Contributor ⭐

Recommendatons for daily check-in services

Forum|Forum|5 years ago
March 31, 2021
37 replies
48774 views

Hi. I hope I'm posting this in the correct forum. Please let me know if there's one that's more appropriate and I'll copy and paste this accordingly.

I live alone and I'm looking for recommendations for a daily check-in service (phone call, text, or choice of either). I came across one called "Iamfine" on Google that looked like a possibility and was what I would consider reasonably priced. Has anyone here used this particular service, or is there another one that you or a loved one has used that you would recommend (or conversely, any that I should stay away from)? What would be even better is if I can find something that's in combination with a "Life Alert" type notification service so that I could have one source for both purposes, but I don't know if this exists anywhere except in my imagination! 😄

Thanks in advance!

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ChaviB814890rest

Community Manager

Hi @ElyceB what exactly are you looking for? Someone to contact you EVERY day or for you to call in EVERY day? I also live by myself with one child in another state. We check on each other EVERY day. Whoever gets up 1st, texts good morning to the other one. We do the same at nights. Whoever heads to bed sends a goodnight to the other. In between those, we will email or video call as we need to and have the time for. Do you have someone who cares to do this with maybe. Lol, I am cheap and do not trust that machines or folks I am paying to be reliable. But that is just me. Great post 🙂

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ElyceBAuthor

Contributor ⭐

I only WISH I had a child to check in with! What I’m looking for is a service that I can call or text daily. The one that I found on Google gave the opportunity to provide them with contact information for your “caring circle” which could be one person or several different people. You provide the service with a daily check in time. If they don’t hear from you by that time they try to reach you four times within an hour after, and they will then contact your circle.

Being totally alone truly sucks!

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ChaviB814890rest

Community Manager

@ElyceB hmmm, do you have a caring circle? Maybe that circle would do this for you. @AARPMichaelP may have some suggestions. He is in charge of the caregiving forum. Have you visited that forum? Do you know how to send private messages? If yes, maybe you can send him one. I hope you find what you are looking for 🙂

AARPRachelA

Community Manager

Hi @ElyceB! AARP Friendly Voice is a service where volunteers call to check in and say hello. It's different than a Life Alert type service, though. Perhaps this could work for you?

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ElyceBAuthor

Contributor ⭐

Hi, RachelA. While AARP Friendly Voice seems like a lovely idea, it's not quite what I'm looking for. What I was asking about was a company where you could call or text them every day to let them know that you're alive and well. I came across a company called "Iamfine" where you do this by a pre-designated time each day and if they don't hear from you by then, they will try you four more times for an hour after that and if they still don't hear from you will then alert a pre-designated contact person or persons that they haven't been able to get in touch with you and that person will take it from there. I was hoping that someone could offer opinions on that company or other companies that provide that similar service.

So it's not quite like Life Alert where you press a button in the event of an emergency, but it's a better option than the prospect of being deceased for days or weeks before anyone knows that something is amiss! My late Dad lived in a senior apartment building where there was a plastic disc on each apartment door that the resident flipped down by a certain time each morning, and a staff person would then walk the hallways looking for for discs that hadn't been flipped down which would signify that something was wrong and they could then check on that resident. I live in a regular high-rise, so there's no such service currently available to me.

DeahWA

Conversationalist ⭐

Elyce, when my mom was in an assisted living place they had that door disk system like you describe. As I've aged alone in a condo and especially during this pandemic, I've started thinking a digital system for still independent seniors would be a good idea. IamFine looks interesting, and would be good for younger people with mobility limitations too. There is an iPhone / Android app called Snug Safety that looks good, but only allows a 10 minute window for checking in at a pre-set time. KiteString dot io is another possibility, maybe, tho it might require leaving home to activate. And there's HelloHibou dot com that might work too. There are probably more. That was just a quick Google check.

With something like 14 million seniors living alone, daily check in services are sure to grow in coming years.

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cynde1

Contributor ⭐

A friend told me about SNUG safety app that you can download. I found it in the app store on my phone.

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JacquelineL647634

Contributor ⭐

Hi there,

Thanks for the recommendation. I am curious to know if you tried it out. If so, what was your experience? I am looking for a good fit.

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AdamCBee

Contributor ⭐⭐

@JacquelineL293773 CheckinBee offers a two week free trial to test it out with no risk on your side. It's a simple and flexible check-in via text message so there is no app to download. Let me know if you'd like any more information.

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EdgarJ444310

Contributor ⭐

There’s a daily check-in app designed specifically for this purpose. The app provides daily check-ins for your loved ones, giving you peace of mind even when you're far away. You'll receive notifications if they don’t check in, offering a reassuring way to know they’re okay, even when you can't call or text. This is a simple, yet effective way to ensure their safety and well-being.

For your reference, this is the daily check-in app. It's called WellCheck

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AlejandroJ773960

Contributor ⭐

I invite you to try i am ok, we are going to take good care of you or your parent/s.

My friend Dilan and I started i am ok because our grandparents loved when we checked in—but we couldn’t always be there. i am ok is reliable and consistent.

Every check-in is monitored by a real person, making sure someone is always looking out for you. It’s easy to use — you just need a phone, and it costs $5 per month so it is affordable for everyone.

Find more info about us at: unlonly.com

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MarkM549263

Contributor ⭐

Full disclosure up front: I'm the founder of one of these services, so weigh my words accordingly. I've been deep in this space building my own, and here's what I'd tell my own family to look for in any daily check-in service:

1. The senior's side must be nearly effortless. In every family I've talked to, the services that stick are the ones where the parent doesn't have to learn anything new — no app, no login, no password.

2. The alert is the whole product. A missed check-in should notify family automatically — that's the job.

3. Know what it is and isn't. Daily check-ins are for everyday peace of mind. They are not medical alert or emergency devices — if there's real fall risk, that's a different tool (or use both).

Some options people here mention: Snug Safety has a free app-based option, and some states (Maryland, Ohio) run free telephone check-in programs for residents. CheckinBee and AssureOkay are text-based options.

Mine is Cozy Check-ins — the parent taps one button in a daily text, no app for them, and the family knows they're okay. We're still in beta, so I won't oversell it: if it sounds useful, there's a waitlist at cozycheckins.com for when it opens up.

Happy to answer questions about what to look for, whichever route you go.

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