Lively telecare system adds smartwatch-flavored PERS

[grow_thumb image=”https://telecareaware.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Lively_safetywatch_captioned_June-2014.jpg” thumb_width=”150″ /]The Lively home telecare system, which uses a series of passive activity sensors wirelessly connected to a cellular monitoring hub, announced a ‘safety watch’ addition to its system. The wristband has a watch form factor, is waterproof and contains an emergency button with analog/digital option on its time/date watch face. The smartwatch-ish features are medication reminders and a pedometer for step tracking. When out of home, the wristband tethers to an Android (only) smartphone. Battery is good for about six months. If the button is pushed, there is a ‘countdown’ during which a call center attempts to reach the user by phone (watch is not two-way voice) prior to dispatching emergency services and family notification which can be canceled during the countdown period. Available on pre-order for November delivery at $49.95 along with a service fee of $34.95 per month. The website also indicates a clip-on accessory for advanced fall detection ‘to avoid having to push a button’, available in early 2015–a feature likely to be accelerometer-related which is being hotly debated in yesterday’s article by Tom Doris of KeepUs. Lively is now being distributed in both the US and Australia; UK will be added shortly along with other international markets to be announced by close of year. Release