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Living independently—while remaining connected to family and friends—is easier than ever for older adults with the help of Sundial™. The new mobile application and Alexa skill connects them with loved ones in their Care Circle. It helps coordinate and communicate activities like reminders and to-do lists and provides a line of communication for check-ins with a personal connection.

How It Works

The Sundial skill for Alexa and the mobile app work together to connect older adults (the Center) to their loved ones (Care Circle). The Center uses the voice and touch enabled Sundial skill for Alexa (optimized for the Amazon Echo Show) to interact with their private Care Circle of family and friends. Once invited, Care Circle members can download the Sundial mobile apps to interact with the Center and each other. When the skill is enabled and the mobile apps are connected, the Center simply says “Alexa, open Sundial” to enjoy the Sundial features.

With Sundial you can:

• Quickly check-in and communicate
• Access the interactive dashboard with voice commands for a scrolling list of daily activities
• Coordinate tasks among Care Circle members
• Send photo memories with personalized captions from the mobile app directly to the older adult’s Echo Show

This service and skill are not replacements for home healthcare or emergency services. Sundial is a subscription-based product. Details regarding services and price are available on the Sundial website: www.sundial-labs.com.

Connect on a Personal Level:

“We were eager to try the product,” said Curtis Simpson, a State Farm technology manager and participant in the pilot program. Simpson’s mother lives in Florida and he formed a Care Circle with her and his brothers from Illinois using Sundial.

“My mom being far away and living on her own concerned us. With the app and skill, we now have frequent daily check-ins. We love it, she loves it. It allows us to connect without feeling intrusive.”

Christen Zook and Tara Hayman are also State Farm employees who participated in product testing.

“My dad lives in Michigan. He is very independent and sharp,” Zook said. “But he’s not an app person or mobile-oriented. Sundial’s simplicity helps.”

For Hayman, Sundial helps to provide reassurance and helps bring the family closer to her mother in Maryland. “I like that our family can check in together. We share photos and information at the same time,” Hayman said.

"Sundial grew from a passion to be a positive part of the lives of our older adults,” says Mike Fields, Vice-President of Sundial Labs. “We want to help foster closer, caring relationships with loved ones creating a daily connection, no matter the distance. It is an important part of Sundial’s mission to provide digital tools and solutions for older adults and their care circles that can reduce time and worry managing daily life while increase confidence through a personal virtual touch.”

The Need for Innovation:

Over the next decade, the U.S. will see an important demographic shift. By 2030, all baby boomers will be older than age 65. According to the US Census Bureau, this means that 1 in 5 residents will be retirement age. A 2018 survey by the AARP also revealed that three out of four older adults want to stay in their homes as they age.

For those coordinating care, the current landscape could be a challenge. According to Sundial Labs research, only about a third of those surveyed feel current technology is useful in helping find new solutions to assist their older loved ones. Yet, more than half expressed interest in trying out an app that would help them find new solutions.

A report released last year by a White House Task Force focused on aging adults says technology can help. For older adults, voice assistants have the highest rate of adoption (AARP ). Innovation that assists older adults with daily life and strong social connections will be key in helping older Americans “age in place.”

How It Works

The Sundial skill for Alexa and the mobile app work together to connect older adults (the Center) to their loved ones (Care Circle). The Center uses the voice and touch enabled Sundial skill for Alexa (optimized for the Amazon Echo Show) to interact with their private Care Circle of family and friends. Once invited, Care Circle members can download the Sundial mobile apps to interact with the Center and each other. When the skill is enabled and the mobile apps are connected, the Center simply says “Alexa, open Sundial” to enjoy the Sundial features.

With Sundial you can:

• Quickly check-in and communicate
• Access the interactive dashboard with voice commands for a scrolling list of daily activities
• Coordinate tasks among Care Circle members
• Send photo memories with personalized captions from the mobile app directly to the older adult’s Echo Show

This service and skill are not replacements for home healthcare or emergency services. Sundial is a subscription-based product. Details regarding services and price are available on the Sundial website: www.sundial-labs.com.

Connect on a Personal Level:

“We were eager to try the product,” said Curtis Simpson, a State Farm technology manager and participant in the pilot program. Simpson’s mother lives in Florida and he formed a Care Circle with her and his brothers from Illinois using Sundial.

