page)
• You can select an action from the Remote Assist menu.

Only the circle host can use the Remote Assist feature. You can manage certain settings while some settings cannot be managed using this feature.

5: Share Memories

Keep your loved ones connected by sharing photos and videos directly to their Echo Show using the Alexa app on your phone.

How to Share Photos & Videos via Alexa Together:

• Open the Alexa app and tap the Menu
• Select Alexa Together > Share
• Choose the photo or video you want to send
• Select your loved one’s name and tap Share

Here are some important things to know

• You can send one photo or video at a time
• Video sharing is only available on iOS devices
• Shared content may take a moment to appear on the Echo Show

Once received, the photos and videos will automatically rotate on their Echo Show’s home screen, keeping them engaged with cherished memories.

Alexa Together is an excellent tool for monitoring and supporting elderly parents.

Here’s a look at its pros and cons to help you decide.

Pros

• 24/7 urgent response service
• Hands free access to get help
• Less expensive than other medical alert systems
• Supports up to 10 caregivers, creating a circle of support around seniors
• Remote Assist option to help seniors remotely and provide them tech support
• Customize Alerts and Memories Share

Cons

• Paid
• Works with WiFi (Not ideal if elderly parents need help outside home)

Read More

• Alexa Together Home Page
• Alexa Together Setup Guide

If you are looking for a free way of using Alexa to monitor elderly parents, you can use Alexa’s “Drop in” feature.

Option 2: Alexa Drop In

Alexa’s drop-in feature enables family members and caregivers to “drop in” on elderly parents and loved ones to monitor them and check their well-being.

You can interact with older adults through video calls (also known as drop-ins) if they have Echo Show devices.

The Echo devices come with drop-in feature pre-installed but you are required to “enable” this feature before you can make or receive the video calls.

Follow the below instructions to enable drop-in on your Alexa device.

• Open the Alexa app on your phone and tap Communicate (chat bubble at the bottom navigation bar)
• Tap Contacts
• Select My Communication Settings
• Toggle the Allow Drop In option to

That’s it. You can now make and receive the drop in calls using your Alexa device. Make sure the drop in feature is also enabled on your parents’ Alexa device.

I have covered the Echo Show drop in for seniors with step-by-step instructions on how to

• Make and receive the drop in calls
• Restrict drop in only for certain contacts
• Turn off video in drop in calls
• Disable drop in/ block drop in calls

Refer to the above article for a full tutorial to use the drop in feature.

These are the 2 best ways of using Alexa to monitor elderly parents and senior loved ones.

Check out other Alexa articles to get most out of your Alexa device.

• Setting up Echo Show for parents
• A list of Alexa tips for seniors
• What can Alexa do for the elderly?
• The ultimate Alexa guide for seniors
• 15 Best Alexa games for seniors
• Setting up Echo Dot for elderly parents