Whenever I visited my gran when I was a kid she would always ask me to ‘give her three rings’ on the telephone when I got home at the end of the day, just to let her know I’d got home safely.
These days I suppose people are far more likely just to send granny a quick text message, but and a new online service is bringing the old school back.
With many of us depending on our smart phones to check everything from our travel arrangements and finances to exercise performance and the latest fashion choices, the makers of 3rings.co.uk think it’s only natural that we should check in on loved ones with their app.
Elderly parents or grandparents only require a landline to receive or make a daily call to the 3rings automated service, which then automatically contacts an entire network of family and friends using an app, SMS, email or calls.
Spending time with older family members over Christmas has been a catalyst for many to look at how their loved ones keep safe. In a report commissioned for 3rings.co.uk, more than a quarter of people with parents aged 65 or older reported finding the festive period stressful, with parents visibly older, frailer and requiring additional help. As a result, 40% said they were considering steps to support them more over the next year.
With half the population living more than half an hour away from their ageing parents, many families are unaware of how their loved ones are on a daily basis. 48% currently rely on neighbours and other family members to check in on them to ensure they are well.
3rings founder Steve Purdham was inspired by his mum, Iris, 82. He explains: "We wanted to create a simple solution that answered the question, ‘are my parents okay today?’. Despite there now being more forms of communication available than ever before, the older generation are often excluded from the latest technologies. This led Purdham to remember a time when giving someone three rings via the telephone was used to provide peace of mind.
The objective is to help loved ones maintain their independence and not feel like a burden. Purdham says 3rings isn’t meant to be a replacement for personal calls and visits but helps ease the worry caused by distance and hectic lives.
