Amazon Alexa used by east London care home to help residents

They are being used at Kallar Lodge, in Gregory Road, Marks Gate, which is Barking and Dagenham’s only remaining council-run care home.

It is part of the adults care and support integrated care service and currently supports 43 residents who are aged over 65 and have dementia.

Following the launch of Barking and Dagenham Council’s new care technology service with the provider Alcove in September 2023, Kallar Lodge has been using a range of devices to support its residents.

Staff say the introduction of robot dogs and cats has significantly helped to reduce distress in residents, and has even seen non-verbal residents and those who are dysphasic speak to the animals and form emotional connections.

The trial’s impact has been hailed by staff (Image: Facundo Arrizabalaga/MyLondon) They add that the robot animals, which mimic the sounds of dogs and cats and respond when petted, have helped to distract residents as they stay in one place for longer and are left visibly happy from these interactions.

Registered manager Pauline Humphrey said digital translators for residents who do not speak English have helped to improve people’s self-esteem and social interactions.

Pauline told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “A lot of people with dementia will revert back to their original language because they forget the English-speaking; it can be really really difficult to understand what people want and they can be socially isolated.

“You can also use the translator in group activities so residents can understand what’s being asked and they can be a part of it so it’s good for communicating with people.”

The impact of the technology has been ‘lifechanging’ (Image: Facundo Arrizabalaga/MyLondon) The introduction of movement sensor mats have also reportedly helped to reduce falls significantly at Kallar Lodge.

The equipment is placed under a resident’s mattress and helps to detect any changes in air pressure.

If there are any changes, an alert will immediately be triggered to staff who can go to a resident’s room and check up on them.

Deputy manager Ash Ramanah said: “[The mats] prevent falls because what was happening before, most of the equipment that was provided prior to this was about fall detection and not prevention.

The care home supports people with dementia (Image: Facundo Arrizabalaga/MyLondon) “So, if somebody’s [fallen] on the floor you can go in and help them but they’ve already broken their hip, so now we’re trying to go there before the accident happens because hip fractures are one of the major [injuries] in care homes.

“It doesn’t eradicate it completely because you could be walking and could fall but with people who are higher risk, we do the care plan and make sure if they’re at risk of falls then we have the equipment in place.”

Both staff and residents have also benefited from the use of Amazon Alexa, as they help bed-bound residents to be more alert and distracted, while others enjoy listening to their favourite genres of music.

Alexa devices are also used alongside sensory light bulbs which create colourful light shows for people who are in palliative care or are bed-bound.

Video carephones allow residents to independently contact their loved ones and make two-way phone calls whenever they like by simply pressing a button.

The trial is said to be benefitting residents (Image: Facundo Arrizabalaga/MyLondon) Pauline explained: “Because of the way Barking and Dagenham is now, a lot of relatives don’t live locally, they’ve all sort of moved out further away and that is an issue for visiting people. [The carephones] keep a connection with people and it’s really simple to use.

“The person they want to communicate with will just show up [as a picture]; all they have to do is press that and it will call that person.

“There’s a wealth of tech out there, it’s just about utilising it. I think you have to start looking at your client group and what you’re doing well and what you’re not doing so well. How can you make that better?”

Maureen Worby, cabinet member for adult social care and health integration at the council, said the trial has created both “incredible and life-changing results”.

Cllr Worby said: “As we know demand on our social care services continues to grow with people living longer and requiring more support.

“Making sure that we support these residents, allowing them to live as independently as possible with a good quality of life, is at the heart of what we do and our new care technology can enable us to achieve this.

“The trial wouldn’t have been such a success had it not been for the commitment shown from the staff at Kallar Lodge, who have been so enthusiastic about the new technology.

“It’s been heart-warming to see how they’ve worked with residents to understand individual needs and what tech will best support them.”

Since launching the new care technology service with Alcove, the council has seen 2,071 new referrals and there are 5,419 residents who use the service.

The service has prevented 1,862 emergency call outs while 46 per cent of referrals have prevented the development of a care need and 67 residents have avoided residential care.