Greatest tech to assist beloved one with reminiscence points

This query got here in from Jeff M., who desires my tech recommendation on a fragile household state of affairs. This is what he has to say:

Hello Kurt. I wished to succeed in out to you for some recommendation. My spouse is within the early levels of Alzheimer’s. She has bother turning the TV on and deciding on channels.

We stream YouTube TV via the Amazon Fireplace Stick. Is there any gadget I may use to assist her with that course of? Additionally, is there a means for her to name my cellphone if I’m on the market, for instance?

She has a cellphone however does have bother remembering the best way to discover my quantity. I requested a couple of individuals, however I get all kinds of solutions. 

Thanks very a lot.

 Jeff M.

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Having a beloved one with Alzheimer’s is extremely troublesome and stress-inducing, so I’ve some recommendations to assist Jeff, his spouse and anybody else on the market with a beloved one with Alzheimer’s, dementia or different reminiscence well being points who may use some further assist.

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Units for simpler management of your TV

Jeff talked about that his spouse has some bother turning on the TV and deciding on channels for herself. One possibility to repair this challenge is getting the Amazon Echo, which is a brilliant speaker that may be managed by voice instructions.

With an Echo, you possibly can merely say, “Alexa, play YouTube TV” or “Alexa, change the channel to “FOX Enterprise,” and the Echo will handle the remainder.

You too can join the Echo to the Fireplace TV Stick so as to management it utilizing voice instructions as nicely (extra on that beneath). On the time of publishing, the Amazon Echo fifth Era was obtainable for $49.99 on Amazon and had greater than 17,000 critiques, with 82% giving it 5 stars.

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An Amazon Echo is a tool that may management your different Amazon gadgets. Good gadgets will be useful to relations with reminiscence points. (Amazon)

GET AMAZON ECHO 5TH GENERATION

And if you wish to buy a Fireplace Stick as nicely, you may get the Fireplace TV Persist with Alexa voice distant on Amazon. On the time of publishing, this product was obtainable on Amazon for $39.99 and had greater than 345,000 world critiques, with 83% giving it 5 stars.

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The Amazon Echo and Fireplace Stick can work collectively to manage Amazon merchandise. (Amazon)

GET AMAZON FIRE TV STICK WITH ALEXA VOICE REMOTE

How do you employ an Amazon Echo and Fireplace TV Persist with Alexa Voice Distant?

1) Plug the Fireplace TV Stick into an HDMI port in your TV and join it to an influence supply. Comply with the on-screen directions to arrange the Fireplace TV. Be sure that your TV is suitable with the Fireplace TV Stick.

2) Join the Echo to the identical WiFi community because the Fireplace TV Stick. Make certain it’s inside vary of your Fireplace TV stick.

3) Make sure you join the Echo and Fireplace TV Persist with the identical WiFi community.

• Open the Alexa app in your smartphone or pill > Settings > choose your Echo gadget > choose Wi-Fi
• Comply with the on-screen directions to attach your Echo to the identical Wi-Fi community as your Fireplace TV Stick

4) Allow the Fireplace TV Stick talent within the Alexa app.

• Open the Alexa app, go to Expertise & Video games, seek for “Fireplace TV,” and allow the Fireplace TV talent

5) Hyperlink your Fireplace TV Persist with your Echo.

• Open the Alexa app, go to Settings, choose TV & Video, after which choose Fireplace TV
• Comply with the on-screen directions to hyperlink your Fireplace TV Persist with your Echo

6) Use Alexa’s voice instructions to manage your TV.

• “Alexa, play Breaking Dangerous on Netflix“
• “Alexa, pause”
• “Alexa, fast-forward 5 minutes”
• “Alexa, flip off the TV”
• You too can regulate the amount and alter the channel utilizing Alexa voice instructions

My professional tip: Put a bit of paper or a sticky notice subsequent to Alexa and Echo with the phrases you’ve gotten established as key phrases that Alexa or Echo want to listen to to assist your beloved.

