Some parts of the country can get close to 40⁰ C, which drastically affects the elderly and dependent. Carers are looking for devices with GPS that allow users to be located in real time, as well as an SOS button, warning of falls and constant monitoring of vital signs.
The stable weather and high temperatures experienced in Portugal create an associated risk, particularly among the over-65 population, which represents around 3 million Portuguese.
The increase in outdoor activities, while beneficial for the physical and mental health of these people, has a less positive side, which is the disappearance of elderly or dependent people, which can tend to increase with the summer. Higher temperatures are often the cause of disorientation in this group, which is already more fragile and less resistant to extreme meteorological phenomena.
To prevent this type of situation, more and more carers are looking for GPS-enabled devices to keep track of their loved ones' whereabouts in real time.
Jorge Álvarez, CEO of SaveFamily, the leading GPS smartwatch company, explains that "the demand for watches with geolocalisation and an SOS button gradually increases with the change in daylight saving time until it reaches its peak in the warmer months, when the good weather leads elderly people to spend a lot of time away from home".
Another cause is family trips to holiday locations, which cause disorientation in many people by changing the settings in which they usually move to completely new and unfamiliar ones.
The user profile of smartwatches with GPS is elderly and dependent people who live alone or spend most of the day alone, but who have enough autonomy to leave the house or move around the house without too much difficulty. "For carers, whether children or other family members, or even institutions responsible for ensuring the safety of users, it's very comforting to know that the person is located at all times and that the watch monitors some of their vital signs such as pulse, blood pressure or oxygen in the blood," says Jorge Álvarez.
The device also includes calls and video calls, an SOS button and a fall warning. "The aim is to improve the day-to-day autonomy and safety of older people while helping carers to reconcile their work and personal lives," concludes Jorge Álvarez.
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