How Connected Canadians Partnered with Amazon Alexa to Help Seniors Stay Connected (episode 176)
Welcome, Connected Canadians!
Emily Jones Joanisse and Tas Damen are the co-founders of Connected Canadians. Emily is the CEO and Tas is the CIOs. Connected Canadians is a non-profit that connects seniors with technology, training, and support.
About Emily Jones Joanisse
Emily has a background in computer science and has always been the person that seniors went to for help with their tech issues. Emily started working with a group of seniors and that showed her the power of technology to bridge cultures.
About Tas Damen
Tas has a background in computational mathematics and is very passionate about technology. She is also a software architect on the side.
What is the Mission for Connected Canadians?
Emily and Tas noticed a lack of a national organization that provided seniors with tech training and support. So, they initially started Connected Canadians in Ottawa and visited retirement homes to present their idea and launch a pilot program.
Canada has many immigrants that have amazing tech backgrounds, but their jobs were not always consistent with their skills. Emily and Tas provided these talented immigrants the opportunity to volunteer with their organization.
Through their experiences, Emily and Tas discovered that seniors really value the one-on-one attention when it comes to helping them with their needs.
Tas shared the importance of providing free support to seniors and helping them connect with their community.
How the Voice Technology Project Originated?
Emily and Tas realized the massive need for access to technology, including internet connectivity and access to devices. They wanted to provide accessible technology to seniors and ensure that the barrier to adoption would be minimal for them. Therefore, they partnered with Amazon to see how they could enable voice interactivity for seniors. It was important to them to accommodate various senior settings.
How Does the Voice Technology Program Work?
Connected Canadians is working with various seniors’ organizations in Canada and training their key staff members. The organizations go through a screening process and have to provide proof that they have the capacity to work with Connected Canadians. If they pass the screening process, the organizations are scheduled for training and receive Alexa devices to distribute to their community. They also must agree to distribute them to the seniors within three months of receiving them. Once the seniors are set up, they are also provided with a phone number they can call for support from Connected Canadians.
How did the Amazon Partnership with Connected Canadians come about?
Emily reached out to Amazon Music and mentioned that seniors need more access to music and additional resources. Amazon reached out a few months later when they were launching a new program for which they thought Connected Canadians would be a good fit.
How Has the COVID Pandemic Impacted Their Work with Seniors
During the COVID pandemic, they incorporated mobile device management software that is pre-installed, and they have the ability to remotely push that. Regarding Amazon Alexa, they are not quite there yet, but they do train the trainer and it makes it easier to operationalize the delivery model.
What Were the Results of the Pilot Program?
One of the seniors that was in a long-term home was utilizing Alexa to change the music to match the culture of the PSW.
Another success story was of Margaret, who went from someone who only used a flip phone to transitioning, adapting, and integrating with the technology. In fact, Margaret considered “Alexa” her friend.
Does the Alexa Device Help Seniors with Loneliness?
Seniors wanted to be able to play interactive games on the device and Alexa does have voice-enabled games that are interactive. Many seniors were very excited about the ability to play games.
Has the Alexa Device Helped Seniors with Medical Reminders?
Seniors are using the reminders feature but because the sample size was primarily healthy, they did not need too many medical reminders.
What is the Current Status of the Pilot Program?
Currently, they have awarded almost all of the devices, but may have one batch left. If you are a senior organization that would like to be a part of this program, reach out to Connected Canadians.
Connect with Tas and Emily
Visit Connected Canadians website
Follow Connected Canadians on Twitter
Follow Connected Canadians on LinkedIn
Connect on Facebook
Subscribe to Connected Canadians Youtube Channel
Thank You to the Sponsors of The Voice Den:
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