Beyond Safety: Towards Non-Stigmatizing Mobile Emergency Watches that Empower Older Adults

The ageing population presents significant challenges for healthcare systems, creating a need for innovative digital health technologies (DHTs) to enhance autonomy, safety, and care outcomes for older adults. Mobile emergency watches offer a modern, non-stigmatizing alternative to traditional emergency buttons, combining mobility and functionality. This paper explores their potential to bring relief to older adults as well as overloaded healthcare systems by appealing to a broader audience and enabling more independent lifestyles than traditional emergency devices and addresses three core challenges: (1) balancing simplicity and reliability with advanced functionalities; (2) achieving equitable, personalised designs that balance non-stigmatizing aesthetics and functionality; and (3) navigating fragmented and evolving regulatory frameworks for DHTs. These challenges are analysed through the lens of a single case study, based on an expert interview and publicly available information on a mobile emergency watch startup. The paper discusses pathways to overcome these barriers, bridging gaps between innovation, user needs, and regulatory requirements.