With people becoming more health conscious, the telecommunication industry is increasingly focusing on health apps and devices these days. The latest initiative comes from AT&T. The Dallas-based telecommunications company rolled out a wearable tech aimed at the elderly people, EverThere, last week that by default calls up a 24/7 call centre for help and support if the user falls down.
"Today's seniors are unlike generations past; they are on the go and committed to living active lives," said Tim Smokoff, CEO of Numera, the device manufacturer, in the press release. "With EverThere, people no longer have to choose between safety and independence. We're pleased to work with AT&T in offering seniors a service that can give them the peace of mind to live active lifestyles longer."
About one third of the U.S. population above 65 years and above fall every year that sometimes leads to serious health concerns, reveals a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The EverThere device automatically calls up the customer support for help on detecting a fall using the AT& T wireless network, and using the GPS services enabled on the device, sends the location of the users for aid to the responders, reports eweek.
The device is extremely light weight, durable and easy to attach to the attire accompanied by a belt clip. When an emergency (fall) is detected the device reacts in less than five seconds. It comes with a rechargeable battery.
EverThere has got two service coverage options for its users. Either the user can opt for the on contract services for $99.99 along with a monthly service charge of $29.99 or for the off contract services, which will cost around $199.99 accompanied by the monthly service charge.
The EverThere services will not be limited to the AT&T subscribers but include non-network clients also. The company plans to expand gradually to other health enterprises like insurance companies, home health agencies and assisted-living facilities. "We're focused on helping to improve patient outcome by developing innovative mobile Health services for both consumers and businesses within the healthcare ecosystem," said Chris Hill, senior vice president, Advanced Solutions, in a statement.
