Telus provides emergency service on Apple Watch

VANCOUVER – TELUS Health, the largest Canadian-owned provider of personal emergency response services (PERS), announced the launch of the TELUS Health Companion on Apple Watch. A 24/7 emergency monitoring service, this new solution enables more Canadians with health issues or who may be at risk of falling to experience improved safety and peace of mind.

TELUS Health is helping advance innovation in the PERs industry by making it accessible through the intelligence of Apple Watch, while offering greater independence and a sense of security to those who want to live independently for longer.

“Tools or devices that help older Canadians improve their activity levels and monitor and address personal health and safety issues can be incredibly important in supporting healthy aging,” said Dr. Samir Sinha (pictured), director of geriatrics at Sinai Health and the University Health Network, Toronto. “What’s significant about this solution is that its design and capabilities contribute to older Canadians maintaining both their independence and dignity, and it also offers caregivers and loved ones peace of mind.”

The new TELUS Health Companion service leverages the fall detection and location sharing capabilities of Apple Watch; if Apple Watch detects that the user has taken a hard fall, this information is sent to TELUS Health’s national Central Monitoring Station. Trained operators will immediately contact the customer to confirm the emergency, then alert the customer’s designated emergency contacts, and can dispatch emergency support if needed.

“Supporting Canada’s vulnerable population that is at risk of falling or having a medical issue is fundamental at TELUS Health as we strive to deliver innovative technologies that put patients first,” said Juggy Sihota, vice president consumer health, TELUS. “Through collaborating with Apple, we’re proud to be the first in Canada to transform how personal emergency response is experienced. We value our role in helping Canadians, particularly those who are aging, to live independently while giving them and their caregivers peace of mind knowing that they are connected to support 24/7.”

According to a recent study by the National Institute of Aging, in partnership with TELUS Health, a strong majority of Canadians, particularly those 55+, said they intended to maintain active, independent lifestyles as they age, but nearly one in three Canadians don’t feel prepared to deal with medical emergencies while alone.

At launch, customers with an Apple Watch Series 4 or later can simply add the TELUS Health Companion service for only $30 per month. New users can purchase a cellular-enabled Apple Watch with TELUS Health Companion monitoring service starting from only $54 per month, a $120 in savings on Apple Watch.

All users must have a post-paid wireless TELUS plan with an iPhone 6s or later, and have the latest iOS installed. For more information or to purchase TELUS Health Companion on Apple Watch, customers can call 1-888-505-8002 or visit telus.com/companionwatch to learn more.

As privacy is critically important to Canadians, TELUS Health is committed to building privacy safeguards into every one of its products and services, especially when it comes to personal information that may pertain to health.

Respecting privacy is core to how TELUS Health carries out all its activities and users can have confidence knowing that personal data collected on fall activity and geo-location for TELUS Health Companion is done so only with explicit user permissions, and for the sole purpose of informing the trained operators at the Central Monitoring Station to allow them to communicate with emergency contacts and/or first responders.

About TELUS Health
TELUS Health is a leader in digital health technology, providing virtual care, home health monitoring, electronic medical and health records, benefits and pharmacy management, and personal emergency response services. By leveraging the power of technology to deliver connected solutions and services, TELUS Health is improving access to care and revolutionizing the flow of information while facilitating collaboration, efficiency, and productivity for physicians, pharmacists, health authorities, allied healthcare professionals, insurers, employers, and citizens, to progress its vision of transforming healthcare and empowering people to live healthier lives. Through TELUS Health Care Centres, teams of renowned and passionate healthcare professionals deliver best-in-class patient-centric care to thousands of Canadian employers, professionals, and families in more than 15 medical clinics located across the country. For more information please visit www.telushealth.com.