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August 30, 2021
In addition to traditional medical alert devices, several companies are creating new ways for people to keep safe both in and outside their homes. There are voice-activated medical alerts, Bluetooth medical alerts, and even in-car emergency response systems as with Bay Alarm Medical. One of the most exciting of these innovations is the medical alert smartwatch.
Medical alert smartwatches come in many shapes and sizes, and while Apple is not known for creating this type of technology, their new Apple watch has an impressive array of health and safety features. But will it replace a traditional medical alert system?
FYI: Not to be confused with a medical alert bracelet, a medical alert smartwatch possesses additional features beyond emergency calls.
You’re probably already familiar with the features of an Apple Watch. In addition to providing you with the time, it can also make calls, send messages, and perform just about any function of a smartphone for seniors, apart from taking photos.
Additionally, an Apple Watch has some unique features, allowing it to straddle the line between medical alert systems and smartphones.
Standard to nearly all medical alert systems, automatic fall detection allows a device to place a distress call without a user having to press a series of buttons. Since it’s possible for a fall to incapacitate a user, this feature can be life-saving.
To activate this feature, you’ll want to use the Apple Watch Health app. If you should fall while wearing your watch, it will automatically make a distress noise and call 911. Additionally, it will send messages to anyone who you’ve added to your emergency contact list, informing them that a fall has occurred.
FYI: An Apple Watch will automatically activate fall detection for users aged 65 and older.
Since an Apple Watch can function similarly to a cell phone, you can also use it to make traditional phone calls. With the built-in voice assistant, you can also place hands-free calls to any of your contacts.
Additionally, you can hold down the watch’s side button for a few seconds. This will also trigger a 911 call.
Built into the latest Apple Watches is a suite of health tracking apps. The Health app automatically notifies you in the event of an abnormally low or high heart rate. It can even check for signs of irregular rhythms in your heartbeat.
There’s also an ECG app for users who experience symptoms of rapid or skipped heartbeats. With this app, you can capture an ECG reading and bring it in to share with your doctor. There’s also a Medical ID app, which allows you to list important information such as allergies, conditions, and current medications. This is visible to first responders without them requiring your password.
In addition to the health features built into each Apple Watch, there are also some great free apps that further the health tracking metrics.
| Apple Watch Series 3 | Apple Watch SE | Apple Watch Series 6 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | $199 | $279 | $339 |
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When it comes to smartwatch medical alert systems, our favorite is the Medical Guardian’s Freedom Guardian. This is due to the option of 24/7 professional monitoring and its durable design. With that said, the Freedom Guardian costs $99 and requires monthly monitoring costs of $44.95. So after one year of use, you’ll have paid more for the Freedom Guardian.
Apple is known for making devices that are durable, stylish, and spilling over with functionality, and the Apple Watch is no exception. With that said, it falls a little bit short on the features that make a watch a bona fide medical alert system. It would be ideal for a user not prone to falls or getting lost but one who nevertheless wants to keep better track of their health.
Finally, if you’re looking for a standalone medical alert system, take a look at my picks for best medical alert systems of 2021.
Hi David,
Sorry for my belated response. ZDNet.com just released a review titled: 10 best smartwatches for the 2015 holiday season. I hear great things about the Samsung Gear2 devices, but they are android devices (not yet ready to pair to iPhones). If you guys have iPhones/iPads, I think the Apple watch would do the trick (pebble devices would too). If you had a staff member keeping track of folks in-need, that person could text you, or a clinical-user-group that “Betty” in room 3 needs immediate attention. That may work.
Depending on your practice, you’re receptionist could also triage patients and alert your staff that way too… Hope that helps! A
Hmm- ok, how about the VALRT https://www.theseniorlist.com/2015/05/product-review-v-alrt-emergency-alert/ which is compatible with smart phones and has no monthly fees. Hopefully I’m getting closer? 🙂
Cool- We’ll check it out Eric! – thx, A
Hi Mary- Well the SureResponse is the Verizon model, and Lifeline is from Philips. You would not need to take an additional phone with you if you purchased the mobile (cellular) versions of either medical alert system. Please ask a lot of questions and do your research before purchasing. If we can assist you, please let us know.
Hi Susan! The Apple Watch definitely looks cool, but now that we know more about it, it’s probably a few years away from prime-time. To answer your question; An accelerometer is a device that allows the phone to detect it’s picture mode, or landscape mode. It detects motion and translates that into information. In the case of medical alert devices accelerometers are used in the fall detection devices because through mathematical algorithms they can detect when someone has fallen, OR when someone hasn’t moved in a while (both of which would be cause for concern).
Unfortunately, the Apple Watch needs some time to grow. Here are a list of why we don’t think its ready for seniors (or most consumers for that matter).
1. It’s not waterproof (no not even the sports edition). It is not even recommended to be worn in the shower.
2. It’s tethered to the iPhone. Hopefully it will have it’s own communication ability down the road so you don’t have to take your phone with you all the time. So now you have 2 devices that do largely the same thing.
3. Battery life of the Apple Watch is being called into question. They say you get a day’s worth of charge, but I suppose that the real numbers will become evident when they start shipping them (next year some time).
4. The watch face is awfully small. Now my eyes are pretty good, but I don’t like reading on my iPhone 5S let alone a tiny watch… My iPad is about as small as I like to read on… But for the most rudimentary of tasks (like depressing an emergency call button) this might be too small for a lot of aging adults.
Other question on GPS: I don’t know if the GPS is built-in or if it’s just borrowing the GPS functionality from the iPhone which someone would need on their person. I’ll dig into that one to find out – Great question. (Edited: No GPS on Apple Watch. See below comments)
So in summary, for now it’s probably a nice to have… Down the road (a couple years down the road) it may turn into a need to have. One nice wearable comparable is the Google Glass product. Even thought it’s not widely available, it’s been met with only mild enthusiasm. It’s a nice wearable comparable because it’s also an extension of one’s cell phone except plastered to ones face.
Thanks for the great questions – I may have to turn this into a post!
Susan – An update to the GPS capabilities of the Apple Watch. In short there are none on this early version. It borrows from ones iPhone (too bad). take care – A
Thanks for the feedback Terri- we have an updated review of Philips Lifeline here- https://www.theseniorlist.com/2016/01/philips-lifeline-review-and-user-feedback/.