Guides for families of a parent who lives alone.
Set up her watch, plan who calls first and look after Mom from another country.
Each guide starts with the short answer and links to its primary sources.
Lasna editorial team · Last reviewed
- How to set up Apple Watch fall detection for an elderly parentTurn on Apple Watch fall detection for your mom, add the family as Medical ID emergency contacts, and pick between her own iPhone and a family-managed watch.
- What happens after Apple Watch detects a fallFollow each step after Apple Watch detects a hard fall, from the alert and the 30-second countdown to the emergency call and the text your family gets.
- Medical alert system vs Apple Watch for an elderly parentCompare a medical alert service, an Apple Watch alone and an Apple Watch plus a family app by who answers the call, listed costs and who each one suits.
- How to check on a parent who lives aloneCompare six ways to check on a parent who lives alone, from calls to cameras. See what each tells you, what it misses, what it costs and how intrusive it feels.
- Caring for an elderly parent from abroad: a practical guideLook after a parent who lives alone in another country. Set up a local circle, her emergency number from abroad, a sibling call order, time zones and paperwork.
- Caring for an elderly parent in the US from abroadIf your mom lives in the US and you live abroad, learn what to do instead of 911. Get a wellness check, local services, HIPAA consent and a call plan.
- Caring for an elderly parent in the UK from abroadIf your mom lives in the UK and you live abroad, 999 will not reach her. Set up wellness checks, council care, a Lasting Power of Attorney and a call plan.
Check how living alone is going for Mom.
Answer 15 questions based on the CDC's STEADI fall-risk screener. Share the result with your siblings.