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Best Buy Health is now available for the Apple Watch, making it easier for older adults to request assistance in case of an emergency.
The retail chain's new service aims to make it easier and safer for aging adults to live independently in their homes through the platforms integrated telehealth, car and transportation assistance and emergency services.
Apple Watch users must download Lively App and subscribe to the Lively Health and Safety Services to use the Best Buy Health features on their watch. Lively Health & Safety plans start at $19.99 a month.
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Best Buy is sweetening its offer, too: Users who agree to a two-year Preferred Health & Safety contract can get up to $200 off the purchase of a new Apple Watch Series 6. Customers can also receive up to $150 off the purchase of a new Apple Watch SE if they purchase their devices at Best Buy.
© Best BuyBest Buy Health for the Apple Watch.
The services connect users to Best Buy Health agents who can assist with both emergency and non-emergency situations. Customers can also add the "Urgent Response" button to the Apple Watch face to save time and confusion.
Another feature, GreatCall, also lets friends and family members know if one of their relatives contacts an Urgent Response agent and keep track of their location.
"By offering these powerful safety features on Apple Watch, we're creating a new way to achieve a greater sense of connection and independence for older adults, and added peace of mind for both them and their families," said David Inns, Best Buy Health's president of active aging, in a Best Buy blog post.
Users can also use Best Buy telehealth platform's Urgent Care feature within the Lively app, which allows the user to speak to a registered nurse or board-certified doctor virtually without an appointment. The service is available 24/7 and Apple Watch owners who subscribe to a Lively plan do not need an insurance plan or co-pay to access the service.
Best Buy also plans to release its Live Agent Assist soon. That feature detects a hard fall through the Apple Watch's own software and connects users to a live agent via phone who will check in on the wearer and ask if they need to contact a family member.
The services are tied to fall-detection features available in Apple Watch Series 4 and later. Should a user wearing one of those watches suffer a hard fall, the watch taps the wrist, asking if the person is OK. If the watch detects movement afterward, it asks whether emergency services should be called. If the user appears to be immobile, the watch does so automatically. During product setup, users can also request if a family member or friend be notified in the event of a fall.
Accordingly, users need a Series 4 watch or newer to use the Lively app.
Follow Coral Murphy on Twitter @CoralMerfi
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New Best Buy Health services for Apple Watch aim to keep older adults safe and independent