December 26th 2024
By Jordan McElwain
The Apple Watch offers health monitoring, emergency features, and easy communication tools to help you stay safe, healthy, and connected with loved ones.
By Ari Parker
The Apple Watch does far more than telling the time. Its fall detection feature automatically calls for help if you take a serious fall, while emergency SOS lets you quickly reach emergency services. The Watch monitors your heart rate and other vital signs, helping you stay on top of your well-being.
To stay connected with friends and family, you can send quick messages, make calls, and share updates right from your wrist. The Apple Watch makes staying in touch simple while giving loved ones peace of mind, knowing they can reach you.
Here's everything you need to know about the Apple Watch, from health monitoring and safety features to staying connected.
Even if you're not the most tech-savvy person, the Apple Watch is a great option for older people who want to navigate daily life with a little assistance. The Watch can help with:
Communicating with friends and family
Detecting falls and notifying emergency contacts
Reminding you to take medication
And much more (details coming up below)
Setting up the Apple Watch is straightforward if you already own an iPhone or iPad. Note: The Apple Watch requires an iPhone to work - it's not compatible with Android devices.
If you also invest in a data plan for your Watch, you don't need to have your iPhone nearby to receive text messages or medical alerts, make calls, or access information. This means that adults can stay connected even while walking around the house, showering, or running errands without always carrying a phone or connecting to wi-fi.
You can also easily adjust settings like text size, watch face brightness, and notification preferences to suit your needs.
Whether you're new to Apple products or not, Apple has plenty of resources to help you learn how to use the Watch and its features. Apple also offers in-store support and classes.
One of the most common questions about the Apple Watch for seniors is whether it includes a fall detection feature. The answer is yes, and it's fantastic.
This safety feature detects when the wearer experiences a hard fall, such as tripping or stumbling. Once detected, the watch sends an immediate alert asking the wearer to confirm they're okay. If there is no response or the wearer remains unresponsive for more than 60 seconds (based on other health metrics the watch tracks), the Apple Watch will contact emergency services and notify designated emergency contacts, sharing the wearer's location.
The Emergency SOS feature is a potential lifesaver for seniors. By pressing and holding the side button of the Apple Watch, you can call the emergency services and notify designated emergency contacts from your phone contacts list (maybe children, siblings, or close friends).
The Apple Watch Ultra models also feature a built-in siren, which emits a loud, high-intensity sound to help attract attention and alert nearby people that help is needed.
The Medical ID feature allows users to store crucial health information directly on their Apple Watch, such as their medical conditions, allergies, emergency contacts, and blood type. This can be displayed on the lock screen so paramedics or caregivers can easily access this information during an emergency.
Checking your heart rate throughout the day is easy with the built-in heart rate app. You can also turn on notifications to be notified when your heart rate goes above or below a certain number.
For those with more serious heart concerns, models with updated operating systems have an ECG app that can detect irregular heart rhythms, such as atrial fibrillation (AFib), and send alerts. This early warning system allows wearers to seek medical advice before a problem becomes more serious.
The Apple Watch Series 6 and later also monitors blood oxygen levels, a major indicator of respiratory health. By monitoring and catching these irregularities, early older adults can consult with their healthcare providers to detect early warning signs of health problems.
Physical activity is important to support our health as we age. Using its built-in sensors, the Apple Watch can monitor daily movement such as steps, exercise, sitting time, and standing time.
The Workout app can monitor specific exercises, including walking, running, swimming, and yoga. And if you'd like to set yourself goals, for example, doing 5,000 steps per day, you can easily track whether you hit them. Wearers can improve their physical health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases by focusing on small but consistent goals.
The Apple Watch offers helpful medication reminders for seniors who need daily medications, vitamins, and supplements. Through the iPhone's Health app, you can set up your medications, and you'll get alerts on your Watch so you never miss a dose.
The FindMy app allows you to share your location with trusted family members or caregivers. In case of an emergency or if you get lost, your location can be tracked quickly, making it easier to provide help if needed.
Communication is key to reducing feelings of isolation. The Apple Watch helps older adults stay connected with family and friends through phone calls, text messages, and notifications. The watch's display is large and easy to read, and Siri, Apple's voice assistant, can help the wearer send messages or make calls without needing to touch the screen.
If you like to make video calls, Watch Series 7 models, and newer models also offer FaceTime audio and video calls.
Just like with an iPhone or iPad, you can install third-party apps on the Watch. Some popular apps for older people include:
ElderCheck Now or All Well Senior Care: To share health data collected by the watch with a caregiver
Mango Health or CareZone: Health diary to track stats, glucose levels, and more
Silver & Fit: Specially designed workouts for older adults
Unfortunately, Apple does not offer a senior discount. However, they do offer veterans and military discounts. Apple's website states, "A 10% discount is available to current and Veteran members of the US Military, National Guard and Reserve. Immediate family members who reside in the same household are also eligible."
The price of a new Apple Watch ranges from $249 for the Apple Watch SE to $799 for the Apple Watch Ultra 2.
You can determine which smartwatch is ideal for you based on your size, case material, battery life, and feature preferences. For a full breakdown of the differences between models and to see which might be the best smartwatch, Apple breaks down all the options on its website.
You can buy the Apple Watch directly from Apple or on Amazon.
