According to a new study, 90% of people aged 65 and older want to stay in their own homes as they age compared to moving into a nursing home or assisted living facility. While this study may not come as a surprise, the home, while comfortable, is where most (60%) falls occur for seniors. This comfort vs. safety dilemma is often a stumbling point when making difficult decisions around aging at home.
This dilemma is also one of our customers' main reasons to buy a medical alert. The "traditional" idea of what aging looks like is changing. Our current generation of seniors is more active, tech-savvy, and sociable than previous generations. Research shows that today's seniors:
- use technology to stay connected,
- work for longer by choice, and
- know the benefits of staying active longer.
And this trend is not going away. To support today's more youthful senior generation, we created a new product called the MGMove smartwatch. You can see the smartwatch and learn more about about it here.
Designed with simplicity in mind, we added several features to ensure you remain safe while living independently and staying active. We intentionally built these features to promote the whole health of your active life, including social, cognitive, and physical wellbeing.
Like the entire suite of Medical Guardian's medical alerts, the MGMove smartwatch offers life-saving access to emergency help if it's ever needed. Unlike other medical alert devices, the MGMove is sleek, discreet, and looks and acts like a typical smartwatch. But you and your loved ones can count your steps and calories burned, use the location finder, watch activity levels, see the battery life, and more.
"Our team designed all of the software and user experience design for the MGMove, ensuring our customers can easily navigate the growing barriers in their life such as loneliness, memory loss, and declining mobility," said Geoff Gross, founder, and CEO, Medical Guardian.
There are two ways to call
The watch has two ways to call for help: a discreet red SOS button on the side of the watch or a swipe-to-alert feature on the watch's LED display. Placing a call puts you in immediate two-way communication with a trained emergency operator who works within a dedicated US-based monitoring center. Once called, the operator assesses the need and contacts emergency personnel or a loved one.
The smartwatch also features:
Activity Tracking
Set your steps for the day, and then watch your progress for the week. Once you add your weight to the watch, you can also see calories burned based on your activity.
Speech-to-text Technology
Because we know that the more seniors interact with people, the more active seniors stay, we wanted to include an effortless way for you to communicate with your loved ones. The speech-to-text feature allows you to easily communicate with loved ones by speaking directly into the watch. The watch translates the conversation into text and sends it as you talk. Then when the person responds, you can choose to listen or read it on your watch.
Location Services
Using the robust 4G LTE network, the location of the watch can be tracked with pinpoint accuracy. This way, no matter where you are, responders can find you easily and quickly if you place an emergency call. Loved ones can also find your location when they login into Social Circle apps that integrate with the smartwatch.
Reminder Alerts
Calendar notifications and reminders are added directly to your MGMove, and you receive a gentle reminder. Pre-set events, such as doctor's appointments, birthdays, or medication reminders, can be set in advance by you or your loved ones.
Charging Cradle
The smartwatch can be recharged nightly by setting it down on a magnetic charging cradle that comes with the watch. The charger has voice-assist and tells you when the smartwatch is charging correctly.
Aging healthy means staying active
As we get older, it's even more important to stay active and fit. We believe that wearing a medical alert supplies a safety net, just in case it's needed. According to the National Institute on Aging, physical activity is the hallmark of healthy aging, and people who exercise regularly live longer and live better.
What does that mean for you?? It's the everyday activities that keep us going, like walking the dog, taking the stairs (not the elevator), gardening, and going out for walks with friends. According to the PNAS study, even 10 or 20 minutes of activity helps. If you're feeling hesitant about going out for a walk or exercising, putting a safety precaution in place to reduce the concern, such as wearing the MGMove, can help lessen the hesitation and encourage more movement. Our new MGMove smartwatch technology can save your life. In addition to your normal routine, consider signing up for a Seniors' exercise class or start exercising at home.
For more information about the MGMove, please call (800) 668-9200.
