We all know how helpful and useful the Apple Watch is for everyday use. I’ve already mentioned why it is something I would consider buying for my kids, but even for the elders of the family, the Apple Watch makes for an all-rounder watch.
Here are fourteen reasons and benefits of the Apple Watch, which make it a great choice for senior members.
First things first, you will need an iPhone to set up an Apple Watch. So, even if your grandparents don’t use a smartphone or if they use an Android phone, they will still be able to benefit from using an Apple Watch, provided one of the people in the family has an iPhone to set up the Apple Watch with. This can be done using Family Setup, however, a few features are not available on Family Sharing.
Benefits of Apple Watch for Senior Citizens
1. Fall and Crash Detection
Falls are the most common among elderly people, and statistics state that falling is the cause of more than 95% of fractures in senior citizens. The Apple Watch detects falls and even if someone has been caught in a car crash, this makes it such a great investment for the elders in the family. This feature turns on automatically if the person is above 55 years of age.
When detected, it triggers the Apple Watch to confirm if the person is okay, and if there is no response for 60 seconds, the Apple Watch will start a 30-second countdown to call 911 automatically, send the location, and alert the emergency contact with the same information for prompt action. Within the 30-second countdown, an alert from the Apple Watch starts buzzing aloud for alerting people nearby, and there is a cancel button to stop the watch from calling 911 automatically.
2. Emergency SOS
This is another great and useful feature of the Apple Watch wherein, on the press of the side button, an Emergency SOS option pops up. When the Emergency SOS is selected, it automatically calls 911 and sends the watch owner’s name and location. It also calls and sends the location to your emergency contact and notifies them if the person has been moved to another location.
The Apple Watch Ultra also has a siren sound that beeps when the Emergency SOS is activated. This will emit a loud sound to signal people around to come and help.
3. Medical ID
On the same lines as the Emergency SOS, the paramedics can access the Medical ID to identify the person if they are lying unconscious. It holds basic information such as the name, date of birth, age, height, weight, and the name and phone number of your emergency contact to inform them if something unfortunate happens. Any medications, allergy information, and blood group can also be added to the Medical ID.
This is again very useful for people who especially don’t carry along their phones on walks. I would at least know that with my loved ones having their Apple Watch on their wrist, I would put myself as their emergency contact and be notified should anything unfortunate happen to them.
The Medical ID is also shared automatically during an emergency call and on the lock screen of the Apple Watch as well as the iPhone. To do this, open your Health app > tap on your picture at the top right > Medical ID > edit > turn on ‘Show when locked and ‘Share during emergency call’.
4. Blood oxygen sensing
On-spot blood oxygen sensing is essential for elderly people in order to keep tabs on their health and for any potential medical assistance that they may need. This feature is available on Apple Watch Series 6 and later. It will also be very helpful if someone is on a medication that affects blood oxygen and needs to be monitored constantly.
5. Heart rate monitoring
Constant heart rate monitoring is essential, especially in the elderly, since heart disease is still the number one cause of death in America. This is where the Apple Watch comes into play because the constant heart rate monitoring during the day as well as night can alert the person with irregular heartbeat using the on-spot ECG app or even low and high heart rate alerts.
This will help detect any potential heart rate diseases and get the needed help. The Apple Watch is also now equipped to detect atrial fibrillation, which is again a very useful tool for getting the necessary diagnosis well in time. If not treated in time, AFib can lead to blood clots and stroke in extreme cases.
6. Medications alerts
The integration of the Medications app is another very useful app in order to keep getting reminded of the various medications and supplements people need to take, especially at an older age. With the various medications, it might be easy to skip a few essential ones, and this app makes sure that no medication is skipped, potentially causing a serious health issue.
7. Fitness tracking
Apart from activity tracking, which is not very useful for senior citizens, step tracking is also something that is very helpful at any age in order to maintain movement and healthy joints. They can also benefit from the stand reminders in order to encourage movement.
8. GPS
The Apple Watch can also be used to get turn-by-turn driving instructions using the built-in GPS. This can be especially useful if the elderly member of your family is in a relatively newer area that is not familiar to them or if they are experiencing age-related memory loss.
9. FindMy for tracking family members
I know for a fact that I get very paranoid when I’m away from family and, therefore, keep tracking their location on the FindMy app. Why this is helpful for senior members, especially is that when they’re unable to take calls for whatever reason, I at least get the satisfaction of knowing their location and having someone nearby check up on them.
10. Walkie-Talkie
Walkie-talkie is an in-built app on the Apple Watch wherein two users of the Apple Watch can communicate with each other without having to text or call. This can be useful in keeping tabs on each other while running to the store or in a larger area while running errands such as Costco or Home Depot.
11. Siri
Siri is like a personal assistant for any member of the family who does not want to fiddle with settings or type messages on a tiny screen. This is where Siri comes in handy because the person can get so much done just with a voice command. For example, Siri can put calendar reminders, send text messages, call people, set alarms and medication reminders, and much more right from your wrist with a voice command.
12. Calls and messages
The fact that even without carrying a phone, I’ll be able to reach my grandparents or any older member of my family at any given time is reason enough for me to purchase an Apple Watch for them. Even for the elderly, not having to carry around a phone all the time and still being able to call or message their loved ones right from the comfort of their wrists is a game changer.
13. Wallet App
The wallet app on the Apple Watch allows the user the freedom to not carry around a physical wallet and cards or even the phone. With the Cellular version of the Apple Watch, the person is never left without security and always has the ability to pay for necessities.
This is the kind of assurance I know I would want for a senior member of my family if they’re ever alone outside.
14. Boarding Passes
For frequent travelers, carrying around a bunch of tickets and boarding passes can be a hassle. Especially for senior citizens who experience age-related forgetfulness, the ability of the Apple Watch to have your boarding passes right at your wrist makes it very convenient.
This would ensure a seamless travel experience and would personally provide me with a lot of peace of mind, knowing my loved ones will not be facing an issue at the airport while traveling.
Which Apple Watch is the Best for Senior Citizens?
- According to my research, buying the latest Apple Watch series (currently the Series 10) will eliminate the need to upgrade the model more frequently.
- Along with that, there are two choices for the case– Aluminium and Titanium case, available in various colors. The Aluminium case would be my personal choice for an older member since it weighs around 6g less than the Titanium case.
- The Series 10 also comes in 2 sizes– 42mm and 46mm. Again, for the bigger display making it easier to read text, my personal choice would be the 46mm for an elderly member.
- There is a wide range of bands available for the Apple Watch, with different materials and colors to choose from. I would choose a material and closure that is simple to use and comfortable to wear throughout the day, especially for people who have health conditions such as arthritis.
Wrap Up
Now that we’ve covered so many benefits of buying an Apple Watch for senior members, I know this is a no-brainer purchase for me. The sheer satisfaction of having a point of contact for my family members at all times and even the fact that they would always have access to the paramedics in case of emergencies is reason enough for me to buy an Apple Watch for them.
The added features of AFib detection and fall detection are also really amazing features to have and can help detect health problems way before they become serious and a health hazard.
