Apple Watch is an intuitive smartwatch that works exclusively and seamlessly with iPhones. With a focus on fitness, health and wellness as well as safety and communications, it’s a great option for users of all ages, from teenagers to seniors. When it comes to the latter, there are some features that older adults will particularly appreciate, and these can go well beyond healthcare-focused features like fall detection and emergency service contact.
Many older adults are still on the go, lead productive lives, and can easily use some of the best features an Apple Watch has to offer. Some features are exclusive to newer models, including the Apple Watch Series 11 and Ultra 3. But many of them are available in every Apple Watch model on the market, or even ones that an older person might still have from years ago. From staying safe to monitoring their health to finding better ways to get around and staying in touch, seniors have so much to love about the easy-to-use, comfortable, and feature-rich Apple Watch.
Safety and emergency features
The most obvious features of the Apple Watch that seniors will find useful relate to security. Start by creating a medical ID that displays relevant medical information, such as known conditions, blood type, and allergies, on the lock screen in case of an emergency. This allows first responders to see important data before moving on to next steps. Speaking of emergency, a senior can press and hold the side button at any time to contact emergency services and notify trusted emergency contacts of their current location. If they’ve fallen and their phone isn’t nearby, they can press this button to get help. With fall detection, the watch can even detect if someone has fallen and contact emergency services on their behalf so they don’t even have to press a button.
For seniors who are still driving, crash detection can contact emergency services and alert trusted contacts if an accident is detected. For those who take fitness walks in the morning or evening, they can sound a built-in siren if they feel unsafe and communicate via satellite if they are off-grid. Yes, even if they are outside of a Wi-Fi zone and didn’t bring their iPhone or don’t have cell coverage, their location can still be shared. Note, however, that satellite communications only work with the Apple Watch Ultra 3 model.
Walking directions in real time
With an Apple Watch connected to an iPhone, seniors can use Apple Maps or Google Maps to get real-time navigation right on the watch face. They can leave their phone in their purse or pocket and see step-by-step directions on a map displayed on the watch face. Once the destination is entered, the route appears on the watch. When a turn approaches, the watch beeps, prompting them to look at it to see the name of the street they need to turn on, how far away it is and which direction to turn. It also shows an estimated time of arrival.
Seniors can also use Siri voice commands to ask for directions home, which is especially useful for people who are prone to forgetfulness or anyone walking in an unfamiliar area. When traveling, the check-in feature can notify friends or family members when the wearer has safely arrived at a destination. If they fail to register, the contact is informed. This feature works with Apple Watch models running watchOS 11 or later and iPhones with iOS 17 or later.
Conversations directly from the watch
Even though the Apple Watch doesn’t have cellular connectivity, as long as a senior’s phone is nearby, they can answer calls directly from the watch. If they’re busy doing household chores or their phone is charging in another room, a senior can answer a call and speak directly into the watch’s mic, engaging in a conversation while listening to the other person through the Apple Watch’s built-in speaker.
If they wear connected headphones, they can also answer the watch’s call and talk through the headphones without having to get up and pick up their phone. For an older person with mobility issues, this can be extremely helpful. Meanwhile, family members have peace of mind knowing that everything is okay instead of wondering why their loved one isn’t answering a call. If they don’t feel like talking or are in the middle of something, seniors can press a button to send a text saying they can’t talk right now or asking if they can call the person later, which at least confirms to the caller that they’re just busy.
Tracking vital signs and medications
At the heart of the Apple Watch experience is the ability to track vital signs 24/7. Besides tracking, you can also receive notifications if any of the measurements fall outside of your usual baselines. With these notifications, seniors can be alerted to things like high or low heart rate as well as irregular heart rhythms that could signal potential atrial fibrillation (AF). It’s also helpful to be able to view a history of captured data to present to a doctor or other healthcare professional during your next visit. Meanwhile, frequent abnormalities may prompt a senior to make an appointment with their doctor when they otherwise would not have had one.
There is also an app to manage medications. Seniors can enter details of medications they need to take regularly in the Apple Health app, including vitamins and supplements. It’s as simple as entering the medication type and dosage and setting reminders for when they should be taken. Once taken, the senior can press a button on the Apple Watch to record the activity so they don’t worry about forgetting or accidentally taking a double dose. Besides medications, the Reminders app can be used to set reminders for just about anything. These could be recurring reminders like watering the plants every few days, annual reminders like buying a birthday present for a grandchild, or one-off reminders like buying a charcuterie board for book club next week.
Condition Monitoring
In addition to monitoring heart rhythms, an Apple Watch can also monitor other potential health issues. With an Apple Watch Series 9 or later or an Apple Watch Ultra 2 or later as well as the latest version of watchOS and an iPhone 11 or later, there are now hypertension notifications, one of the features that only Apple Watches offer without the need for a basic cuff measurement. Once turned on, the watch systematically scans for high blood pressure trends and alerts you if it detects anything. If this is the case, you can make an appointment with a doctor. This requires a 30-day evaluation period, but after that it will continually check against your benchmark.
Another relatively new Apple Watch feature that’s under the radar is sleep apnea notifications. Available for the same selection of Apple Watches as well as the Apple Watch SE 3 or later, simply turn it on and let the watch track at least 10 nights of sleep over a 30-day period. From there, sleep breathing patterns are analyzed every 30 days. If potential sleep apnea is detected by frequent breathing problems during sleep, you will receive a notification. A report can even be downloaded as a PDF to share with your healthcare professional. The feature is designed for those who have not yet been diagnosed. All of these Apple Watch features are great for any adult user, but older adults in particular can benefit from them, adding much more value to an Apple Watch than just counting steps and sleep duration.
