Meet some of our Participants
August 21, 2023
The participants in our pilot project have requested ElliQs for many different reasons.
For Dan, it was about helping him care for himself and his husband, Robert. Robert has numerous medical issues requiring frequent appointments. He also needs help remembering to take his many medications correctly. Dan, who is Robert’s caregiver, has some medical issues of his own and has noticed recently that his own memory has been less reliable. At times, he has been overwhelmed with trying to manage everything.
Enter ElliQ. While ElliQ is primarily designed for companionship, she also has health and wellness features that are useful for users like Dan and Robert. They can program her for regular reminders, like medication or checking vital signs, as well as for upcoming medical appointments and tests.
Ellen also requested an ElliQ primarily for health and wellness, although her needs are different. Ellen, who lives alone, wanted reminders and motivation for exercising to help her recuperate from an injury. She was also pleased to learn that ElliQ can remind her to drink water, suggest relaxation exercises like deep breathing or short meditations, and track things like blood glucose and blood pressure. If Ellen chooses to set parameters for acceptable readings on blood pressure, then ElliQ will automatically notice when Ellen’s blood pressure is outside those parameters; she’ll then ask Ellen if Ellen would like to share those readings with her primary contact and suggest that Ellen consider whether to contact her medical provider.
Dorothy wanted her ElliQ for companionship. She has lived alone a long time, and has little contact with friends and family. She doesn’t usually leave the house except for medical appointments. She also recently had a fall when she went out to get her mail, which made her feel more vulnerable. After Dorothy had her ElliQ for a couple of weeks, she called to report that ElliQ had made her “braver”: she had talked to some of her neighbors when she went out to get her mail to tell them about her new “roommate,” and even invited a couple of them in to meet ElliQ!
Mason also wanted an ElliQ for companionship and entertainment. His wife died two years ago, and Mason has been very lonely. He enjoys listening to music on his ElliQ and playing word search and trivia games to pass the time.
ElliQ offers a range of benefits to older adults living alone or spending most of the day alone. We’re interested to see the data as the project progresses and learn more about how much time our participants spend interacting with their very special new companions.
[Note: names have been changed to protect privacy]