Maintaining Social Contact for Elderly People
How would you like to be able to have video calls and share your photos and videos with an elderly relative or friend whenever you like? What if everything were to be automated? Then the elderly person wouldn’t have to do anything and they also wouldn’t need anyone else there to help them. Sound interesting? The answer is CallGenie Simple Video Phone for the Elderly from Smart Life Solutions.
Designed for the Elderly – Works with a Television
Unlike Facebook Portal and Amazon Echo Show, CallGenie has been designed specifically to address the needs of elderly people, with reduced mobility or limited technical knowledge, to keep in touch with their family and friends. Our research showed that the elderly, and particularly those who live on their own, spend a significant amount of time sitting in their preferred chair positioned in front of their television. Therefore, the television was always the display device of choice for CallGenie. No more iPads left in drawers or not being charged. No additional devices with remote controls. CallGenie Simple Video Phone for the Elderly turns the television on when an incoming call is made by anyone in the restricted contacts list of family and friends. It switches it back to its original state after the call.
Check out our blog post “What is the Best Video Phone for the Elderly and Housebound?” to see what we consider are most important things to consider when choosing a video phone for the elderly.
CallGenie – Simple Video Phone for the Elderly
CallGenie Simple Video Phone for the Elderly is a complete solution for receiving Skype video calls on an elderly person’s television. Just connect it to broadband and plug it into their television – everything else is automated!
Please see a product demonstration video below:
CallGenie Appliance – from £479.99 inc VAT*
Including:
- Mini PC with CallGenie software pre-installed
- HDMI-CEC control hardware
- HD (720p) Webcam (optional Full HD (1080p) )**
- USB Infrared Receiver/Transmitter
- Full instructions and remote installation support
- 12 months software and hardware support included
- No monthly fees
*If you, or the person you are buying CallGenie for, are registered disabled you may be eligible for VAT relief
**Please see the Frequently Asked Questions to help you choose which webcam is best for you
“CallGenie has been a game changer for communication with my 91 year old mother – enabling me to both see her and communicate with her on a daily basis without any effort on her part. ”
Steven with Vera
Simple Video Phone for the Elderly Features
- Automatically answers incoming Skype video calls from close family and friends, including group calls
- Uses television to display video and output sound
- Once it detects an incoming Skype call, CallGenie takes over control of the television for the duration of the call. At the end of the call it returns the television to its previous state.
- Everything is automated – no interaction required by the person being called
- Works with all currently supported versions of Skype for Desktop, including the latest 2021 versions
- Webcam options: 720p HD quality video and 1080p Full HD webcams can be included
- Share the screen on your smart phone, tablet, PC or Mac with CallGenie – useful for showing your photos or playing videos
- Full functionality of Skype available for making outgoing Skype calls using optional Wireless Touch Keyboard (not included)
CallGenie Appliance – What’s Included?
The CallGenie solution comes as a pre-configured kit with instructions on how to install the hardware and connect it to the Internet. Once connected to the Internet we’ll set everything else up for you remotely. You just need to tell us the make and model of the television being used, any other equipment connected to it and the Skype addresses of the close family and friends.
Don’t worry, you can schedule a phone call with us to help you with the physical installation and we’ll talk you through it.
Making Calls to CallGenie
Making calls to anyone who has a CallGenie solution installed is really easy. You just need to have the Skype app installed on your smart phone, tablet, computer or have your own CallGenie system. We’ll add you to the trusted caller list.
Common Questions
What do I need to have for CallGenie to work?
To use CallGenie you will need to have the following:
- Flatscreen television with at least one spare HDMI socket
- Spare power socket near the television
- High Speed Broadband (preferably fibre)
- Upload/Download speeds – Minimum 0.5 Mbps (Standard Definition), 2 Mbps (High Definition)
- Wired or Wireless Connection
CallGenie works with most modern flatscreen televisions made since 2008 that support HDMI CEC. This includes most, if not all , television models made by Samsung, LG, Sony, Panasonic, Philips, Sharp, Pioneer, Hitachi, Toshiba, Mitsubishi, Vizio and many other manufacturers.
If you are not sure whether your television is compatible with CallGenie, please email us a picture of the label on the back of your television and we’ll check it out for you.
What warranty is included?
All the components comprising the CallGenie Simple Video Phone for the Elderly are covered by their respective manufacturer’s warranty. Software authored by Smart Life Solutions, i.e. the CallGenie application, is covered by a 12 month warranty.
As an option, you can upgrade the warranty to 36 months.
What support is included?
12 months email, phone and remote access support is included in the price of the CallGenie Appliance. We use remote access software to enable us to diagnose and rectify any faults that may occur and get you back online as quickly as possible.
Occasionally we may need to speak to someone on site to check things. This is only usually necessary if the Mini PC is accidentally powered down, or a cable becomes detached for some reason.
If you take up the 36 extended warranty, support will continue to be provided as well.
Where do you ship CallGenie Appliances to?
Please note that we do not ship physical products to countries outside of the UK, yet. However, CallGenie Software can be purchased worldwide by systems integrators and tech-savvy individuals who want to build and manage their own CallGenie Appliances.
If you are not buying for someone in the UK please read our blog post “How to build your own CallGenie Appliance” using the CallGenie Software.
CallGenie Appliance is available for shipping to customers in the UK.
Check Your Television and Confirm Pricing
Fill in this form to ask us to check your television for compatibility and confirm the total cost of a CallGenie Simple Video Phone for the Elderly solution including shipping.
