SOS Monitoring System for Older Adults

GCare is a monitoring system designed to assist older adults during emergencies, giving them greater autonomy, safety, and connection with their community. This project was born from a deeply painful personal experience, which drove its development with a strong human commitment and focus on accessibility.

As co-founder and designer, I led the creation of an integrated ecosystem composed of a smartwatch, a mobile app, and a web platform. The device allowed users to detect emergencies, send alerts to relatives, and notify institutions such as municipalities or foundations. The solution followed a B2B2C model: sold to organizations, but used directly by families and older adults. This required designing connected and coherent experiences across multiple stakeholders.

We worked with real users, traveled to China to define the hardware, and partnered with Hogar de Cristo to pilot the solution with older adults living in vulnerable conditions.

Year:

2018-2020

Industry:

HealthTech / ElderTech

Tools:

Adobe XD, Discord, Basecamp, Excalidraw, Shopify

Challenge:

Designing an empathetic and accessible tech solution for older adults, considering their low levels of digital literacy, physical and emotional needs, and the urgency of acting quickly during emergencies.

The experience had to be simple, clear, and functional for multiple user types: older adults, family members, and social organizations.

Additionally, we had to ensure a seamless and connected experience across the B2B2C model, making sure each actor could fulfill their role effectively and without friction.

Goals:

Reduce emergency response times for older adults
Design an accessible, inclusive experience across watch, app, and web platform
Connect older adults with their support networks and social services
Validate the system with real users and improve it based on feedback
Secure funding to scale the solution in collaboration with municipalities and foundations

Solution:

The project was conceived as a comprehensive ecosystem integrating a smartwatch, mobile app, and web platform. The smartwatch, worn by the older adult, allowed them to trigger an SOS button, measure vital signs, make calls, and be geolocated. I designed an accessible app for family members to monitor, call the watch directly, and receive real-time alerts. We also developed a web platform for municipalities and foundations to visualize multiple users and respond to alerts quickly.

Each interface was strategically designed according to the end user’s needs, prioritizing accessibility, clarity, and ease of use. The system was validated through interviews, usability testing, and a real-life pilot with over 90 older adults.

Results:

The system was validated through a pilot program with Hogar de Cristo, receiving very positive feedback from older adults and their support networks. The testing phase helped refine features to make them more inclusive and effective. Beyond securing both public and private funding, the project delivered tangible social impact: older adults living in isolation reported feeling safer, more connected, and better supported. The system is still in use today, assisting vulnerable communities.