The Apple Watch apps on this list were not created solely with senior citizens in mind; however, the benefits their features bring, combined with the ease of access and unique communication features provided by the Apple Watch, do mean they can help improve the lives of the elderly significantly.

A gentle tap on the wrist to remind you to take your meds, record your blood pressure or take a walk is far more effective and convenient than an alarm on a smartphone.

Here is a selection of three Apple Watch apps to help seniors live healthy lives:

MediSafe

As we get older we rely more and more on daily doses of vitamins, minerals and often medications to treat chronic conditions.  Medisafe for Apple Watch is a medication reminder and pill organizer that not only reminds you to take your medication, but also notifies your loved ones in case you skip a dose.

The app lets you record your medication dosage and schedule and will alert you if you are due for a refill. When it’s time to take your meds you’ll receive a notification and if you don’t check off that you’ve done so, the app will send your Med-Friend (family member or caretaker) an alert.

Hello Heart

Hello Heart for Apple Watch lets you monitor and manage your blood pressure right on your wrist. In addition to a range of features in the Hello Heart app for iPhone, the Apple Watch extension subtly reminds you to add your blood pressure to the app by dictating it or manually typing it in.

In conjunction with the ease of use on the Apple Watch, you can import your clinic details directly to you iPhone, view your results on a graph, see Diabetes and Cholesterol status based on lab results, record a list of meds you take, and safe your doctor’s contact details directly in the app.

Cue by Humana

It is never too late to start new healthy habits. Cue for Apple Watch prompts you to do small things that will improve your health. And if you are already leading an active life, a little extra encouragement is never a bad idea.

Cue will remind you to drink a glass of water, get up and move around, stretch, focus on your breathing and posture, take a walk and get some fresh air.

The app tracks how many times you perform a certain action and keeps you motivated – and entertained – by serving up he results in a graph of ‘current streaks’ vs. your previous best performance.

Photo credit: Ethan Prater, Flickr, CC BY 2.0