A family needed a reliable way to stay in contact with a loved one living with dementia, who unintentionally, but frequently, disconnected their home phone.

I adapted an Amazon Echo Show into a dementia-friendly communication device by customizing a piece of plexiglass to cover the touchscreen, preventing any touch interaction while leaving the screen fully visible. With the smart display’s “Drop In” feature, the family gained dependable, voice-only communication that can’t be accidentally switched off, unplugged, or misconfigured, and the display still cycles through family photos.