An incredible aspect of technology is how rapidly it has evolved over the years. For instance, smartwatches were initially designed for checking messages without opening your phone, but they offer so much more these days.
Many individuals, especially older adults, can benefit from the slew of new, exciting features that smartwatches offer today. From monitoring heart rate, blood oxygen level, and blood pressure to calling for help during an emergency, a smartwatch can be very valuable to your parents or grandparents.
That said, finding the right smartwatch for your loved one can be challenging. There is a range of criteria, such as price, warranty length, battery life, product weight, and so on, to look out for before making a final choice.
At Seasons Retirement, we’re always more than happy to help our residents stay informed on recent technological advancements around them. Our staff are well equipped to help our older adults address their concerns and queries regarding mobile devices like smartwatches.
This article focuses on the advantages of a smartwatch for seniors while giving valuable recommendations on suitable watches for older adults.
Benefits of a Smartwatch for Older Adults
Your parents or grandparents don’t necessarily have to be technologically inclined to enjoy the amazing benefits of a smartwatch. The device can be a valuable asset for older adults, enhancing their daily living experience.
Below are some of the advantages of owning a smartwatch.
1. Event and Calendar Alerts
Sometimes, older adults may require help to remember important meetings and events. While smartphones often help with their event and calendar alert features, smartwatches make things easier. It’s pretty straightforward — pick a date and time in the calendar, set reminders, and you’re good to go.
This can be particularly helpful for older people who must take their medications at designated hours.
2. Fall Sensors
Getting the necessary assistance at the right time can help your older ones prevent serious fall complications. Smartwatch for seniors often come with fall sensors to detect when a person takes a tumble.
The typical reaction of a smartwatch after a fall is to alert friends, family, or emergency service, depending on its programming. Several medical alarm providers offer fall detector devices, which may be more affordable alternatives.
3. GPS Tracking
Location tracking is a valuable feature in smartwatches, especially for older adults with Alzheimer’s or other memory conditions. Incorporating GPS tracking into a watch is a smart innovation, as it can be a helpful tool in ensuring the safety of your loved ones.
4. Fitness
A smartwatch can double as a fitness tracker for seniors. Since regular exercise can help older adults stay active, a smartwatch might just be what your parents or grandparents need to get their fitness levels up. Sharing their number of steps daily with friends can be a fun way to stay competitive and active.
5. Responding Messages
Staying in touch with loved ones is essential for the well-being of older people, and a smartwatch makes this even easier. Now, your older relatives can reply to messages and take phone calls even when they don’t have their phones in their hands. Undoubtedly, this will help them become more socially active and alleviate the feeling of loneliness.
6. Health Monitoring
Today, a smartwatch can act as a health watch for seniors, as it can monitor sleep metrics, heart rate, blood pressure, and even oxygen levels. For example, the more recent models of the Apple iWatch can work as a single-lead EEG.
Surely, a health watch is no replacement for visits to the doctor. However, this device can make your older one’s appointments with the doctor more precise and effective, as they can make informed complaints.
Recommended Smartwatches for Seniors
Having established the numerous benefits of owning a smartwatch for seniors, let’s have a look at a few smartwatch models suitable for them. They include:
1. Samsung Galaxy Watch4
The Samsung Galaxy Watch4 is an exquisite technology piece that possesses every feature you want in a smartwatch. It has a 16-gigabyte storage capacity and a pretty lightweight design. Thanks to its water resistance feature, you can take your device along when swimming.
With the Galaxy Watch4, your older ones can monitor their sleep metrics, blood oxygen levels, exercise routine, and ECG in real time. The best part is that this watch is relatively affordable.
2. Apple Watch SE
The Apple Watch Special Edition is a no-brainer when it comes to smartwatches for seniors. If your older relatives use an iPhone or MacBook, purchasing an iWatch is ideal. Moreover, the Apple Watch SE offers numerous safety features, including fall detection, emergency SOS, and international emergency calls.
With the Apple Watch SE, you get 32 gigabytes of storage and easy access to Siri, Apple’s personal virtual assistant.
3. Fitbit Charge 3
Fitbit Charge 3 is the Fitbit for seniors, as it does more than just track their daily steps, runs, or hours in the yoga studio. It also automatically monitors their sleep patterns & metrics, heart rate, and calorie burn – to name a few.
The Fitbit Charge 3 features a large, readable backlit display and extended battery hours – of up to seven days. In addition, this smartwatch is water resistant and can help older folks track their swimming distance. However, it is best not to use the device in a hot tub or sauna.
4. Amazfit Bip U Pro
If your older loved one is looking for a more affordable option, the Amazfit Bip U Pro fits the bill. Like the others, this device can help track health metrics such as heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and sleep.
You can receive alerts and notifications from a synced device but cannot send messages with the Amazfit watch.
Bottomline
Smartwatches are a valuable tool to assist your parents or grandparents in their everyday lives. If you have doubts about smartwatches for seniors or need some ideas on getting a suitable one for your older loved ones, this article should be helpful.