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Methods to simply name a beloved one

Jeff additionally talked about that his spouse has bother remembering the best way to discover his cellphone quantity to name him. Listed below are a couple of choices your beloved can use to name you even when they’ve bother discovering your quantity:

1) Alexa contacts. You possibly can put your contact data into Alexa. You’ll find the steps right here.

2) Velocity dial. Program your cellphone quantity into your beloved’s cellphone with a speed-dial button, and you should definitely set it as a “Favourite.” Once more, scripting this all down on a sticky notice or a bit of paper that the particular person has quick access to assist make a name ought to they neglect the best way to use pace dial.

3) Smartwatch with mobile connectivity. Think about using a smartwatch with mobile connectivity that your beloved can put on, which might enable them to make cellphone calls immediately from their wrist with out having to seek out their cellphone.

One nice possibility is the Apple Watch SE. This product was obtainable on the time of publishing on Amazon with greater than 2,000 world critiques, with 75% giving it 5 stars.

One of many superb options of the Apple Watch is that it can enable your beloved to make a name just by lifting their wrist and talking immediately into their Apple Watch.

First, be sure that their Apple Watch is linked to their iPhone. To do that, be sure that Bluetooth is turned ON each on their iPhone and their Apple Watch after which comply with these steps:

• On their iPhone, go to Settings
• Scroll down and faucet Bluetooth and ensure it is turned ON
• On their Apple Watch, swipe up from the watch face to entry the Management Heart and test that the Bluetooth icon is highlighted. It is possible for you to to inform if their iPhone is linked to their Apple Watch if the tiny icon is inexperienced

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An Apple Watch is an efficient choice to preserve in touch along with your family members. (Apple)

• Then, on their Apple watch, press the digital crown (on the appropriate facet of the watch) to go to the house display
• Faucet on the Settings icon, which appears to be like like a sprocket
• Scroll down and faucet on Siri
• Scroll down and allow Elevate to Communicate by toggling proper in order that it turns inexperienced. Now, this can enable your beloved to easily raise their wrist and converse to Siri with out having to press any buttons.

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Fall detection can assist when nobody is round

I additionally suggest you activate Fall Detection on your beloved’s Apple Watch as a result of, in line with the World Well being Group, an estimated 646,000 deadly falls happen annually, with older adults (65 years and over) being essentially the most affected group. That is particularly regarding if the particular person has reminiscence points. You possibly can activate Fall Detection by doing the next:

• Open the Settings app in your Apple Watch
• Scroll all the way down to SOS and faucet it
• Faucet Fall Detection, and it can take you to the following display the place you possibly can toggle ON (you understand it is on when it turns inexperienced)
• Then selected At all times On or Solely on throughout exercises by tapping your choice

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Apple Watches have a characteristic that permits fall detection. (Apple)

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A second watch possibility is the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5. On the time of publishing, this product was obtainable on Amazon for $279.99 and had greater than 300 critiques, with 82% giving it 5 stars. This watch additionally makes calling simple for a beloved one with reminiscence points.

• To arrange Google Assistant for them, go to the Google Play Retailer and obtain the Google Assistant app
• Open the Google Assistant app and sign up to their Google account. If they do not have a Google account, you’ll have to signal them up for one
• Comply with the prompts to arrange your beloved’s Assistant, together with granting permissions to entry their gadget’s microphone and different settings
• To activate voice instructions, say “Hey Google” or “OK Google” to activate the Assistant. You too can faucet the microphone icon on the Assistant app or on their gadget’s dwelling display
• After you have arrange your Assistant and voice instructions, they’ll start asking it to do quite a lot of duties, akin to taking part in music, setting reminders, making cellphone calls and extra

Observe: Some gadgets could have totally different steps to arrange Google Assistant and activate voice instructions. Seek the advice of the gadget’s consumer handbook or on-line documentation for particular directions.

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A Samsung Galaxy watch is an efficient approach to make cellphone calls simple for family and friends with reminiscence points. (Samsung)

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4) Necklace name button. Take into account getting a monitoring name button with a wi-fi pager that your beloved can press if they should. The name button will be hung across the neck of the one that wants it with a neck strap or worn on a necklace like a pendant.

