Google has a simpler Nest Hub Max interface it’s testing in retirement homes

Mount Sinai hospital, in a collaboration with Google’s Nest, has started using the using Google Nest cameras in their patients’ rooms to track symptoms and vitals and also facilitate two-way communication. Now, Google has also showcased how the Nest Hub Max can help retirement home residents feel a little less isolated through the Covid-19 lockdown.

Google is testing a simplified interface that can make smart screens easier to operate for its less tech savvy users. The company is currently piloting this by handing out units to users at Merrill Gardens in Washington State.

New updates in the Nest Hub Max include - “What can you do” cards that work like shortcuts for common, everyday requests like weather reports, music, alarms. The recipients currently testing the new UI also have their devices preloaded with contacts to make video calls easy. Video calls might be the primary use for now due to the Covid-19 social distancing norms.

“It’s important for seniors’ mental and emotional health to stay connected, and social isolation during this quarantine makes doing that especially hard,” Google’s Molly McHugh-Johnson wrote in a post.

“As I learned with my grandma, Nest Hub Max and Duo video calling can help keep us ‘together’ while we’re apart,” she explained.

With the elderly community being more susceptible to the Covid-19 virus, it is particularly important for those older than 65 to practice strict social distancing and this is where video calls can help them stay in touch with their loved ones and feel less lonely.