Adult children increasingly track elderly parents' safety

Many adult children are starting to use tracking apps to keep an eye on their elderly parents. This trend began as parents monitored their children but is now shifting towards elder care. Sue Easton used the Life360 app to find her 84-year-old father with dementia when he got lost on his way to her house. She could see his location on the app and safely directed him home. Similarly, Robyn Holland uses the Find My app to check on her active 95-year-old stepmother, Val Harvey. Knowing her location gives Holland peace of mind. Life360, popular for tracking family, is set to launch a new wearable device in 2026. It aims to help adult children monitor their aging parents more easily. The device will notify families if an elderly person falls and includes an SOS button. Life360's CEO, Chris Hulls, wants the new gadget to be user-friendly. He is motivated by his experience with his mother, who has dementia. He believes many families face challenges as parents age, and this product could support them. Trackers can help families feel safer, especially since many individuals with dementia wander away, and falls are a major risk for older adults. However, existing devices often send false alarms, which can make users hesitant to rely on them. Privacy concerns also surround tracking apps. Users often do not fully understand how their data is used, leading to worries about privacy and “helicopter parenting.” Despite this, Easton and Holland argue that their use of these apps is to provide care, not to restrict independence. They believe that tracking aids their loved ones' abilities to live independently while staying safe.