It is necessary that you simply educate them how the gadget works and what to do ought to they discover themselves in an emergency state of affairs. On the time of publishing, the CallToU Wi-fi Caregiver Pager was obtainable on Amazon for $43.99 and had greater than 4,900 world critiques, with 77% giving it 5 stars.

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A necklace name button can be utilized as a wi-fi pager for relations in want. (CyberGuy.com)

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5) SOS emergency calling. Some smartphones have a characteristic known as “SOS emergency calling” that enables them to shortly name for assist in an emergency. You would set this up on your beloved’s cellphone in order that they’ll name you simply if they should.

• To make use of SOS emergency calling, present your beloved the best way to maintain down the buttons on the appropriate facet of their cellphone and the amount buttons on the left facet of their smartphone on the similar time
• Then they may see the Emergency Name possibility (third possibility down from the highest) pop up on their cellphone
• To activate it, they might want to swipe proper, and it’ll dial 911 (Chances are you’ll must specify an emergency service to dial)

So as to add your self as an emergency contact, comply with these steps:

• Go to Settings
• Scroll all the way down to Emergency SOS and faucet it
• Scroll all the way down to Edit Emergency Contacts in Well being and faucet it
• Scroll all the way down to Emergency contacts and add your contact data

6) Image button cellphone. Take into account buying a cellphone just like the Future Name FC-0613 Image Cellphone for Seniors, the place a pace dial is related to an image. It is necessary to find out who your beloved would name in an emergency so as of significance.

Add their photograph and arrange the cellphone accordingly. Needless to say the particular person could not acknowledge the images in some unspecified time in the future.

My suggestion could be to put a sticky notice subsequent to the cellphone with the phrases, “In an emergency, press the crimson button for 911” or “In an emergency, press the #1 to contact me.”

On the time of publishing, the Name FC-0613 Image Cellphone for Seniors was obtainable on Amazon for $44.99 and had greater than 1,900 critiques, with 59% giving it 5 stars.

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A speed-dial cellphone helps family members make calls in an emergency. (CyberGuy.com)

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7) Trackers

Our favourite tracker is the Apple AirTag. Its easy one-tap setup immediately connects AirTag along with your iPhone or iPad. It has precision discovering with extremely wideband know-how that leads you proper to your close by AirTag.

You need to use it with your beloved by protecting it in a private belonging of theirs like a bag or jacket or connect it to a strap and tie it round a tool they usually use, akin to a walker or wheelchair.

Observe that the tracker does have a security precaution that tells the person who they’re being tracked, which is a small value to pay to have the ability to use it.

On the time of publishing, this product was obtainable on Amazon for $29 and had greater than 100,000 world critiques, with 84% giving it 5 stars.

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Apple AirTags are a great way to maintain monitor of family members which have reminiscence points. (Apple)

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For non-Apple of us, contemplate buying the CUBE GPS Tracker, which makes use of GPS, Wi-Fi, cell tower triangulation and Bluetooth to provide the most exact and environment friendly location data.

You need to use it with your beloved by protecting it in a private belonging of theirs like a bag or jacket or connect it to a strap and tie it round a tool they usually use, akin to a walker or wheelchair.

This will turn out to be useful in the case of protecting monitor of your beloved’s whereabouts so as to have higher peace of thoughts. On the time of publishing, this product was obtainable on Amazon for $19.95 and had practically 500 critiques, with 51% giving it 5 stars.

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The CUBE Tracker is a good way to maintain monitor of family members utilizing GPS, Wi-Fi, cell tower triangulation and Bluetooth. (CUBE)

GET CUBE GPS TRACKER

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It is necessary to notice that the recommendations we gave above are simply recommendations and everyone’s wants differ. These are just a few methods we’ve give you to assist a beloved one with reminiscence points.

If in case you have a beloved one with Alzheimer’s or one other reminiscence well being challenge and have any extra ideas we could have missed, please tell us your ideas at CyberGuy.com/contact.

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