Jon StojanIn recent years, more older adults in the US are choosing to live independently rather than in a nursing home, with 27% (or 15.2 million individuals) living alone, according to a report by Forbes. While living alone allows a senior to exercise their autonomy and feel that they are not being a burden to their loved ones, it also comes with significant risks. In case of a fall, medical emergency, or home invasion, there could be no one to provide the senior with timely assistance, endangering their life.
Ronald Laporte, creator of The Wellbeing App, shares that he was inspired to create the soon-to-be-launched product by what happened to his late mother, Freda, who preferred to live alone. According to Ronald, his mother was very independent and insisted on living by herself, even after she suffered a stroke several years prior. As a compromise, Ronald took on the tasks of doing her laundry and shopping for food, and he would frequently check on her via phone. If she didn’t answer, Ronald would quickly drive over to her house, but she would often be annoyed at him for being “too worried.”
However, one evening in 2020, at the peak of the COVID lockdowns, Ronald called her, and she didn’t pick up. Thinking that she had already gone to bed, he decided to just try again the next day. When she still didn’t answer in the morning, he rushed to check on her, only to find her lying on the kitchen floor, conscious but severely weakened. Ronald immediately called an ambulance to bring her to the hospital, but tragically, that was the very last time he saw her.
“If I got there sooner, maybe things would have turned out differently,” Ronald says. “This is why I designed The Wellbeing App – to help prevent this terrible situation from happening to other people. I find it reprehensible that we’re in the 21st century, and you can have people living above, below, to the left, and to the right of you, but somehow, you can lay dead in your apartment for five or six days before someone comes in to check on you. This shouldn’t be happening in this day and age.”
One of the app’s main features is its Proof of Life Indicator, which detects whether the user is using their smart device, which is proof that they are alive and well. Users can program the app to remind them to check in after a designated number of hours that their device is unused during regular waking hours. If this reminder is missed, the app will automatically alert the user’s emergency contact to check in on them. The Night Watch Protection feature complements the Proof of Life Indicator, which prompts the user to check in at a time when they’re awake and active, making sure that they got through the night alive. With its easy-access configuration, users can easily get in touch with their emergency contacts or call emergency numbers such as 911 when they need help.
The Wellbeing App has customizable notifications, allowing users and their emergency contacts to receive personalized alerts without unnecessarily involving emergency services. Notifications are sent via SMS, so a user’s emergency contacts don’t need to have the app downloaded. It also has a virtual chaperone feature, where the user can quickly have a trusted individual on video call as they go through their daily errands, providing assistance when needed.
Ronald, who has been working in the mental health field for more than 20 years, says that he is looking for investors and partners to bring The Wellness App to market, as well as add more features and services to the app, greatly assisting individuals, especially elders who live alone, as well as their loved ones.
“Everyone knows how important it is to check in on their family and friends who are living alone, but it’s also important to respect their autonomy,” Ronald says. “The Wellness App is a great solution for people who live alone, giving them and their loved ones peace of mind that they are doing well and immediately sending out an alert if something is wrong. We are currently seeking investment and strategic partnerships, which will allow us to launch the app, get the word out, and, eventually, expand internationally into other markets.”