Living far from your parents: how can you keep an eye on their health?

Why the worry is reasonable

Falls are the clearest example. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that falls among adults 65 and older caused over 43,000 deaths in 2024, making them the leading cause of injury death for that age group, and that emergency departments recorded about 4.5 million visits for older adult falls that year. Those are US figures, so we cannot say what the rate is in Nigeria. But the CDC also says falls can be prevented, and the NHS says anyone can fall, though it is more likely if you are older or have mobility problems.

The NHS lists some of the common causes: muscles getting weaker with age, conditions that affect balance or mobility, low blood pressure, side effects of medicines, eyesight or hearing problems and dementia. Many of these are things a family can ask a doctor about.

Step 1: talk to them first

Before you buy anything, ask your parent what they would be comfortable with. A device they never agreed to wear tends to end up in a drawer, and watching someone's health without their knowledge is not fair to them. Explain what you would see, who else would see it and that they can say stop at any time.

Step 2: set up the basics that need no technology

• A call at a regular time, so a missed call is itself a signal.
• One or two people who live near your parent, such as a neighbour, relative or church friend, who have agreed to check in if you cannot reach them.
• A written list of their medicines, their doctor's number and any conditions, kept where you and the local contact can find it.
• An agreement on what happens if they do not answer: who goes round, and in what order.

This is our practical suggestion, not clinical advice. The NHS also recommends keeping active with strength and balance exercise, good footwear, regular eye and hearing checks, and talking to a doctor about medicines. Ask your parent's doctor which of those apply to them.

Step 3: add a tool that can tell you when something is wrong

This is where a ring and a care circle fit. With the Zenlyf Ring, your parent's heart rate, blood oxygen and sleep are read while they wear it, and the app asks the ring for a reading about every 5 minutes. A care circle is the group of people they choose to share with. Each person has to accept an invitation first, can only see what your parent chooses to share, and your parent can stop sharing at any time. If your parent presses SOS, up to two emergency contacts get a text and an email and the people they share with get a notification and an email, all at once. The Zenlyf app is not in the stores yet and these safety features are still in testing.

Some honest limits. Your parent needs to wear the ring and have a phone with the app. The Zenlyf app is coming soon to the App Store and Google Play, so it is not yet available to download. An alert is only useful if someone can respond to it, which is why steps 1 and 2 come first. And no wearable can promise to catch every emergency. Our page on fall detection for older adults explains what such features can and cannot do.

When something is wrong

If you cannot reach your parent and are worried, contact the local person you agreed on and, if you think it is an emergency, call your local emergency number. The NHS advises calling emergency services if someone has fallen and may have injured their head, back, neck or hip, or cannot get up. For anything less urgent, such as a new fall or worry about balance, a visit to their doctor is the right next step.

Common questions

Keep reading

• Fall detection for older adults: what a fall detector can and cannot do
• Resting heart rate by age, and what the numbers mean
• Pulse oximeters and blood oxygen: what is a normal oxygen level?
• A fall alert for elderly parents: pendant, watch, ring or phone