How to use Alexa Together

Far more than a handy voice assistant that can stream music, give you recipe tips, and answer any random questions that pop into your head, Alexa is also a phenomenal resource for staying in touch with family and friends. For those of us with loved ones who need help and monitoring on an almost frequent basis, the minds behind Alexa have created an interactive and customizable suite of features for just that purpose, all housed under one roof.

Called Alexa Together, this platform of empowerment is a reassuring solution for both remote caregivers and family members who want independence and privacy, but also a helping hand (or more) when they need it most. Alexa Together is available through the Alexa app and can be used with just a single Echo device. It offers real-time activity monitoring and alerts for caregivers, as well as a range of remote assist features such as: B. the ability to create reminders and set up streaming services for loved ones.

There’s a lot Alexa Together can do, and we’ve put together this article to help you understand the basics of the platform, how to set up and enable the service, and how to use some of Alexa Together’s key features.

How much does Alexa Together cost?

After the 30-day free trial of Alexa Together, subscribers can sign up for either a $20 per month billed premium or a $200 annual membership. Alexa Care Hub users can use Alexa Together for free until December 7, 2022.

What equipment do you need?

Aside from a reliable Wi-Fi connection for the person receiving remote care, the only other gear they’ll need is the Alexa app and an Echo device – preferably one echo show, so caregivers and Circle of Support contacts can use features like Drop In to remotely check in with loved ones over a video call. However, for best results, it’s ideal to have a number of Echo devices throughout the client’s home – this way your loved one can easily interact with Alexa without having to navigate to a specific part of their home.

Ideally, caregivers also have an Alexa device like this echo show for drop-in purposes, but the only thing they really need is access to the Alexa app.

How to set up Alexa Together?

To use Alexa Together, both the family member and caregiver must create two separate Amazon.com accounts and link them to the same Alexa Together subscription. If your loved one is unable to create an account themselves, you can always create one on their behalf. The customer also needs a single Echo device to use the plan, which you can set up and activate even if your loved one isn’t able to.

Simply purchase the device you want and have it delivered to your address for setup. Be sure to select the gift option during checkout to ensure the Echo hardware is not automatically linked to your own Amazon account.

Once you’ve received your loved one’s Echo device, the setup process is almost identical to activating a non-Alexa Together Echo product, with two exceptions: you log into the device with your loved one’s Amazon account, and you will be Add transmit your loved one’s Wi-Fi information to the Echo product without actually connecting to it.

To do this, go to after the initial setup settings and select Network > Add Network, Then enter your loved one’s network information and select Save on computer.

Once your loved one has received their Echo device, all you have to do is activate the Alexa Together plan. To start the process, go to the Alexa Together page. Choose Start the 30-day free trial After that, you will be prompted to enter the payment information for the plan. After that choose Enable Alexa Together.

The next screen asks you to indicate whether you are the caregiver or the person receiving support. Assuming you’re the caregiver, you’ll then be prompted to enter your loved one’s name and Amazon email address to send them an Alexa Together invitation. They then need to open that email on their page, which asks them to confirm some basic information and provide an address for Urgent Response staff (more on that later).

What are some Alexa Together features?

Now that we’ve covered the basics of Alexa Together in terms of cost, features, and overall setup, let’s take a look at some of the platform’s most useful features and how you and your loved ones can use them.

Activity feed and customizable notifications

One of the greatest peace of mind features of the Alexa Together suite is the ability to simply know that your loved ones are on their feet. This reassurance is achieved through a live activity monitor dashboard that grants privacy and independence to the person receiving care, but also gives the caregiver an indication that daily life is going on as normal.

Let’s say your elderly parents usually wake up around 8am every morning and start their day. If your loved one has the mental abilities to say “Alexa, good morning” to their Echo Show every morning, Alexa will add that Echo Interaction to your shared Alexa Together activity feed. And if your parents could use a friendly reminder to say “good morning” to Alexa, you can easily set one up for them.

To do this, go to the Alexa Together dashboard in the Alexa app and select Tips > Learn more > Create a reminder. You can also create reminders on the Remote Assist page (more on that below) by selecting Reminder > Add Reminder. From here you can customize when you want the reminder to happen, on what date, and how often you want it to repeat.

Now let’s say there is no reported activity with Alexa after the agreed time of 8:00 AM. In this case, Alexa Together will send an alert to the caregiver’s Alexa app to let them know their loved one hasn’t used their Echo device yet. along with the option to communicate via Drop In or a regular phone call.

The activity dashboard logs all kinds of interactions with Alexa and third-party smart devices, like your loved one opening the medicine cabinet to take their daily pills. And while all of these reporting parameters can be customized to only issue activity notifications during specific time periods, Alexa Together only sends general alerts to the caregiver. For example, if your loved one asks Alexa to play a specific song through Spotify, Alexa Together will log that activity as entertainmentwithout reporting which song was actually played.

Caregivers also have the option to view an entire day’s activity notifications along with pings from previous days by selecting Show all activities.

Remote Assist features

Under the Remote Assist dashboard, caregivers have access to a range of Alexa Together features that integrate seamlessly with their loved ones’ Alexa ecosystem.

We’ve already covered cell phones memories Ability to create and customize one-time, infrequent, and daily reminders that allow Alexa to ping your loved one’s Echo hardware. That contacts The tab allows caregivers to add friends and family members to the Alexa Together contact log and support circle. Echo device settings let you customize various elements of your loved one’s Alexa Together-enabled Echo gear, while voice responses let you fine-tune how Alexa can be heard and interacted with by your loved one.

Shopping List lets you create, add, and remove items from a shared shopping list, similar to Alexa’s regular shopping list feature, and Music & Podcasts lets you set up and manage various streaming services for your loved ones to access on their Echo device.

circle of support

While the main Alexa Together subscription is shared between a client and caregiver, the latter can add additional friends and family members to a list of emergency contacts billed as a Circle of Support. This allows Alexa Together to send activity notifications and alerts to a range of contacts alongside the main caregiver, along with calling and drop-in capabilities (if and where applicable) to get in touch with your loved one in the event of an emergency.

Currently, you can add up to 10 Circle of Support contacts to an Alexa Together plan.

24/7 emergency service and fall detection

As part of the Alexa Together subscription, your loved ones have 24/7 access to emergency response centers. The platform’s on-call service unit can be easily reached by your loved one with a simple “Alexa, call for help” command, which automatically pings the caregiver and Circle of Support contacts with a notification stating that the Urgent Response team was there called.

You can also connect a range of third-party fall detection products to your Alexa Together system, including devices from companies like Vayyar, SkyAngelCare, and Altumview. If a fall is indeed detected, you will be notified immediately and your loved one can call the Urgent Response Team and Circle of Support contacts.

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