Connected watches for the elderly, a useful accessory for our grandparents or just a gadget?
Originally, what we call connected watches were designed mainly for people using a smartphone. Indeed, the main advantage of a connected watch is to be able to consult what is on your smartphone more quickly: receive your SMS or emails more quickly, read a map or receive notifications without having to take your phone out. All of this is handy when our hands are tied and we can’t get our phone out. Connected watches then evolved to measure certain physiological characteristics such as heart rate, the number of steps you take in a day, the distance you walk, etc.
Now, connected watches are also being designed for the elderly and meet certain needs of this population. You will find all the answers to your questions if you are currently looking for a “senior connected watch”.
Connected watches for seniors:
What is it for?
According to the European Barometer of the Institute of Well Aging published in 2016, more than 90% of people say they want to age as long as possible at home. Today, there are many solutions to facilitate home care (or home support). There is nothing like the support of a home care assistant or a home nurse to help older people stay at home. We agree that this population in loss of autonomy needs mainly human and proximity services!
However, simple technological solutions also exist, such as the tele-alarm (or tele-assistance), which enables people to be put in touch with an emergency listening centre 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This device generally takes the form of a “beeper for the elderly”, a bracelet or pendant that is placed around the person’s neck or wrist so that he or she can press down and call for help in the event of a fall in the home. Indeed, the time spent on the floor without being able to get up is crucial as it can have serious consequences in the long term.
Of course, as technology improves year after year, devices are evolving in terms of performance, use and aesthetics. Gone are the ugly and stigmatising beepers that were imposed on our grandparents! Nowadays, telecare operators offer objects that look more like real jewellery that is worn around the neck. In recent years, we have also seen the appearance of real connected watches for the elderly and real automatic fall detectors.
Connected watches for seniors :
A complement to the telecare “beep”
It is a fact that, after some research, there are now connected watches for the elderly that take into account safety needs in the event of a fall at home or outside. These new products incorporate various sensors that can monitor heart rate or geolocate the elderly person from a distance.
Some are even integrated into a 24/7 remote assistance service. Thus, as soon as a fall occurs, an operator intervenes and can warn relatives or alert the emergency services while knowing the user’s precise location.
There are many advantages to using a connected senior watch with a remote assistance service:
– the geolocation outside the home allows the person in charge of assistance to know where the user is when the system is triggered or the fall detector is triggered automatically. This is a significant safety feature for family members, who can intervene quickly even if the elderly user has fallen in the garden or during a walk in the countryside, as the exact location of the person is known.
– the definition of a perimeter around the home. Adapted to neurodegenerative patologies, this type of sos seniors watch makes it possible to define a safety zone around the person’s home beyond which, as soon as it is crossed, an alert is sent.
– Practicality and aesthetics for the user. Adopting the design of commercially available connected watches (such as the Apple iWatch or Samsung Gear), these new anti-fall watches for the elderly are pleasant to wear and give the time in digital format. A significant advantage for people who want to combine the useful with the pleasant!
– Automatic fall detection. Even if fall detectors in the form of an anti-fall watch already exist, senior watches are not a simple beep bracelet that you have to press on. They currently integrate a fall detector while having the advantage of displaying the time like a real watch!