Recommendations for a simple video chat system for Grandma
Grandma is understimulated in assisted living, and while Mom is looking into ways to either bunk with her, or drag her back to our place, I'm exploring other options. Her apartment does have wireless internet, so we could set up some sort of telepresence or video calling device, but even something as simple as a Relay or a KC2 isn't great, because it loses power, and needs to be explained to her.
I'm thinking that we might have better luck with a Tablet or a PC solution, and I do have a Kindle Fire (5th Gen?) and an off brand Windows 10 tablet around, and I am open to a Pi Project or speciality devices, but it has to be simple enough to plug and play, and the dream would be if it could start a video chat without the receiver having to pick up, or at least as simple as a nurse being able to come in and start a call. Any suggestions?
Maybe I'm missing something here, but is Apple Facetime an option? Perhaps with two older gen iPads (obviously it'll be cheaper if someone in your family already has Apple devices). Facetime is pretty painless to use, and iOS UI tends to be simple enough that even someone without a lot of tech familiarity could use it.
Touch screens can be difficult for some older folks. It's easy to touch the wrong thing accidentally, and then they're lost.
Ideally it would be something easy to use as a dedicated speed-dial button on a phone.
Assistive touch can help with a lot of those issues, as can a stylus. Unfortunately, you kind of need someone to set it up for you and coach you through it to get the basics down and that might not be possible in this context.
If we’re talking a Kindle or off brand Windows tablet though it’s likely that cost is a factor.
Not necessarily price, since it's Grandma, but more what I can get my hands on during a pandemic, and what someone can teach her to use without me in the room.
The Google Hub (now branded Nest) could work well.
Initial setup requires touch, but after that it should be able to be used 100% by voice controls. If you can get in range to get it setup on the wireless, it should be possible for her to call people easily. While I haven't video chatted with mine, I rarely touch it, and even then the buttons are usually at least 3/4 of an inch, so generally much easier than most phone/tablet controls.
https://9to5google.com/2019/07/09/how-to-make-calls-with-google-home-and-google-nest-hub/
Amazon has a similiar product, and I would be surprised if Apple didn't. But Google's is only $100, so it's lower cost than most other options.
Also found this, which might be even better:
https://www.noisolation.com/global/komp/
EDIT: KOMP not available outside a few european countries.
I got a Google Nest Hub Max for my mother for Christmas, and while it works well now and we're glad we have it, setting it up was not easy and it would have been a failure if I weren't visiting.
In particular, it assumes you have a smartphone, so we had to find a workaround for that. It also requires voice recognition to be trained to make a video call, and that was very scary for mom - I was literally holding her hand and reassuring her through that part of the setup.
It also requires an electrical outlet and WiFi.
I 100% agree, it does presume a smartphone and familiarity with them...which sucks because it has a touchscreen and camera...no reason setup couldn't be 'connect to wifi (android has great QR support for that), connect to account with pin, prompt for voice training, done'. The fact that it isn't shows that nobody tests for user-friendly workflows. Hell, since it clones wifi from phone, it already assumes you can enter wifi info so the entire process is exceedingly complicated....but I'm getting off track...
There are possibilities to work around even in isolation... setup as much as possible in the area, but safely away (account/contacts, wifi, the two hardest parts), have nurse bring in, plug in, and assist with voice training using your phone after sanitizing.
KOMP looks great, but we're State side.
Edit: On the other side of it, the Echo Show looks very promising due to the "Drop In" feature that can force start a video call if the receiver approves that ability. I understand the privacy implications of that, but that's a major point in it's favor with someone who has to be checked on multiple times a day.
Yea the Amazon model looks nice, but it is almost double cost and I can't speak from experience.
Not the itty bitty model, and Best Buy is price matching for a next day pickup, so we have options.
Google Hangouts is pretty easy to setup if you make a calendar appointments with all the relevant contacts