Amazon offers Alexa program for hospitals and senior living communities

Amazon is bringing Alexa to hospitals and senior living communities in an effort to make residents' and patients' lives easier, the company said Monday. The program uses the virtual assistant's Smart Properties features, which are designed to let business owners deploy Alexa-enabled devices at a scale beyond the home.

For senior living centers, residents can use Alexa devices to communicate with family and other residents, as well as to stay up to date with their community's news. A resident's Alexa device could also be used to streamline administrative tasks like check-ins and maintenance requests. This will "provide a better experience for residents, while creating empowered and more connected communities," Amazon said in a release.

Senior living communities Atria and Eskaton will start integrating Amazon's solutions at select locations. 

In hospitals, health care providers can communicate with patients by using Alexa's Drop In feature, which lets you start a conversation between devices or with your Alexa contacts. This will lessen the need to enter a patient's room, and conserve medical supplies and protective equipment, Amazon said. Hospitals can also give patients information about their facility through their Alexa devices, like the cafeteria menus, schedule changes and more. 

Boston Children's Hospital, Cedars-Sinai, BayCare and Houston Methodist are adopting Alexa Smart Properties. 

"Voice is intuitive for patients, regardless of age or tech savviness," said Peachy Hain, Cedars-Sinai's executive director of Medical and Surgical Services, in a release.