Older generations use their phones for...calling people. Not refreshing Facebook every 30s. That means the phone will be in the last place where they made a phone call, which could easily be the basement. This thing? Its somewhere in the kitchen maybe; exactly where it is supposed to be used.
In the kitchen maybe is the perfect place for the thing to use to have replacement food items added to your shopping list. That's where they want you to keep it even.
Friction is key. The example I typically use is "if the laser printer were in the basement vs. next to your desk how much would you use it?"
A device that you can pick up, hit a button, and do your thing has less friction than doing the same on a smartphone.