Apps are being developed all the time, for use on your phone or tablet, to make everyday life easier to manage and promote independence and safety at home and when out and about. The ILC Occupational Therapists have undertaken their own internal assessments of the apps before adding them to the website. These apps are produced and maintained by third parties and any access and use of this app constitutes acceptance by you of the terms and conditions. See our Apps disclaimer.
View our app suggestions below for staying safe when at home and out:
Family Locator by Life 360: Life 360 works by tracking someone else who also has the app and has been added to your “circle”. Within a circle everyone can track one another. You can have up to 10 people in a circle and you can have more than one circle. You can also set up geo-fencing around certain locations for individual users from 250 feet up to 2 miles. Apple or Android Version: 5.5.3 (Latest version – not reviewed) Storage Space: 31MB. Cost: £1.84-£54.99 per item. Last reviewed: March 2019 Pros: Allows tracking of multiple users with an SOS option. Cons: Yearly or monthly prescription for premium upgrades which the app advertises a lot – could lead to accidental sign up. High cost.
Safe 365 Family GPS Locator: A free GPS tracking app for use worldwide. It is easy to set up and fairly simple to use although some features are more difficult to find. The person’s carers/relatives can also download the app and everyone can track one another. You can add geofences around certain locations and the app should send notifications when the person enters and leaves the geo-fenced area. Other features of the app include; sharing your mood, a help button which sends your location to your carers using the app, notifying others of your location, getting directions to the other persons location, and adding routine reminders for other people e.g. medication (very basic medication alarm), and a motion sensor. Apple or Android Version 4.4.2. Storage Space: 24.32MB. Cost: Free. Last Reviewed: April 2020. Pros: Free GPS location tracking of family members. Cons: On ILC review did not work consistently with the notifications of someone arriving or leaving a geo fence area.
Red panic button by Ultimate communication software Ltd: The application enables users to push a central button and allow immediate contact with various emergency services, providing instant details of your location. Apple or Android. Version: 1.4.109. Storage Space: 21.1MB. Cost £4.99. Last reviewed: April 2019. Pros: Allows for quick SOS email/text/social media link when user needs help. Cons: Can reduce battery life even when not in use, as it is always tracking your location.
My SOS family by my SOS Ltd: SOS alert app works when the user presses and holds the ‘help me’ button in the app, it sends an automated help text, email or call to nominated person/s numbers with a link to the users Google map location. There is an option for the person to add text or photo with a reason for needing help. The app can also be opened and help requested through a voice activated virtual assistant (e.g. Alexa), or help activated by a voice trigger phrase within the first minute of opening the app. It also as the facility to set a timer with a custom message, so if the person is unable to cancel because something’s happened (e.g. not returned from the toilet in expected time due to a fall), SOS alerts are automatically sent when countdown reaches zero. www.mysosfamily.com/ Apple or Android. Version: 3.1 Storage space: 73.3MB, Cost Free 30 day trial then a monthly or yearly subscription £3.49/£33.99. Last reviewed: March 2020. Pros: The person receiving the notification can reply to take ownership, and the app then notifies other responders that the help request is being dealt with. Cons: Person needs to recognize the need for help and be able to open the app to access the help button