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Smart Watches Did I forget to close the garage door? I’ve saved a third-party garage
door opener app to the watch, and I get an alert when the door opens or
closes.
Can an Older Adult benefit from one?
What is the weather going to be this afternoon? I can glance at the watch
for the current temperature, and touch the shortcut for precipitation, air
By Dan Ketchum in collaboration with the Digital World Club (DWC) quality, etc.
The Club at WestPark
March 2024 What is on my calendar today? Today’s events are listed on the calendar
Estimated reading time; about 7 minutes app.

I wasn’t going to buy a smartwatch, but it has become my favorite Waiting for an important phone call? I can take the call if my phone isn’t
‘device’. Why? This article is based on my personal experience with the nearby, and with a cellular-enabled watch, even while on a walk or gar-
Apple Watch series 7, iOS 10, cellular version. Other models and watch dening outside.
brands may have similar or different features. I’ve written this article
with fellow ‘active adults’ in mind, and how a smartwatch might be ben- Can’t locate my wife in a store? The Walkie-Talkie app allows me to
eficial. ‘call’ her with a push of a button (I’ve found this can work intermittently
in large stores).
But before describing how I’ve used the watch, allow me to briefly share
a story from a fellow Club at WestPark resident. Staying Active

She told me that she had recently bought an Apple watch and that her As we age, we generally tend to become more sedentary. The watch has
watch alerted her to an irregular heart rate (Atrial Fibrillation). She definitely encouraged me to stay active. It reminds me to stand for a mi-
started checking her heart rate on her watch and each time noticed that nute at least once an hour, and I can see if I have met my movement and
her heart rate was either very high or very low. exercise goals for the day. The watch pairs easily with wireless earbuds
She messaged her physician who sent her to the walk-in clinic for an and plays my music on my walks or in the gym. No need to carry or wor-
EKG and a 14-day heart monitor. Based on the results of the monitor, ry about misplacing the phone.
she was advised to go to the ER. After “lots of tests” she was informed
that she would need a permanent heart pacemaker, which was put in the Safety and Health
next day. She states that she is feeling well, and feels that the smartwatch As we age, safety and wellbeing are key concerns, and the watch comes
saved her life. with several helpful features that can be enabled;
 The watch allows the owner to require that, to access the watch func-
Convenience tions, he/she enters a passcode on the watch every time it is put on after
The watch contains a variety of pre-installed faces to choose from, and it was removed- this helps prevent a thief from gaining access to the
many have 1-4 ‘shortcuts’ that allow one to select a feature (depending watch features if the watch was taken.
on the watch face you choose, eg weather, alarm, timer) right from the  A heart rate monitor that can help detect irregular heart rhythms and a
face without pressing a button to select it. heart rate that is higher or lower than the range that I’ve set up.
 A fall detection sensor that will call 911 and then message my
This photo shows the following ‘shortcuts’: emergency contacts if I fall and can’t respond to its alarm.
 Center right: Day and Date  Emergency Call- I can call 911 if I need help and can’t reach my phone
 Top center: Walkie-Talkie function is en-  A blood oxygen sensor
abled  An ECG app. I can’t include all the details and limitations of the app
 Upper left: Activity for the day here, but I have taken my ECG and saved it in the Apple Health app. I
(movement, exercise, and standing) can then view it and/or send it to my physician if necessary.
 Upper right: Weather (temperature, rain-  A loud-noise sensor to warn me if the sound level (eg at a music event)
fall, wind, UV Index, Humidity, AQI, Cloud exceeds my desired maximum decibel level (to help protect my hear-
cover) ing).
 Bottom: Alarms (shows the next upcom-  A medication dose reminder, and an easy way to log routine and ‘as
ing alarm) needed’ doses. This can help prevent missed doses as well as taking too
many doses (eg did I already take an ibuprofen dose today?)
 A sleep tracker function
Using it has lessened the amount of time I have spent looking at my  A Medical ID feature allows First Responders to see the following
phone or other device for an email or text message that I was expecting. about me (that I have added) in an emergency:
The watch sounds a soft ‘ding’ and a soft ‘haptic’ on my wrist, letting me Name, Age, Height/Weight
know of a new email or text (a ‘haptic’ is a soft tap or pulse generated by Medical Conditions
the watch). Medications
Blood Type
I have set multiple alarms on the watch (some daily, some for only cer- Emergency Contacts
tain days of the week) so I don’t need to constantly look at the clock to
remind me to leave for an appointment, etc. I can easily set a timer while  Many of these features are saved to the Health App on my iPad and
cooking which is helpful when several appliances are being used. iPhone.
March 2024 Page 26