tech

App supports seniors and their family

1 Comment
By Yoriko Takahashi

NTT Docomo has released a new free smartphone application that could be very helpful for seniors and their family members, called Tsunagari Hotto Support. "Tsunagari" means connection, and "Hotto" means relief in Japanese.

The application is offered to those who have Docomo's RakuRaku smartphone series which is a simple smartphone series designed for elderly users. If a senior person has a RakuRaku smartphone that has the Tsunagari Hotto Support app installed, his or her smartphone usage situation, such as number of steps walked, the presence or absence of unlocking the smartphone screen, and the remaining battery level, will be sent in notices to assigned family members.

The senior persons can only add their daily health condition (Good, Not bad, and Bad) in the application and let their family know.

Usually the family members get the notice once a day at the registered time; however, when the senior's number of steps exceeds a predetermined number or the smartphone's remaining battery lowers more than a certain amount, they will receive an urgent notice and will be instantly alerted that something wrong is happening.

Source: AkihabaraNews

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however, when the senior’s number of steps exceeds a predetermined number or the smartphone’s remaining battery lowers more than a certain amount, they will receive an urgent notice and will be instantly alerted that something wrong is happening.

Is this an error? Surely if the senior's number of steps falls BELOW a predetermined number (e.g. they've fallen and can't get up, or they're ill in bed, or they've misplaced their phone, etc.) then it should send an urgent notice? Elderly people walking more than expected isn't a basis for worry, them moving less than expected is.

Personally I think this is the wrong direction. They should make smart-watch-cellphones for elderly people. The watch wristband can monitor heartbeat, blood pressure, oxygen levels, and the face of the watch can display the time with up or down buttons to cycle through the (usually short) list of people they want to call. A watch is lighter and can be worn, which means they're less likely to lose it, and a lot less likely to simply leave it on a table somewhere.

These sort of smart-watch-phones aren't new technology, there are several sports models already, and someone would just need to redesign one of them with a larger face and simpler display.

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

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