Oakland Care announces state-of-the-art voice tech trial

Oakland Care, have announced a new partnership with Voice Design Studio and Agency, Vocala, as part of a trial to explore how technology can enhance the lives of their residents.

Vocala use the latest voice technology devices such as Google Home and Amazon’s Alexa to create specialist ‘smarter’ systems tailored to the specific needs of customers. They look to go beyond the traditional features of these devices to offer advanced functionality with the potential to transform lives.?

Oakland Care have partnered with Vocala as part of a six-month pilot of Alexa Smart Properties, an innovative system which has been installed by Amazon and Vocala. It will enable residents to access more generalised information, entertainment, and services such as lunch menus, when visitors are coming into the care home, planned activities, and to raise queries and requests to team members directly with Alexa-to-Alexa calling, using only their voice.

It also benefits the care team by enabling them to make announcements and voice and video calls to other Alexa-enabled devices throughout the care home.

Initially, 10 residents will be provided with a specialist Alexa device that will be managed by the team at Oakland Care. Information will be gathered at the start of the trial from residents, families and team members and again at the end to measure the success.

Branden Suddes, Project Manager at Oakland Care, said:

“We’re delighted to be among the first social care providers to be trialling this innovative new technology in our care homes. As a forward-thinking organisation, we recognise the possibilities that technology can offer our care homes, both for improving resident experience and wellbeing, as well as enhancing the working lives of our team members.

“It has been excellent to see the ways in which this technology can help make an important contribution to the future of social care. These specialist voice technology devices go way beyond their traditional functionality with so many features that look to be extremely beneficial for Oakland Care. We are always looking at the opportunities that products such as this can present for us.”