The National Association of Volunteer Programs in Local Government (NAVPLG) awarded the City Of Dublin, Ohio the prestigious Innovation Program Award for their "Alexa Pilot Project". The City of Dublin was facing a mounting trend that is common in communities throughout the US - from 2010 to 2018 the city's residents between the ages of 65 and 74 rose by more than 70% with more than 15% of its residents over the age of 75. Residents of Dublin faced many challenges as they grow older and the city turned to its volunteers to help develop creative solutions.
In 2018, the city hosted community conversations to develop a comprehensive Aging in Place plan. The dialogue was creative and visionary. Among many topics a consistent notion emerged -- that seniors could be introduced to using more technology to help them age in place and the "Alexa Pilot Project" was the result. The city provided isolated residents with a voice assisted device, matched them with a city volunteer, then measured it's effects on supporting day-to-day living.
The city reached out to Syntero, a local counseling center that serves older adults to identify 12 residents who might benefit from the project and the city provided volunteers to help teach/coach on the use of the device. The city purchased the Alexa devices for each senior and volunteer. After discussions with the volunteers on how a voice assisted device could help aging in place, volunteers were matched with a senior and asked to go to their homes to meet and train their new senior friend on the use of the Alexa device. It didn't just work. It changed peoples' lives.
"Alexa? Play Chopin," was the first request. Seniors reported frequent usage daily/several times per day (70%), appreciation for the outreach of the volunteers (100%) and utilizing it for daily planning/schedules/reminders (70%), news and weather (70%), memory games (50%), entertainment/reading/music (90%), and searching for information (50%). A toolkit is being created so others can duplicate this project for any voice activated assistant such as Alexa, Google Home, etc. The project helped the seniors feel more safe, connected and informed. "The whole experience has been so moving," said Stephanie, the Older Adult Specialist from Syntero. "It has empowered them. They now use technology that the millennial generation uses. It connects them and makes them feel relevant."
For more information, visit:
https://dublinohiousa.gov/newsroom/alexa-pilot-program-for-older-adults-making-strides/
