My Clock
While your can ask your Amazon device for the time, or see the time at any point, the My Clock skill is uniquely designed to communicate the time in a way that is understandable and useful to individuals with dementia or other conditions that impact their sleep cycle or ability to interpret time. Instead of just stating the time, My Clock provide a time-of-day appropriate picture and greets the user with a time-of-day appropriate greeting. For example, my clock, when used on a smart speaker display device, might deliver the time in the morning by saying “Good morning, [Name], it is 7:26 am” while displaying a sunrise picture. If the user becomes confused and gets up during the night within the period of time they should still be sleeping, My Clock will cue the user that it is night time and they should return to bed. When used on a non-display device My Clock still provides a verbal description of the time of day (without the picture) to help the user interpret the time.
This skill can be very useful to those affected by dementia because dementia can throw of Ann individuals circadian rhythm- their internal clock. Without this internal clock 11pm can suddenly feel like 11am. My Clock helps to provide context to time to support the users understanding and ability to then carry out time-of-day appropriate activities.
- Visual + verbal time-of-day cues
- Appropriate morning/night greetings
- Clarifies sleep vs awake times
- Useful to those affected by dementia
The set up for My Clock is very strait forward and quick. Simply say, “Alexa, launch my clock”. You device should launch the skill and cue you to personalize it by telling you to say “Change my settings”. Once you say this, your device will ask what time you (or the person you are setting up the device for) usually go to bed, what time you usually get up, and finally your first name. If you are setting up the device for someone you are caring for be sure to provide their bed time, wake time, and name rather than your own.
Now the skill is ready! Simply say “Alexa, open My Clock” or “Alexa, My clock” and your device with provide the time in a personalized manner that helps you to understand the time of day and whether you should be awake or if you should go back to sleep. If the intended My Clock user need memory support to use this skill, be sure to place a cue close to the device (for example a sign with large letters reading, “Say ‘Alexa, open My Clock’ to see time”.
Schedule of Sleeping Hours
If a person says "Alexa, My Clock" during sleep hours, Alexa will say that's person name and remind them to go back to sleep - for example, "Jane, its still time to sleep you should go back to bed. Its 3am."
This skill provides practicle information in a way that is understandable and useful to mulple populations - particularly older adults with cognitive impairment or memory decline. My Clock is simple to set up, personalize, and use.
Cons:This skill, while useful, is limited to only one function - telling time in the conext of the users sleep-wake cycle. My Clock does not repeat the time report, so if the user does not here the speaker the first time, then the interaction simply ends. This could be a barrier to someone with hearing loss.
- Individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) might find this skill particularly useful. ADRD can impact our internal clock or circadian rhythm, so even if one hears the time, it can be difficult to determine whether it is day or night or to decide what one should do in response to the time (for example, when one should go back to bed).
- Individuals who have experienced a traumatic brain injury can also experience changes in their internal clock or day/night sleep patterns.
- Some individuals with various types of developmental disorders (for example, Cornelia de Lange Syndrome and Smith-Magenis Syndrome) also experience disruptions to their internal clock, which in turn impacts their sleep schedule.*
- Caregivers whose loved ones experience disruptions to their internal clock may find the My Clock skill helpful in 1) communicating time in a way that is understandable to their loved ones and 2) in reinforcing time-of-day appropriate behaviors.
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