Balancing responsibilities, whether managing a career, a family, or personal well-being, all while ensuring a loved one is safe and well, can be overwhelming. Caregiving can be emotionally overwhelming, but reducing anxiety starts with clear insights into a loved one’s most important daily routines. A simple check-in each morning can therefore provide invaluable reassurance and peace of mind.
The Limitations of Traditional Health Monitoring
While health monitoring has advanced, most solutions still rely on wearables, cameras, or manual check-ins. Wearables require the person being monitored to remember to wear and charge them, making them unreliable if forgotten. For caregivers, this creates a major point of failure—if a loved one forgets or refuses to put on their device or the battery dies, the system designed to keep them safe is rendered useless. This can lead to unnecessary worry and even real safety risks if an emergency occurs. Cameras raise privacy concerns and may not be welcomed in the home or other personal spaces like the bedrooms or bathrooms where they expect personal privacy. Caregivers are left in a difficult position—either sacrifice their loved one’s sense of dignity or lose a crucial means of monitoring. Scheduled phone calls require active participation and may not always be answered promptly. A missed phone call can send caregivers into a panic, especially if their loved one lives alone. They’re left wondering if everything is fine or if something has gone wrong. Additionally, seniors may not always feel like answering the phone or may struggle with hearing, memory, or mobility issues that make responding difficult.
Caregivers need a simple, quick way to check in on loved ones without disrupting their independence. That’s why Cognitive created WiFi Motion for Caregiving, a Wi-Fi Sensing solution that includes plugs equipped with our WiFi Motion software and a mobile application called Caregiver Aware, that passively tracks activity without wearables, cameras, or manual check-ins. With activity tracking, sleep monitoring, and customizable alerts, caregivers can stay informed about their loved one’s key wellness indicators while respecting privacy. By detecting changes in routine or unexpected inactivity, WiFi Motion for Caregiving enables proactive caregiving, helping families address potential health concerns early. It’s a seamless, non-intrusive way to enhance safety, support aging in place, and bring peace of mind.
The Rise & Shine Solution: How It Works
When developing the Caregiver Aware application, we prioritized peace of mind—leading to the creation of the Rise & Shine alert. Rise & Shine is a motion-sensing alert that notifies caregivers when their loved one first gets up in the morning—or if they don’t. Using our WiFi Motion technology, the system detects movement in the home and logs the first activity of the day. If motion is detected within the caregiver’s preset timeframe, they receive a reassuring notification. If no movement occurs by the designated wake-up time, an alert is sent, which may prompt the caregiver to take the initiative and check in.
An example of the Rise & Shine Alert in Caregiver Aware
So how does this work in everyday life? Take Sarah, for example. Every morning, Sarah’s first thought used to be about her father, Tom—had he gotten up safely? Living alone, he valued his independence, but as his caregiver, Sarah couldn’t shake the responsibility she felt. She wanted to make sure he was okay without disrupting his morning with an early phone call. And some mornings, between work and life’s demands, she simply didn’t have time to check in.
Through the app, she sets up a Wake-Up Window from 7:00 to 9:00 AM, aligning with Tom’s usual routine. Now, instead of worrying, she receives a real-time notification each morning confirming movement. If Tom is up and moving, she can go about her day with peace of mind. If no motion is detected by 9:00 AM, she gets an alert—giving her the chance to check in before a small concern turns into a real worry. For Tom, nothing changes. No wearables to charge, no intrusive cameras, and best of all—no early morning phone calls disrupting his routine. Just life as usual, with the freedom he values and the reassurance Sarah needs. With Caregiver Aware and its Rise & Shine feature, Sarah finally has a solution that works for both of them—providing effortless peace of mind while respecting Tom’s independence.
An example of how a caregiver can set their loved one’s wake-up window in Caregiver Aware
The Benefits of Rise & Shine
The Rise & Shine feature gives caregivers a simple, non-intrusive way to confirm that their loved ones have started their day safely. With real-time updates that don’t disrupt routines, it provides both peace of mind and practical support.
- Daily Peace of Mind: A quick morning notification reassures caregivers that their loved one is up and moving, providing a simple but invaluable check-in.
- Reduced Anxiety: Instead of worrying or waiting for a response, caregivers receive instant confirmation—offering a sense of relief and confidence each morning.
- Prompt Intervention: If no motion is detected within the set window, caregivers can check in early, preventing small concerns from turning into bigger issues.
- Respect for Independence: Since it works passively in the background with no wearables or cameras, Rise & Shine allows loved ones to maintain their routine without unnecessary disruptions.
For caregivers, Rise & Shine is a powerful tool that delivers reassurance, reduces anxiety, and enables proactive support. But it’s just one part of WiFi Motion for Caregiving, a comprehensive solution designed to provide a deeper understanding of a loved one’s well-being. By combining Rise & Shine with other custom alerts within the app, motion and rest monitoring, and ongoing trend summaries, caregivers gain a more complete picture of daily activity and potential changes in routine. These insights help identify shifts in behavior that might signal emerging health concerns—without wearables, cameras, or disruptions. With WiFi Motion for Caregiving, families can feel more confident, more connected, and better equipped to support aging in place with dignity and peace of mind.