Zoom for Alzheimer's patients

[bquass]

I am trying to find a way to easily communicate via the Internet with my memory-challenged mother.  I am currently using a device called ViewClix that lets me see her and talk, without her having to do anything.  She can see me too. However, the audio quality is absolutely horrendous, for some reason that I cannot diagnose.  Zoom audio quality, on the other hand, has always been great in my experience.

So my question is, is there a way to set up a PC that would be dedicated to running a hands-off version of Zoom, so that I can log in at any time from my own PC and talk to and see my mother with decent audio?

Thanks.

[JepZoom · Accepted solution]

Zoom has this product called Zoom for Home, you may click this link to know more about it: https://explore.zoom.us/docs/en-us/zoom-for-home.html

But based on your scenario with your mother, it appears that the issue might have something to do with ViewClix or her internet connection, 

You can try to ask your mother to use wired earphones when you are talking.

[JepZoom]

Just checking if my response solved your concern/question?

[JepZoom]

Hi, I just wanted to check in and see if my response has been of help to you. If so, it will be greatly appreciated if you can click the 'Accept as Solution' button.

This will be a great help to the community and to people who are having the same concern and are looking for answers.

[JerrySFL]

I had the same question question, I’m looking for a way for a dementia Alzheimer’s patient to be part of a zoom family meeting without them having to press a button or join the meeting. We need a way that we can do that remotely, like the Amazon show dropping feature. 

[bquass]

Hi, JepZoomie. Sorry for the delay. I lost track of the question I had asked.  Thanks for the input.  I will research the link that you provided.

Earphones won't help in this case.  I need a solution that requires her to do nothing at all, other than to start talking to me when I start talking to her.  The audio on ViewClix is often horrible.  I know because, in the worst instances, it echoes in her room almost 2 seconds after everything I say, making it almost impossible for me to talk.  Other times my audio comes through garbled -- and often the very first syllable is somehow "cut off" on every other word I say.  Logging off and on ViewClix will usually improve the audio somewhat, but not always.

I've investigated the problem and nothing's helped.  The Viewclix company says that the device may be affected by other nearby electronics. If so, that makes Viewclix hard to use in the kind of setting where my mom is located, because living units are side by side, separated by a thin wall, with a big TV screen in every room. 

The facility has made some efforts to help, but in my opinion, facilities for the elderly should be much more engaged in this issue.   As it is, when I call them, I'm very lucky if I find someone who understands how to use the TV remote, let alone how to make sure that my mom can engage in hands-off communication with me via the Internet. 

I know through research (and my nephew who's a programmer) that it is technically possible to set up a system in which a TV (connected to Wi-Fi) can double as a way to remotely communicate with the person watching TV.  If I ran a home for the elderly, I would have this feature on every TV, so that family members could jump on at any time and say hello to and talk with their loved one -- or even help the elderly parent find the shows that they want to see.

But that's just my two cents' worth on the topic.

As for using Zoom to accomplish what I'm after, it sounds like the link you provided might help, so I'll be checking it out as soon as I get a spare moment.

I'll post back here to report on what I find.