Amazon’s Alexa Together caregiver service is available today

You can now use Alexa Together to help take care of aging family members. Amazon has launched the $20 per month ($199 per year) service, with a six-month free trial available for a “limited time.” Care Hub users get a full free year from now until December 7th, 2022. Your loved one will need an Alexa-capable device, but after that it’s relatively hands-off — they ideally get more independence while you get some peace of mind.

The elderly relative can reach an emergency helpline if they ask Alexa to “call for help,” but Together is mainly useful for notifications. You’ll get alerts if your family member calls that line, or simply for their first Alexa interaction of the day. Use a fall detection sensor from ATS or Vayyar (more device support is coming) and you’ll also get word if there’s an incident.

Amazon stressed that seniors would still have their privacy. They have to grant permission for you to remotely assist them by adding contacts, reminders and services. Any Alexa interaction alerts are also generic. You’ll know your loved one made an entertainment request, for instance, but you won’t know what was playing.

The service is still relatively limited. Amazon doesn’t expect to support multiple caregivers until early 2022, for instance, so this won’t help if your siblings also want to pitch in. It might still be useful if you want that safety net, though. If nothing else, it’s clear between this and Halo services that Amazon wants to be a part of your daily wellness checks — whether they’re your own or someone else’s.