Watch Works

Wearable for Seniors

By Cutright Elizabeth on Sep 17, 2016 in Technology

With its user-friendly interface and advanced health and safety features, the Apple Watch Series 2 may be the perfect wearable for senior citizens.

While wireless earbuds, dual cameras and the death of the audio jack dominated the post-game analysis of Apple’s 2016 Keynote, the Apple Watch updates demonstrate the genuine potential of today’s wearable technology, especially for senior citizens. While the first Apple Watch proved a bit of a disappointment, the Series 2 raises the bar with enhanced functionality and modern design. Combined with an updated watchOS and a slew of new apps, the Apple Watch Series 2 provides health and safety options perfectly attuned to the needs of today’s aging population.

Safe and Sound

The original Apple Watch arrived with plenty of choices for security-minded users. Over the last year, developers have been hard at work designing emergency alert apps. Dialing 911 during an emergency may seem relatively straightforward, but apps like HelpAround provide a sort of panic button that notifies authorities and a list of designated contacts when activated.

Now the watch itself makes it even easier to reach out during a catastrophe. Pressing and holding the side button activates the watch’s SOS function, placing an immediate call to 911. The watch then automatically sends a message to designated contacts with location information and a map. After the call, the watch itself will display medical ID information, including age and allergies and other important information.

The flashiest Apple Watch upgrades announced at the keynote include waterproofing and a new ceramic body almost impervious to the dents and scratches that plague most wearable devices. In terms of safety and security, but the device’s built-in GPS is what really shines. By incorporating the watchOS maps, the Series 2 can also display routes and maps even when offline. With the ability to provide visible landmarks and adjust while in motion, the Series 2 GPS could be a lifesaver for anyone trying to find their way back home.

Happy and Healthy

But the Apple Watch isn’t just good in a crisis. Thanks to integration with the Apple Health app, the watch also enables a whole slew of health monitoring capabilities. For example, the device measures heart rates and when combined with additional sensors, the watch can even help monitor glucose levels.

Apple also understands the importance of fun and entertainment, and the Apple Watch comes prepared to show users a good – healthy – time. A specially designed version of Pokémon Go app makes playing the game even easier, which could result in more seniors getting outside while playing the game.

Users can also “share, compare and compete” through the watch’s activity app, which even includes functions customized for wheelchair users. The Breath app, meanwhile, slows it all down by encouraging wearers to stop for a few deep breathing exercises to promote relaxation and stress reduction.

Function as Fashion

When it comes to monitoring the health and safety of older adults, one challenge caregivers and families face is the stigma attached to illness and age. Many senior citizens balk at the notion of wearing an emergency notification device because they associate it with a loss of independence and even a symbol of increased vulnerability.

“Many of our parents and grandparents really need a way to reach their caregivers when in distress, but are resistant to the idea of wearing a device that screams, ‘I might need help!’,” HelpAround co-founder and CEO Yishai Knobel told Computer World.

“For wearable to become mainstream,” he continued, “users must want to wear them. And for that to happen the wearable device must make them feel good about themselves, not just healthier and safer.”

For Apple, form has always been as important as function. Founder Steve Jobs famously believed to “sleep well at night, the aesthetic, the quality, has to be carried all the way through,” a tradition the company continues to uphold with its latest series of mobile devices. By collaborating with Nike and Hermes for specially designed watch faces and wristbands, Apple has worked hard to make the Apple Watch as fashionable as it is functional, and that could make all the difference when it comes to convincing stubborn seniors.

For Knobel, Apple’s ability to “put elegance front and center” makes inspires the company to “build health solutions that make their users feel good about themselves, starting with the hardest nut to crack – the aging population.”

The Apple Watch Series 2 will be available September 16 and sell for $370. The Series one will start at $270, and though it doesn’t include all the new bells and whistles, many of the functions available in the update can be used on the older device.