I’ve spent too much time myself living alone in my twenties, in another country, far away from my family, and for everyone I used to know, and I rememeber thinking to myself “if something ever happens to me, how many days will it take for someone to actually notice my absence?”. It’s scary right? And now, with my 79-year-old mother have decided to live alone, after loosing my father a while ago, this fear came back to me. What if something happens to her and no one knows? What if she won’t be able to actually call someone for help?
Fortunately, there are some very interesting apps available right now for independent seniors who live alone and want to be sure that someone will notice right away if something – by any chance – happens to them. Be assured that, for seniors living alone – and for people that care about them – check-ins can relieve a lot of tension or pressure.
This post is a result of hours of research about the best apps that can make independent seniors living alone feel safe at all times, in different circumstances.
Best Check-Ins Apps that can make independent seniors living alone feel safe at all times
1. Snug Safety
In a previous post, I introduced Snug Safety (check our post “The Daily Check-In App Every Senior Living Alone Should Have”). Snug is an app that makes a quick check-in part of the daily routine. Using the app is easy – you just tap the big green button. In response, you hear a motivational quote and are marked good for the rest of the day. If the button isn’t pushed, the app will send a message to an emergency contact, so they can personally reach out and confirm everything is OK.
Get Snug Safety on Google Play Store (Android : Samsung, Motorola, LG or other) or at the Apple Store (Iphone).
But there are some apps with similar goals that offer different features so you can check them out and choose what would be the best for yourself.
2. Patronus – Personal Safety
Patronus (formerly BlueLight) connects you with friends, family and emergency services in seconds. It uses your phone’s internet connection to let you “Panic” and alert friends and family via a notification in times of crisis. Each feature in Patronus has been designed keeping in mind multiple crisis scenarios to provide uninterrupted security while using minimal system resources.
Key Features:
- Availability of options: Trigger Panic by pressing a button in the app, by pressing a button from the notification bar, or automatically through one of the many features present in the app.
- Location monitoring: Panic notification sent to your emergency contacts includes your last known location.
- True and fake passcode: The true passcode will disable security, whereas the fake passcode will cause the app to pretend to disable security while sending a Panic alert. The fake passcode can be entered if you are being forced to enter a passcode.
- Panic without internet: Panic would be triggered after a user-defined time period if the internet connection is lost.
- Commute detect: Patronus will automatically switch on security if it detects that you are in a vehicle!
- Disaster alerts: Get notified of natural disasters near you.
- In case of emergency: Patronus displays your information such as name and emergency contacts’ details as a publicly viewable lock screen notification.
- Security countdown: Set periodic check-ins while security is active. Failure to respond to these check-ins will result in a Panic trigger.
- Emergency call: Make an emergency call to your local authorities from the app when you or your emergency contacts go into panic mode.
- Autopilot: Once settings and timeouts have been set up, Patronus has been designed to run 24/7 with minimal user intervention.
- Pairs with Android wear devices: Patronus comes with an optional embedded Android Wear component. Once installed on Android Wear, Patronus is able to provide additional security.
- Silent and Optimized: Patronus runs silently on your device, reducing battery drain and optimizing system resources.
Get Patronus on Google Play Store.
3. Kitestring
Kitestring checks up on you when you’re out and alerts your friends if you don’t respond.
Key Features:
- Going out: Whether you’re meeting up with a stranger or just taking a midnight stroll, give Kitestring a heads up.
- Check in via SMS: Kitestring checks up on you with a simple text message. Reply to the message to check in.
- Stay connected: If you don’t check in, Kitestring sends your emergency contacts a personalized alert message.
- Nothing to download: And you don’t even need a smartphone.
4. bSafe
bSafe provides you with several features to make you feel safe.
Key Features:
- SOS button: Activate the SOS button by touch or voice. Your guardians will get a sound alarm with your location and they will be able to both see and hear everything in real-time. Everything is automatically recorded by audio and video and sent to your and to your guardian’s cell phones.
- Voice Activation: Simply activate the SOS button by voice even if your cell phone is placed inside your pocket, purse, or jacket. You don’t need to press the SOS button.
- Live streaming: When the SOS is activated, your guardians will get your location, after which they will be able to see and hear everything that is happening in real-time via live streaming.
- Recording: When the SOS is activated, audio and video are automatically recording and the recorded file is sent to your and to your guardian’s cell phone.
- Your guardians: Set up your own personal security network of friends and family (guardians). Invite as many as you want.
- Follow Me: Invite guardians to walk with you via live GPS tracking-now you never have to walk alone again! When guardians accept your invitation and join your journey, bSafe notifies you immediately. This way, you always know who is watching over you.
- Fake Call: Get your phone to call you and get out of unpleasant or threatening situations.
- I`m here: Check-in and share your location with selected people. This is nice if you need to be picked up / brought. Sends your exact location
- Timer Alarm: Define how long you want bSafe to follow your steps, and if you have not checked in on time, the bSafe alarm will automatically trigger and alert all your guardians
- Sirene: bSafe works as a deterrent with its siren-like alarm, an alarm that will make the attacker think twice about doing what he has initially planned on doing. Enable and disable with one touch.
Check more details about bSafe here.
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Comments
Do you have any video of that? I’d love to find out more details.
Hi Christiane, unfortunately, I haven’t. But let me know what your doubts are, maybe I can explain it better (and with more details) for you.