Carebit is an application to help caregivers working with elderly people who are living independently. In practice, the person being monitored wears a Fitbit synced to the Internet. He or she initiates the check-in. The app shows the caregiver the wearer’s heartbeat and the last time steps were taken. The system is low cost and preserves privacy.

Two tests were done, neither with elderly people. Results were generally positive, although some respondents suggested adding fall detection. The idea of using a relatively low-cost commercial device for this important purpose is appealing, but more engineering and evaluation is clearly necessary.