FAQ’s Alexa Community

About Alexa Community at Fellowship Square-Mesa

The Alexa devices are meant to simplify life for seniors and extend the longevity of their independence. The devices are programmed to perform a wide range of functions that cater to the preferences & needs of the residents living at Fellowship Square-Mesa. Listed below are some of the many functions the devices can perform at the voice command of the residents. The devices can:

Senior Couple
Alexa Health Check-In

One of the main reasons for the Alexa devices being implemented into each resident’s apartment is the health check-in feature. The residents are encouraged to check-in using the Alexa device once a day to report how they are feeling. With COVID19 spreading quickly and affecting the older generation, we take extensive safety precautions to ensure the health and security of the residents. By checking in with Alexa each day, the Fellowship Square-Mesa staff remains up-to-date on each resident’s well-being and will be notified if any COVID19 symptoms are recorded. This helps the residents obtain the medical assistance they need quickly, and prevent the spread of the virus to other residents.

Here is how health check-in works.

The resident verbally gives the command, “Alexa, Open Fellowship,” to the device. When activated, the device will then come on and verify the resident’s name in that apartment. Next, the device will ask the resident, “Are you feeling well today?” to which the resident will respond with a yes or no answer. If the answer is yes, then the report is completed. If the resident answers “no,” then Alexa will ask three follow-up questions regarding COVID19 symptoms, which are, “Do you have a cough? Do you have a fever? Do you have shortness of breath?” The resident will respond with yes or no answers and then exit out of the health check-in by saying, “Exit.” The yes or no answers are reported to the Fellowship Square staff, where they are reviewed daily. The entire check-in takes less than a minute to perform.

There are many facilities and activities available for the residents on the Fellowship Square-Mesa campus. The Alexa devices can provide information about the facilities and activities on campus. This feature is particularly helpful for those who are new to Fellowship Square-Mesa. The residents can ask questions such as “Where is the dining room? What are the hours of the Convenience Store? And What is the guest Wifi Password?” A list of these questions will be included in the Fellowship Square-Mesa Alexa instructional packet provided to each resident.

You can ask Alexa “Has the Mail been delivered?” This lets our residents know when the mail has come in and prevent unnecessary trips to check the mail.

The Alexa devices can also work as a regular phone. Programmed into these devices are the phone numbers of various facilities on Fellowship Square-Mesa campus such as the front desk, security, the fitness center, the beauty shop, etc. The resident can make a phone call by giving the verbal command, “Alexa, call _______.” The resident will then speak through to the device like they would on a normal phone call. The devices do not save nor record phone calls. Phone calls outside of the Fellowship Square-Mesa campus can also be made; however, the resident will need to dictate the phone number to the device. This feature is particularly helpful for those with visual and mobility problems who have trouble dialing a phone number.

The residents are provided with a paper copy of the food menu each week. The Alexa devices also have the food menu information saved and can be useful if a resident has difficulty reading the paper copy. The Alexa devices cannot place food orders but can provide answers to questions about the menu, such as “What’s for lunch today? What’s the breakfast special today? And what are the side dishes for tomorrow?”

The residents are provided with a paper copy of the food menu each week. The Alexa devices also have the food menu information saved and can be useful if a resident has difficulty reading the paper copy. The Alexa devices cannot place food orders but can provide answers to questions about the menu, such as “What’s for lunch today? What’s the breakfast special today? And what are the side dishes for tomorrow?”

A Smart thermostat has been installed into every apartment at Fellowship Square-Mesa. The Alexa devices are connected to the apartment’s thermostat and can adjust the controls by voice command. Should the resident feel too hot or too cold and be unable to change the temperature settings manually, they can still create a comfortable environment by using Alexa. They can adjust the temperature for four hours before the thermostat will resume its comfort settings. The residents also have the option of setting a timer for how long they would like the temperature to be set to a certain degree.

A Smart thermostat has been installed into every apartment at Fellowship Square-Mesa. The Alexa devices are connected to the apartment’s thermostat and can adjust the controls by voice command. Should the resident feel too hot or too cold and be unable to change the temperature settings manually, they can still create a comfortable environment by using Alexa. They can adjust the temperature for four hours before the thermostat will resume its comfort settings. The residents also have the option of setting a timer for how long they would like the temperature to be set to a certain degree.

Alexa can access music from any artist through iHeartRadio, and play any talk radio station. All the resident needs to say is the voice command, “Alexa, play ______ radio,” and it will work. The device does not respond to the names of music genres, but rather to the name of the artist or talk show host. Being able to access music from any artist helps the residents feel more at home as they enjoy their favorite tunes.

This feature is particularly helpful for residents who would like to be reminded of a doctor’s appointment or be reminded to take prescription medication.

There are three available workouts on the Alexa device. The Start Chair Workout is for exercising the full-body, upper body, or lower body. The Start Engage Exercise helps improve balance, strength, and flexibility. The Brain Workout helps improve focus, concentration, and memory. When activated, the device will verbally lead the resident through each step in the exercises.

Alexa is installed in each apartment are not directly connected to the television in the apartment. It does not have the ability to change the channels or turn on or off the TV; however, it can inform the resident which programs are playing on which channels and at what times.

The regular Alexa or Echo Dots being installed into each apartment do not have the capabilities to control the TV and lights in the apartment; however, the upgraded Alexa or Echo Plus can control your TV. (Note: Specific TV Models are required)

The Alexa devices are connected to the You Version Bible and can read aloud any passage. The voice that reads the Bible is not the animated voice of the Alexa device. The resident simply needs to say the command, “Alexa, ask You Version Bible to read ____ chapter ____ verse ____.”

The Alexa devices are connected to the You Version Bible and can read aloud any passage. The voice that reads the Bible is not the animated voice of the Alexa device. The resident simply needs to say the command, “Alexa, ask You Version Bible to read ____ chapter ____ verse ____.”

Alexa can also play games such as Jeopardy, Twenty Questions, Geography Trivia, and Guess Who with the residents. A list of the games available will be provided in the instructional packet for each resident.

Sleep Sounds is a popular option among residents. For those who have difficulty sleeping due to ringing in ears, the Alexa sleep sounds feature can play a wide range of background noise to help drown out the ringing and improve the resident’s quality of sleep. These background sounds also help provide a calm, relaxing environment in each apartment no matter what time of day.

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