What is the Best Tracker for Elderly Parents?
As parents get older, staying connected can become more important than ever. If your elderly parent lives independently, drives regularly, takes drives around the neighborhood, or simply has a habit of getting lost or forgetting where they parked, having a way to know their location can provide an additional layer of reassurance for the whole family.
If your primary concern is knowing where your parent is when they are driving, whether their car needs maintenance - a vehicle GPS tracker may be the better choice. If they carry a smartphone everywhere, a phone-based solution can provide location visibility without requiring a hardware device.
With SmartWheels, families can choose from smartphone-based GPS tracking, vehicle diagnostics and tracking, or a dedicated GPS tracker for multiple types of vehicles and assets—all managed through one easy-to-use app.
Here's what to consider when choosing an elderly parent GPS tracker.
What Should You Look for in a GPS Tracker for Elderly Parents?
When choosing GPS tracking for seniors, look for a solution that provides useful information without making everyday life more complicated.
1. Real-Time Location Tracking
One of the most important features of a GPS tracker is the ability to see where your parent or their vehicle is.Real-time GPS location tracking can be useful when a parent is out running errands, visiting friends, driving somewhere unfamiliar, or simply hasn't arrived home when expected.
A good GPS tracking solution should make it easy for authorized family members to check a current location without requiring complicated steps.
2. Location History and Trip Tracking
Current location is useful, but sometimes you need to know where your parent or their vehicle has been. GPS location history can help families review previous trips and understand regular travel patterns. For example, you may want to see whether your parent made it to their usual grocery store, doctor's appointment, or other destination.
SmartWheels provides GPS trip tracking and location history, making it easier to look back at previous journeys through the app. This can be particularly useful for family location sharing when children live separately from their parents and can't personally check in throughout the day.
3. Driving Behavior and Safety Insights
For elderly parents who still drive, location is only part of the picture.
Understanding how they're driving can provide another layer of visibility. Look for a GPS tracking solution that can identify driving behaviors such as speeding, hard braking, rapid acceleration, and other unsafe driving patterns. Over time, this information can help families understand what normal driving looks like for their parent and notice changes that may be worth paying attention to.
4. Easy Installation and Everyday Use
A GPS tracker should fit naturally into your parent's routine. The less your parent needs to interact with the technology, the easier it is to use. SmartWheels offers different solutions depending on whether you want to use their smartphone, track their vehicle, or track another mobility asset. For families focused on senior safety, choosing a solution that works quietly in the background can make GPS tracking easier for both parents and their children
But not every GPS tracker works the same way. Some are designed to be worn, some attach to vehicles, and others use a smartphone to provide location sharing and GPS tracking.The right option depends on what you actually need to keep track of.
Keytakeaway:
The right GPS tracker for elderly parents depends on what you need to track—from smartphone location and driving behavior with SmartWheels Drive to vehicle health with OBD or flexible tracking for cars and mobility vehicles with the Magnetic GPS Tracker. All are managed through one app, with access you can share with family members.
SmartWheels Solutions for Elderly Parent Safety
SmartWheels offers multiple ways to stay connected with an elderly parent, depending on what they use to get around.
SmartWheels Drive: Track Location and Understand Driving Behavior
If your parent regularly carries their smartphone, SmartWheels Drive can provide a convenient way to stay connected without adding another tracking device to their routine.
SmartWheels Drive uses the smartphone for GPS tracking and provides features including real-time location, location history, GPS trip tracking, driving insights, and crash detection through the SmartWheels app.
Understanding how they're driving can provide another layer of visibility.
SmartWheels Drive makes it easier to understand driving behavior and identify patterns over time. You can get insights into driving behaviors such as speeding, hard braking, rapid acceleration, and other driving events. Over time, these insights can help you understand your parent's normal driving habits. Establishing that baseline can make it easier to notice when something seems different.
With SmartWheels Drive, families can combine location tracking, trip history, driving behavior insights, and crash detection in one app, giving them a clearer picture of both where their parent is and how they're getting there.
Add a SmartWheels Tag for Another Layer of Visibility
Families can also bundle SmartWheels Drive with a SmartWheels Tag to add another layer of location visibility. SmartWheels Tags are compact and don't require installation. Simply place a Tag inside the car to provide additional location check-ins.
The Tag uses Bluetooth technology and checks in approximately every 10 minutes. Its location can be determined through nearby phones using Bluetooth, with the location shown potentially being within roughly a 10-meter range depending on the circumstances. This can be particularly useful as an additional layer of visibility for families who want more than just smartphone-based tracking.
Together, SmartWheels Drive + Tag can give families additional insight into their parent's whereabouts, with Drive providing smartphone-based GPS tracking and the Tag providing additional location check-ins from inside the vehicle.
SmartWheels OBD GPS Tracker: Keep an Eye on the Car's Health
The SmartWheels OBD GPS Tracker combines vehicle tracking with information about the car itself, helping families stay more informed about the vehicle's health and diagnostics. The device connects directly to the vehicle's OBD port, giving you access to important vehicle information through the SmartWheels app.
Stay Ahead of Vehicle Problems
For an elderly parent driving independently, a vehicle problem can quickly become more than an inconvenience. A dead battery, diagnostic issue, or other vehicle problem could potentially leave them stranded somewhere unfamiliar. SmartWheels OBD helps families keep track of the vehicle's health and diagnostics, making it easier to stay aware of potential issues and address them before they become bigger problems.