“My mom being far away and living on her own concerned us. With the app and skill, we now have frequent daily check-ins. We love it, she loves it. It allows us to connect without feeling intrusive.”

Christen Zook and Tara Hayman are also State Farm employees who participated in product testing.

“My dad lives in Michigan. He is very independent and sharp,” Zook said. “But he’s not an app person or mobile-oriented. Sundial’s simplicity helps.”

For Hayman, Sundial helps to provide reassurance and helps bring the family closer to her mother in Maryland. “I like that our family can check in together. We share photos and information at the same time,” Hayman said.

"Sundial grew from a passion to be a positive part of the lives of our older adults,” says Mike Fields, Vice-President of Sundial Labs. “We want to help foster closer, caring relationships with loved ones creating a daily connection, no matter the distance. It is an important part of Sundial’s mission to provide digital tools and solutions for older adults and their care circles that can reduce time and worry managing daily life while increase confidence through a personal virtual touch.”

The Need for Innovation:

Over the next decade, the U.S. will see an important demographic shift. By 2030, all baby boomers will be older than age 65. According to the US Census Bureau, this means that 1 in 5 residents will be retirement age. A 2018 survey by the AARP also revealed that three out of four older adults want to stay in their homes as they age.

For those coordinating care, the current landscape could be a challenge. According to Sundial Labs research, only about a third of those surveyed feel current technology is useful in helping find new solutions to assist their older loved ones. Yet, more than half expressed interest in trying out an app that would help them find new solutions.

A report released last year by a White House Task Force focused on aging adults says technology can help. For older adults, voice assistants have the highest rate of adoption (AARP). Innovation that assists older adults with daily life and strong social connections will be key in helping older Americans “age in place.”

In the News:

• AgeInPlaceTech.com: Sundial Points the Way to Connected Living (08/04/20)
• WGLT:  State Farm Labs Spins Off Sundial Tool Targeting Older Adults (07/07/20)

Teaming up with Amazon, State Farm is developing a new skill for Alexa that could allow seniors to stay independent longer in their homes. Their care circle of family and friends can have an easy way to stay connected and help coordinate care virtually. A limited trial is currently being conducted, with plans to launch broadly in 2020.

“Through this work, we’re able to provide a new, innovative offering that could improve the quality of life and care for seniors and help give their family members added peace of mind,” said Mark Oakley, Senior Vice President of Labs @ State Farm. “We are committed to helping life go right, and this unique voice solution will enhance our ability to do so right from peoples’ homes. As one of the caregivers to my late father, I know first-hand how impactful this capability could be for users and look forward to bringing this offering to life through Alexa.”

How it works

State Farm is developing an Alexa skill that is optimized for Amazon’s Echo Show, allowing the senior to use voice and touch interface. The Alexa skill then connects to the care circle through a State Farm-developed mobile app. The senior gets a personalized experience and virtual support through coordination and communication with their care circle.

Some of the features planned for this Alexa skill and care circle mobile app include:

• Quick check-in with the Alexa skill can reassure care circle via the mobile app
• Interactive dashboard on Echo Show with scrolling list of daily activities
• Tools in the mobile app to coordinate key tasks across the care circle
• Smart-suggestions from the mobile app to the senior’s Echo Show for events and activities
• Music and photos sent from the mobile app to the senior’s Echo Show
• Ability to view full calendar on both the Echo Show and mobile app with audio commands and visual display
• Social features on both Echo Show and mobile app to help everyone stay connected

The need is there

State Farm research indicates only about a third of people feel current technologies available today are useful in helping manage care of a loved one. And over half indicated they are interested in trying out an app that would help them coordinate care with their aging loved one. A report released earlier this year from a White House Task Force focused on aging adults says technology can help. Support aimed at helping seniors with daily living, transportation and social connection will be key in helping older Americans to ‘age in place’.

In the next decade, the U.S. will see an important demographic turning point according to the U.S. Census Bureau. By 2030, 1 out of 5 U.S. residents will be over the age of 65. A 2018 survey by AARP reveals 3 out of 4 adults age 50 and older want to stay in their homes as they age, and a 2017 Pew Research Report shows a significant increase in tech adoption among the aging population.

State Farm is working to help meet the needs of current and future customers in ways they may not ordinarily expect from a traditional insurance company. We have a rich heritage of innovation and continuously work on new technologies that will help us deliver products and services enabling people to live life more confidently.