Tell me why an echo dot would be a fab present of elderly parents

[GingerPigz]

Inspired by a fabulous thread about Christmas gifts for older parents, please tell me what an older person could use an echo dot for? We don't have one (DH doesn't trust them and you can't miss what you've never had) so I really have no idea what they do... My dad is okay(ish) with tech, mum not so much (she has a smart phone and fit bit but both are merely decorative).

Apart from the radio, cooking timer medication reminders etc it can also be used if they fall - they just have to say Alexa call xxx and they can call you

That is so moving it's made me cry. Wishing your mum all the very very best. 💐

I was very dubious when adult DC got theirs. Then DD gave me one a couple of Christmases ago. I didn’t unbox it for a month. Now, I absolutely love it and have added one in my bedroom.

I do use it mainly for radio, as it gets all the digital stations and I can change station and change volume without getting up from my chair. It’s my cooking timer. It reminds me eg to put the bins out, submit meter readings, pick DGS up, and anything else I might forget. I tell it to switch the Sky box, tv and certain lights on and off and can override the schedule the smart plugs and bulbs are set to - the small lamp inside the door is scheduled to come on at sunset and switch off at 9pm but when I’m ready to settle in the sitting room for the evening I just tell Alexa to switch it off. It does calculations, and weather forecasts, plays my Spotify, it’s an encyclopaedia, fact-finder, recipe collection, joke-teller for DGS. If I wake at 3am wondering who was in a certain band, or how many countries are in Africa, or whether it’s likely to rain tomorrow, Alexa can tell me.

I chose the Echo Dot with the display for upstairs so I could see the time or outdoor temperature and not have to ask, but the display is irritatingly bright so I don’t use it.

I would miss it very much!

You're all fabulous - thank you for taking the time to respond. One less Christmas present to worry about now (once I've finally settled on which device to get!)

Oh and as an alarm, “Alexa wake me up at 07.30 with Boom Radio”

My dm loved being able to turn lamps on/off and music with hers.

You can also say “alexa call for help” and it phones and then texts their emergency contact (ie you). Which is helpful if they can’t reach the phone.

Mum just listens to music on hers. We have also set it to call us if she needs help.

I have mine in the kitchen. I have radio or music playing as I cook, I set timers, add things to a shopping list as I realise I am nearing the end of a jar. I ask for weather report before I pop out, get news updates. It is such a brilliant bit of kit. If you can help set it up on their phones (they will need to link to an amazon account on their phones I believe) then everything I'd just voice activated so shouldn't worry a non techy person.

And if you have audible it will read them stories which is really nice

My mum finds it company. She asks it all sorts of questions. She likes playing pointless on it!

Thanks hilarious 😆

That's.....