Gaining valuable reassurance with famil.care #ProductReview
By Jeannette | October 9, 2017
We’re a society who just loves our phones, aren’t we? It can seem quite anti-social, seeing people transfixed by whatever is playing on their screens but, if you’re “sandwiched” between elderly parents and children, there is a way to get reassurance from your phone, for both generations.
Famil.care have launched both a free app and a paid-for app which offers reassurance that your family member, if they are living in their own home, are safe and well.
Hubbie’s dad has been widowed for nearly four years, very resolutely determined to stay in his family home and we were asked to take a look as to how the famil.care service could help us.
The free app is Nexus famil.care and can be downloaded onto either iPhones or Android phones.
The app we were asked to trial is famil.care senior, here’s some information from the website:
“famil.care is a simple solution to help your seniors when they’re in need. It has many features that make it easier for you to assist and support your senior relatives, it can be a life-saving solutions also preventing your senior to enter a nursing home too soon.
You can protect your loved ones right away and help them in everyday activities, while they can feel you’re there for them and ask for help when they’re in need.
When you download famil.care nexus on your smartphone and famil.care senior on your loved one’s mobile, the apps immediately pair and work 24/7.”
Really re-assuring isn’t it? The thought that immediately the phones are paired and the app is immediately available upon launching the senior’s phone and help is immediately available without having to search for it. Additionally the subscription supplies an emergency button.
There is also a variant of the app for junior members of the family, again a paid option with an emergency button (click here for more information on the button and how it works).
The emergency button can be worn as a pendant or attached to a belt and operates via Bluetooth on your relative’s mobile phone, it has an integrated battery as does not need charging. It’s also water-proof so can be safely taken into the bathroom or used outside, which is a relief as a fall is something that we get concerned about.
In addition, voice memos can be recorded.
So, what if something happens?
If a fall or another emergency happened, famil.care automatically sends an alert to your mobile phone by using the emergency button, the GPS location also flags up and – most importantly – the microphone in the senior’s phone is also activated, enabling a very speedy assessment of the situation.
If, for any reason, the emergency button or your senior’s mobile phone is disconnected, the app will alert you so that action take be taken to get the phone re-connected.
We trialled one such potential situation and were pleased to see that all worked as it should. If there are any issues, there is a dedicated and free call centre
Our conclusion:
This will provide peace of mind for both the parents and children of elderly/vulnerable adults. The fact that the phone’s microphone will automatically switch on is a massive help and it means that it is suitable for being outside of the house, with the GPS feature.
There is also a famil.care juniors option and this is great interest to me as my children grow up.
“I am a member of the Mumsnet Bloggers Panel, a group of parent bloggers who have volunteered to review products, services, events and brands for Mumsnet. I have not paid for the product or to attend an event. I have editorial control and retain full editorial integrity.”
3 Comments
Shell on 4th November 2017 at 5:58 pm.
This is an amazing and wonderful product!!! It’s perfect to provide reassurance to loved ones…
Nina on 4th November 2017 at 7:10 pm.
Sounds like a great idea! x
Rebecca on 5th November 2017 at 10:51 pm.
Now this was an interesting read/ As it happens my Nain (grandmother) is thinking about getting one of these call buttons as she’s recently had a fall and has conceded that she now needs one. I’ll have a look in more detail at this. Thanks!
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