Your experiences on Apple Watch for non-tech savvy seniors

[parseckadet]

I would like to hear any experience others have had with the Apple Watch series 4 and seniors who aren't the most tech savvy. I've been considering whether the Series 4 might be a good fit for my mother, who is now in her 70's. I hesitate listing her age because she's one of those people we all wish we would be when we reach that age. She looks 20 years younger and is in excellent health.

Still, she does live alone and has had some scary falls over the years. That's not to say she has balance issues, but the occasional ice patch and other situations that could cause anyone to slip, have resulted in a couple emergency room trips over the last 3 years or so. Given all of this, I think the fall detection and phone capabilities of the Series 4 would be a good match for her.

Here's my concern though. I worry that it might just all be a bit too much for her from a technology perspective. If it's too complicated she won't wear it, and it won't do her any good sitting in a drawer. She does have an iPhone and iPad, which she understands quite well. Still, I don't think she would get much benefit from notifications all that much, nor do I think she would benefit from the activity features (she's in great shape as it is).

So what has everyone else's experience been? Have you gotten a Series 4 for your parents? Or are you a senior yourself?

 

[AlliFlowers]

My 85 year old mother cannot live without her Apple Watch. She's so accustomed to it telling her what to do and when that she'd truly be lost now. She's still on a series 0, but believe me, when it dies she will be at the Apple store in a heartbeat to buy the newest.

 

[rgyiv]

I don't have any experience, but just food for thought:

• Does she wear a watch already? If so, I bet the transition would be easier, and you could get her a band that she likes, and give her a watch face that she would most like/benefit from
• Does she already have an iPhone? If so, again, the transition would be pretty seamless. (easy for me to say, but if she can operate an iPhone, the watch is pretty simple, especially if you think she'll just use it for the basics)

 

[Thai]

Both parents over 75 have it. They love it.

 

[artfossil]

I'm in my 70's and tech savvy. (But my 48 year old daughter, who gets my hand-me-down Watches, is not). From my experience with my daughter, your mother might need/appreciate some help setting up her Watch and customizing it to her liking but after that she will find it simple to use and will immediately find it helpful.

The Stand reminders are useful for all of us, no matter how active we are, and I'll bet you anything that she quickly gets into the other Activity metrics. Fall detection (which I don't have on my Series 3) could be life-saving, as are the heart rhythm alerts.

Like many women, I don't have useable pockets in most of my clothing and having the Watch always on me and having the ability to make an emergency call is worth any amount of money (I have the cellular model but even the GPS model will make an emergency call).

There are so many apps and ways to use the Watch I can't predict what her favorites will be but I'm very very sure she will have some. (Mine, besides all the notifications and Workout, are Audible, AnyList, the Timer and SleepWatch.)

 

[NCEE2016]

I would definitely recommend it. The fall detection feature is totally worth it alone. Countless stories of it being a literal life saver. If she doesn’t have an iPhone just get the cellular option

 

[scmill]

Get it for the fall detection. Any other use she gets from it is gravy.

I would set up the screen as simply as possible at first with time, date, phone, calendar, messages until she gets used to using it. Then branch out with things she actually uses like Workout, Any.do, Find Friends etc

 

[parseckadet]

Does she already have an iPhone? If so, again, the transition would be pretty seamless. (easy for me to say, but if she can operate an iPhone, the watch is pretty simple, especially if you think she'll just use it for the basics)

If she doesn’t have an iPhone just get the cellular option

I don't understand why the "does she have an iPhone" question has come up multiple times. I clearly said:

She does have an iPhone and iPad, which she understands quite well.

 

[scmill]

I don't understand why the "does she have an iPhone" question has come up multiple times.:

I don’t understand it either. If she doesn’t have an iPhone, it won’t work anyway.

 

[MisterSavage]

Got it for my mom and had some of the same concerns but it's been a huge hit.

1. Even if the fall detection doesn't go off she could use the watch to make a call for help.
2. She loves being able to answer the phone around the house when she's not carrying around her phone.
3. She's using it to track how much she's walking on her daily walks.
4. She uses the flashlight.

Now if I could just get her used to paying for it with Apple Pay!

 

[rgyiv]

I don't understand why the "does she have an iPhone" question has come up multiple times. I clearly said:

Sorry we wasted your time. It took you longer to quote yours and our posts than it would've been just to acknowledge the feedback and move along. They were both fairly rhetorical anyway