Instead of your parent having to figure out what a dashboard warning means or wait until something goes wrong, you can have useful vehicle information available through the app. That means you can stay informed about the car's condition and help your parent address potential problems before they turn into an unexpected roadside situation.
Real-Time Location and Driving Safety
It also provides real-time vehicle location, trip information, and insights into driving behavior. Families can identify unsafe driving patterns such as speeding, hard braking, rapid acceleration, and other driving events. This can help you understand your parent's driving habits and notice changes over time.
The OBD solution also includes collision and accident detection, adding another important layer of safety for elderly parents who drive. With vehicle health information, GPS tracking, driving behavior insights, real-time location, and collision detection available through the app, families can stay informed about both the car and the person driving it.
Explore SmartWheels GPS solutions
SmartWheels Magnetic GPS Tracker: Track Cars, EV Scooters and More
Not every elderly parent drives a traditional car. Some may use an electric scooter, mobility vehicle, golf cart, motorcycle, or another personal mobility vehicle to get around. Others may have multiple vehicles or assets that they want their family to keep track of.
That's where the SmartWheels Magnetic GPS Tracker can be useful. The Magnetic GPS Tracker is designed for vehicles and multiple types of assets, giving families another way to stay connected to a parent's mobility equipment.
Easy Installation Without Complicated Setup
The tracker uses built-in magnets, making installation simple. Instead of going through a complicated installation process, you can attach the tracker to a suitable surface on the vehicle or asset and begin using it.
This can make it particularly convenient for tracking:
- Cars
- Electric scooters
- Mobility vehicles
- Motorcycles
- Golf carts
- Other suitable vehicles and assets
The tracker doesn't require your parent to remember to carry it or interact with it during every trip.
Long Battery Life
Another advantage is the tracker's long battery life, depending on usage and conditions, there's less need for your parent to regularly remove the tracker and remember to charge it. That makes it a convenient option for families who want ongoing location visibility without adding another daily task to their parent's routine.
Anti-Tamper and Theft Alerts
The Magnetic GPS Tracker also provides tamper alerts. If the tracker is removed from the vehicle or asset, an alert can notify you, giving you another layer of awareness and security. This can be especially useful when the tracker is attached to a vehicle or mobility asset that your parent uses independently.
Whether your parent drives a car, rides an electric scooter, or uses another mobility vehicle, the SmartWheels Magnetic GPS Tracker can help you stay informed about its location.
One App for the Whole Family
One of the biggest advantages of using SmartWheels for family location sharing is that everything is brought together in an easy-to-use app. Instead of switching between different tracking systems, family members can access location information, trip history, driving insights, and other relevant information through the SmartWheels platform.
And it doesn't have to be just one family member keeping track. You can give multiple siblings access, so everyone who needs to stay informed can have visibility into your parent's activities. For families who live in different homes or even different cities, this can make staying connected much easier.
One sibling might be checking whether a parent has reached an appointment, while another might be keeping an eye on driving patterns or the location of their vehicle. Everyone can have access to the information they need without putting the responsibility entirely on one person. This shared visibility can be especially valuable for senior safety, because more than one family member can stay informed and respond when necessary.
Which SmartWheels Solution Is Right for Your Elderly Parent?
Instead of choosing based on a generic list of features, think about what your parent uses every day and what you want to keep track of.
SmartWheels Drive
Choose SmartWheels Drive if your parent regularly carries a smartphone and you want to understand both their location and driving behavior. It provides real-time location, GPS trip tracking, location history, driving behavior insights, phone-usage, and crash detection through the SmartWheels app.
SmartWheels Drive + Tag
Choose SmartWheels Drive + Tag if you want an additional layer of location visibility.
The compact Tags can simply be placed inside the car without installation and provides additional location check-ins alongside SmartWheels Drive.
SmartWheels OBD GPS Tracker
Choose the SmartWheels OBD GPS Tracker if your parent drives a car and you want visibility into both the vehicle and its health. Along with real-time location and driving behavior insights, the OBD tracker provides vehicle diagnostics and collision detection, helping you stay informed about potential vehicle issues and driving events.
SmartWheels Magnetic GPS Tracker
Choose the SmartWheels Magnetic GPS Tracker if your parent uses a car, electric scooter, mobility vehicle, motorcycle, golf cart, or another suitable asset. Its magnetic installation, long battery life, GPS tracking, and anti-tamper alerts make it a flexible solution for tracking vehicles and other assets.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the best GPS tracker for elderly parents?
It depends on what you want to track. SmartWheels offers Drive for smartphone tracking, OBD for vehicle tracking and diagnostics, and Magnetic GPS Tracker for cars and other assets.
2. Can I track my elderly parent's car?
Yes. SmartWheels OBD and Magnetic GPS Tracker provide real-time vehicle location and trip tracking.
3. Can GPS tracking show how my parent drives?
Yes. SmartWheels Drive and OBD provide insights into driving behaviors such as speeding, hard braking, and rapid acceleration.
4. Can multiple family members access the tracking?
Yes. SmartWheels allows you to share access with siblings so the family can stay informed.
