Voice-activated technology: A guide for those caring for someone with dementia

Harris, I. (2025) ‘Voice-activated technology: A guide for those caring for someone with dementia’, Journal of Dementia Care, 33(6) pp. 30-31

Iona-Jane Harris describes how Dementia Carers Count has developed a guide for unpaid carers about how voice-activated technology can help them

Dementia Carers Count (DCC) is a is a UK charity which supports, advocates and campaigns for dementia carers.

Research carried out by DCC shows that 71% of unpaid dementia carers who are looking after a family member or friend feel that they don’t receive adequate support (Dementia Carers Count, 2024). Over a third are caring 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and one in ten cannot leave the person they are caring for alone (ibid). It’s not surprising that many carers believe that caring is taking a toll on their mental and physical health.

As a charity which exists to support dementia carers, we’re always keen to identify and share ways to reduce the pressure on unpaid carers of people with dementia. We know only too well how stretched social care services are and the costs of accessing additional support services.

Voice-activated technology

Earlier this year, we partnered with Amazon Alexa to explore how voice-activated technology could support carers with some of their daily tasks and responsibilities, and potentially improve their wellbeing.

Voice-activated technology is becoming more prevalent. It includes devices which you can speak to and which respond to simple voice commands without the need to use buttons or a screen. They can answer questions, give updates and make calls. The devices are relatively affordable and don’t take up much space.

Finding out about carers’ use of this technology

We understand that not everyone feels at ease with new technologies, and not everyone has a voice-activated device in their home. However, we wanted to understand whether carers who do have these devices are using them to support themselves, or the person they are caring for, or both. We also wanted to discover how carers would like to use them to provide support.

We invited people caring for someone with dementia to join a remote focus group. This was facilitated by Dr Gemima Fitzgerald, one of our clinical psychologists, who also hosts our regular online emotional peer support groups. Dr Fitzgerald is adept at supporting carers to share their experiences and interact with each other remotely.

There were a number of ways in which carers were using voice-activated technology to support them. These included: 

Daily Support Functions 

• Time / date / weather orientation for the person with dementia;
• Reminders for medication, appointments, and hydration;
• Music and photographs to stimulate relaxation, trigger memory, and provide comfort;
• Broadcasting messages throughout the home;
• Video calls to maintain connections with family;
• Managing smart home features (lights, doorbells, thermostats).

Peace of Mind Features 

• Remote check-in via “drop in” function;
• Integration with Ring Doorbell for security;
• Use of tracking devices (AirTags, Tile) to locate the person when disoriented or lost;
• Photo slideshows for reminiscence therapy.

The group also discussed what some of the challenges were when using a voice-activated device. This included difficulties with voice recognition if someone has a regional accent or if their speech has been affected by dementia, unwanted adverts causing confusion, and photo slideshows moving too quickly.   

The group identified the risk that carers can feel overwhelmed by trying to understand and use technology alongside managing their caring responsibilities

• ask questions to voice-activated devices;
• set up reminders for medication or hydration;
• use adaptive listening – so different voices can be recognised and you have more time to provide instructions or to ask something;
• set up a photo frame or playlist of favourite calming music;
• set up drop-in communication for two-way calls to check how someone is doing;
• create prompts for specific daily routines – such as ‘saying ‘goodnight’ which triggers smart home lights being turned off, setting morning alarms, and ‘white noise’ being played to aid sleep.

Conclusion 

Technology is constantly evolving and can feel like yet another thing to try to understand and get on top of. However, there can be benefits to using it and some carers have found it to be useful in supporting them to care. It can free up some of their time, provide some additional piece of mind, and help them to keep on top of all the things they are doing on a daily basis. 

“I used it for reminders, for lists for booking appointments and for controlling devices in the home.” Mike, dementia carer 

“I find it useful that my Mum can ask Alexa questions repeatedly without worrying about frustrating someone.”  Gemma, dementia carer   

“Alexa was useful for a person with memory issues to ask about the day, time, and weather.”  Dementia carer describing benefits   

“I used the Echo Show to have a weekly video call between my sister and mother, giving me an hour break.” Nick, dementia carer    

We are keen to raise awareness of how carers can use the technology for some support with their caring responsibilities.  

Reference 

Links