Tech Giant Apple Collaborates with Best Buy Health to Develop Technological Health Solutions for Elderly Consumers
Best Buy Health, a subsidiary of the renowned retailer, has made a significant move into the health technology sector with the release of multiple health and safety tools for older adults via Apple Watch. This venture is part of Best Buy Health's latest expansion in health technology, following their acquisition of GreatCall in 2018.
The new Lively Health & Safety tools on Apple Watch are intended to further Best Buy Health's mission to enrich and save lives through technology and meaningful connections. These tools offer a range of features designed to promote the safety and independence of older adults.
One of the key features is Urgent Care, which allows users to speak to a registered nurse or board-certified doctor without an appointment at any time. In emergencies, Urgent Response connects customers with agents for assistance. With Live Agent Assist, an agent calls when the Apple Watch detects a hard fall to see if the user needs help and contacts family members if necessary.
The Preferred Health & Safety package includes these features, as well as the GreatCall Link app, which notifies loved ones in a crisis and provides updates regarding the device. To access these services, users need the Lively app and a Lively Health & Safety Plan.
While Best Buy Health has slashed 5,000 mostly full-time jobs last month and added 2,000 part-time roles, the company remains committed to its strategy of producing consumer health products, device-based emergency response tools, and virtual care services.
It's worth noting that the Lively Health & Safety tools operate as a subscription-based service that integrates with Apple Watch and iPhone via the Lively app. Users can access health and safety features such as urgent call history, device status, location tracking, and caregiver updates by paying a monthly Health & Safety Package fee (around $5/month on top of regular phone plan prices) through the Lively Link app compatible with Apple Watch and iPhone.
Lively continues to offer standalone medical alert devices and phones for seniors, such as the Jitterbug Smart4, Jitterbug Flip2, and Lively Mobile2, with subscription plans providing safety monitoring and emergency response services. While these devices are distinct from Apple Watch hardware, the health and safety software tools are available on Apple devices to offer senior safety features and caregiver connectivity with real-time location and health data access.
At the time of acquisition, GreatCall had 900,000 paying subscribers. As of now, there are no explicit mentions in the recent search results about new or expanded Best Buy Health plans specifically enhancing or changing Lively tools on the Apple Watch hardware itself. The latest Apple Watch models continue to have built-in Apple health sensors and safety features like Crash Detection, while Lively offers an app to complement these with caregiver support and monitoring services.
In summary, the Lively Health & Safety tools operate as a subscription service accessible via the Lively app on Apple Watch and iPhone. The service includes caregiver monitoring, geolocation, emergency alert systems, and urgent call history. Lively continues to offer standalone medical alert devices and phones for seniors, while Apple Watch hardware advances with native health sensors and safety features. Best Buy Health supplements this with Lively's app and service ecosystem, but no recent announcements suggest significant changes or new future plans for Lively tools specifically integrated at the OS or firmware level on Apple Watch.
- Best Buy Health's new venture into the health technology sector includes the release of health and safety tools for older adults via Apple Watch, aiming to enrich and save lives through technology and meaningful connections.
- The Lively Health & Safety tools on Apple Watch offer features designed to promote the safety and independence of older adults, including Urgent Care, Urgent Response, and Live Agent Assist.
- The Preferred Health & Safety package includes these features, as well as the GreatCall Link app, and requires the Lively app and a Lively Health & Safety Plan for access.
- Despite slashing 5,000 jobs and adding 2,000 part-time roles, Best Buy Health remains committed to their strategy of producing consumer health products and virtual care services.
- The Lively Health & Safety tools operate as a subscription-based service, integrating with Apple Watch and iPhone via the Lively app, and offering features like urgent call history, device status, location tracking, and caregiver updates.
- Lively continues to offer standalone medical alert devices and phones for seniors, such as the Jitterbug Smart4, Jitterbug Flip2, and Lively Mobile2, with subscription plans providing safety monitoring and emergency response services.
- While Lively's tools are available on Apple devices for senior safety features and caregiver connectivity, the latest Apple Watch models continue to have built-in health sensors and safety features like Crash Detection.
- Best Buy Health, with its acquisition of GreatCall in 2018, currently has 900,000 paying subscribers for its health and safety tools, but there are no recent announcements suggesting significant changes or new plans for Lively tools specifically integrated at the OS or firmware level on Apple Watch.
- The integration of health technology in the industry, particularly in finance, personal-finance, retail, business, and mental-health sectors, is also reshaping the landscape of AI, fitness-and-exercise, health-and-wellness, and smartphones, reflecting the broader impact of technology on our lives.
