Recommendatons for daily check-in services

[ElyceB]

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!

[cynde1]

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

[AARPRachelA]

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?

[ElyceB]

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.

[Hannelore99]

Yes I am also looking for a company that will check on me daily but give me time to respond. I have animals and my worry is that I may not be there in the morning to take care of them I do not have children that check on me daily. So I do not want life alert just some one to check on me inthe morning just to make sure that I got out of bed

[DianeJ390357]

  Hi, I use Iamfine and have for several years. I can be called once or twice a day and I select the times. I chose 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. I can call ahead of those times if i think I will be unavailable, and I can check in online as well. They will call me several times after the first call if I have not answered- I think up to 45 minutes - before they contact my  Care List. My reason for having them is same as yours - I have 5 dogs and live alone. They are extremely reliable. Twice, I missed the        calls and my care Circle person called the police! You can set up multiple people on the Circle and they can indicate how they want to be contacted. Check it out!

[ElyceB]

Thank you.  I’m the originator of this thread and it’s helpful to hear from someone with real life experience.  

[LeeS182687]

Hi @Hannelore99 , I have a service that does just this. I would be happy to give you free access if you're still interested.

[JuicyCrone]

What's your service? 

[DeahWA]

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.

[Anonymous]

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 🙂

[ElyceB]

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! 

[JuicyCrone]

I also would like a daily call or text service.  My stepdaughter texts me once a day in the morning  but I have animals that need food & litter cleaning in case I'm dead! So I'd like a pre-bed check too. I don't want to rely on friends to do it & have no family. Thanks for addressing this issue that is surely a dilemma for many.

[Anonymous]

@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 🙂