Lee Peart witnessed the new Amazon Alexa service pioneered at a Worcestershire care home which is set to revolutionise elderly care delivery

Majesticare’s Cavendish Park in Evesham became the first care home in Europe to adopt Alexa Smart Properties with Amazon and technology partner Ascom in November last year.

Majesticare’s chief executive, Angela Boxall, says: “We have always been dedicated to being at the forefront of innovation in care through technology. As a forward thinking organisation we were really excited to see what Alexa could bring to the table. We wanted to make sure it was developing technology and providing data in the right way and for the right reasons to improve care outcome statistics rather than just ignore them.”

Over the past 10 months, the technology has been developed at Cavendish Park with the active input of residents who have been key to compiling an ever-evolving list of commands. The commands are inputted into the system so that they can be answered by Alexa or immediately circulated to members of the care or maintenance teams to attend to. They include: requesting food and beverages; ordering drinks for visitors; ordering breakfast; checking daily menus and activities; calling for assistance; needing something to be fixed; calling a family member, GP or dentist; or speaking to a member of the care home team. Residents can also have fun asking Alexa for the joke of the day or finding out the news or what the weather will be like.

“For our residents to be involved in something so innovative and forward thinking to potentially map out how care can be developed is wonderful,” Boxall says.

As well as enhancing care delivery for residents, Alexa has helped spur conversations and develop friendships in the home. Alongside making phone calls to family and friends more easily, the technology even allows residents to talk to each other in the comfort of their own rooms.

“It’s become a lovely social activity with residents sharing Alexa’s jokes of the day at breakfast,” Boxall says. “It’s helped to stimulate new conversations with loved ones having a new topic to talk about every day in the home. We went from 3,000 Alexa commands to 9,000 in just four weeks.

“As well as helping us to understand how to continue to develop our care offering, Alexa is building new communities and friendships in the home. It’s created a common conversation piece between residents and even for those who aren’t Alexa’s biggest fans; it’s a great talking point.”

As well as benefiting residents, the technology also helps carers by saving time. Activities co-ordinator Ellie Lucas says: “I enter our upcoming activities schedules and daily menus on Alexa at the start of each week so residents can easily find out what’s going on and have independence in planning their day. It’s lovely to hear music in the residents’ rooms. One of our ladies loves to put Classic FM on as soon as she wakes up. Some of our residents would listen to the radio on TV but now if they can’t reach the remote they can just ask Alexa. I love how Alexa has given some of our residents that feeling of empowerment, the ability to ask for what they want, when they want it and know that it’s on the way, especially if it’s time for a cup of tea. It’s helped us as a care team be able to respond to their needs faster and more efficiently.”

Having been the first to get on board with the technology, Boxall has no regrets, adding Majesticare’s Alexa journey was only just beginning.

“The possibilities for Alexa are endless and as an organisation we would not hesitate to be on board for future innovations,” she concludes.