I live alone. Who will know if something happens to me?

The real risk is the wait

Most days nothing happens. The worry is the one day something does, and hours go by before anyone knows.

The National Institute on Aging suggests keeping a charged phone with you at all times and arranging daily contact with a family member or friend. A daily habit means a bad morning gets noticed that day, not days later.

Three things to set up

1. 1Someone who hears from you every day. A call, a text or a check-in tap. Agree on what they will do if they do not hear from you.
2. 2Someone with a key. A neighbor, a friend or a family member who can get in, or who knows who can.
3. 3Your details written down. Your medications, allergies, doctor and who to call. Keep them on your phone and on paper on the refrigerator.

Setting up a check-in for yourself

You can do this on your own, free. Sign up for Hammock365 with your name, email, password and mobile number. No card. Pick your check-in time, anywhere from 6 AM to 8 PM. Then share your family code with the person you trust.

Each morning, you tap I'm Okay. On the free plan, the first person who joined with your code gets a text if you have not tapped by your time. The I Need Help button texts that same person, for the times you need a hand but it is not a 911 moment. Your emergency card holds your medications, allergies, doctor and two emergency contacts.

Who can be your person

It does not have to be family. A friend, a neighbor, someone from church or a former coworker all work. If you are living alone at 80 with no family nearby, this is where a friend or neighbor comes in.

Pick someone who reads texts in the morning and will act. More than one is better. Anyone can join free with your family code, and on the paid plan, $14.99 a month, everyone who joins gets the text.

If you're scared to live alone

You are not the only one who feels this way, and it is a reasonable worry. A plan helps. So does saying it out loud to someone you trust.

If the worry is keeping you up at night, or you have fallen before, talk with your doctor. Ask about a home safety check by an occupational therapist.

The honest limit

A check-in shortens the wait to your deadline. It does not detect a fall, and it does not bring help to your door. Hammock365 is not a medical alert, a call center or an emergency service, and it never calls anyone or 911. If you fall or are hurt, call 911. If falls are your main worry, talk with your doctor about a medical alert or fall detection too.