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An app to to check in on your ageing parents and grandparents

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Soma Tah
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LONDON, UK: With many of us depending on our smart phones to check everything from our travel arrangements, and finances to exercise performance and latest fashion choices, it seems natural that we should check in on loved ones with the latest app.

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But the inspiration behind 3rings.co.uk comes from the days before mobile phones, where the well-known 'code' to let someone know all is well was giving them three rings on the telephone. The new service updates this code for the internet generation.

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 per cent said they were considering steps to support them more over the next year.

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Founder Steve Purdham was inspired by his mum, Iris, 82. He explains: "Despite there being more forms of communication available than ever before, the older generation are often excluded from the latest technologies. The three rings concept provided peace of mind through the simple telephone.

"The objective is to help loved ones maintain their independence and not feel like a burden. 3rings isn't meant to be a replacement for personal calls and visits but helps ease the worry caused by distance and hectic lives. We strongly believe that this offering can be a catalyst for the changing family care of ageing parents in the UK."

The service is available online at 3rings.co.uk with free apps for IOS and android. There are two paid-for services (GBP5.99 per month and GBP9.99 per month) and a free trial available.

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