We've taken a close look at our founders and asked them the most frequently asked questions about the Gardia Emergency Call Wristband in this interview.
How did you come up with the idea for the Gardia Emergency Call Wristband? What was your motivation?
Marlon Besuch: After falls among family members, I worked with my fellow student at the time, Michael Hummels, on a solution to offer elderly people more safety, both inside and outside their homes.
My grandmother had a conventional emergency call system, but she didn't wear it at all due to its stigmatizing effect, and therefore couldn't call for help in an emergency.
I became aware of the topic of emergency call systems when my grandmother, an incredibly independent woman, suffered a severe fall at the age of 93. She was still living alone at home at the time and got up at night to go to the bathroom and fell. In the fall, she broke her hip and lay there alone for over 24 hours in great pain. After numerous and sometimes very intensive conversations with friends, acquaintances, and family members, we unfortunately had to conclude that many people had already experienced such a situation in their own surroundings. My grandmother had a conventional emergency call system, but she didn't wear it at all due to its stigmatizing effect, and therefore couldn't call for help in an emergency.
I researched solutions for days to avoid having this experience again and also to relieve my mother's worries. However, the offerings on the market did not meet our ideas and requirements for an emergency call system. My co-founder Michael had a similar case in his family.
Michael Hummels: In my case, it was my great-aunt who suffered a severe fall and was no longer able to call for help by phone and was only found after a long time. She died from the severe consequences of the fall. If she had received help faster, she might still be alive. Driven and motivated by unfortunate events in our own families, we came up with the idea for Gardia – the smart emergency call wristband.
These are very regrettable events that have, however, led to a groundbreaking development. The Gardia Emergency Call Wristband is Made in Germany. Can you tell us more about how and where you work on its development?
Marlon Besuch: With the Gardia Emergency Call Wristband, we didn't want to make any compromises. The emergency call wristband was developed in Germany by German engineers and is also manufactured here so that we can deliver the best quality and keep our promise – to always be there for our customers.
Michael Hummels: We work daily on improvements to the Gardia Emergency Call Wristband in our workshop and are in close contact with our customers. Their feedback is very important to us for further developing the Gardia Emergency Call Wristband according to customer wishes.
Michael Hummels works daily on the further development of Gardia.
How exactly does the Gardia Emergency Call Wristband work and what is needed for it?
Marlon: In an emergency, the emergency call wristband establishes an almost Europe-wide voice connection to emergency contacts or the professional 24/7 emergency call center at the push of a button or through automatic fall detection, and transmits the emergency location. The Gardia app ensures that emergency contacts are notified in seconds in an emergency and navigated to the accident site. No smartphone is required to use Gardia. However, emergency contacts do need a smartphone to set up and manage the emergency call wristband and to receive emergency calls.
With a battery life of up to 21 days, the Gardia Emergency Call Wristband can be worn on the wrist for up to three weeks. Water and dust resistance ensure that the Gardia Emergency Call Wristband can also be worn in the shower. The functions are rounded off by a timelessly elegant design that does not have a stigmatizing effect.
Modern and simple design prevents stigmatization in everyday life.
One of the biggest problems with emergency call systems is that they are not worn regularly by users. The best example is my grandmother – she had a home emergency call system, that small red button on her wrist. When she was alone at home, she wore the button occasionally, but as soon as her friends and acquaintances came to visit, she took it off because she didn't want to appear helpless. It didn't work when she was out and about anyway. The constant putting on and taking off led to her forgetting it more and more often, even when she was alone. When she fell, the button was on her bedside table and she couldn't call for help. That's why it was very important for us to offer a modern and simple design to maximize wearing time – and we succeeded in doing that with the Gardia Emergency Call Wristband.
And what happens if no stored emergency contact responds to the emergency call?
Marlon: If all emergency contacts reject the emergency call or do not respond to it, it will be repeated up to 15 times until one of the emergency contacts answers.
If the emergency call center is connected as a secondary option and none of the emergency contacts can answer the emergency call, the emergency call is forwarded directly to the 24/7 emergency call center.
An subscription is required for use. What exactly is included in the subscriptions?
Michael: The use of the Gardia Emergency Call Wristband is linked to a subscription system. We provide an all-in-one solution where our customers don't have to worry about anything else. No additional mobile phone contracts or SIM cards that need to be installed themselves. Our subscriptions include all mobile phone charges necessary for using the wristband, Europe-wide. The integrated eSIM card ensures connection to the best available network. In an emergency, the wearer can establish a direct voice connection to emergency contacts or the professional emergency call center. The app also includes use of the app (chat, contact management, wristband settings). Furthermore, our servers are located in this country and must, of course, also be regularly maintained. We are constantly working on optimizing the emergency call wristband and providing our customers with regular software updates.
We offer an all-in-one solution where our customers don't have to worry about anything else.
You say that the subscription includes a mobile phone contract. What about regions with poor mobile phone reception– can Gardia be used there?
Marlon: Thanks to the integrated e-SIM card in the Gardia emergency call wristband, we are able to connect to the best available mobile network. So, if a GSM network is available, a connection can be established. However, in very poor network conditions, this can take longer than usual.
What is the Gardia app for, and is it free?
Michael: Up to six emergency contacts are notified simultaneously via the Gardia app in an emergency. The first emergency contact to answer the emergency call can establish a voice connection to the wearer and be navigated to the location. In the Gardia chat, located within the My Gardia app, emergency contacts and the wearer can communicate, coordinate, and share information. Optionally, a professional 24/7 emergency hotline can be booked via the My Gardia app, which provides comprehensive security for those affected in an emergency situation. Furthermore, personal data can be stored, which is transmitted to the emergency call center in an emergency. Should the emergency contacts be unable to answer an emergency call, it is forwarded to professional contacts who then speak with the wearer and, if necessary, send an emergency service to the affected person. The exact position in an emergency is transmitted via GPS location and GSM in buildings and outdoors to the emergency contacts via the My Gardia app or the professional emergency hotline. Additionally, settings for the emergency call wristband can be made and the battery status can be viewed in the My Gardia app. The My Gardia app can be downloaded for free from the Google Play Store and App Store.
Everything at a glance in the My Gardia App.
How does the connection to emergency services work? Are they informed beforehand about the emergency call wristband and the service?
Marlon: We work with an established, professional emergency call center from BOSCH. The employees are specially trained in handling emergency calls from the Gardia Emergency Call Wristband.
When adding the emergency call center, the wearer of the Gardia Emergency Call Wristband decides who receives the emergency call first, either the professional emergency call center or the registered emergency contacts. If the emergency call center is selected, a voice connection is established with competent contacts who are trained in emergency situations.
The professional 24/7 emergency service from BOSCH has personal information about the wearer of the Gardia Emergency Call Wristband, such as pre-existing conditions, blood group, medications. In an emergency, the wearer's location is transmitted to the emergency call center, which then decides together with the wearer whether an emergency service should be called. If the wearer is unresponsive, the nearest emergency service is immediately notified.
You often associate the Gardia Emergency Call Wristband with the terms freedom and self-determination. How do you explain this?
Marlon: Seniors who, due to physical limitations, are afraid of falling, afraid to be active and fall, afraid of not receiving help quickly enough or at all in an emergency, always know with the Gardia Emergency Call Wristband that they can count on fast and effective help, anytime and anywhere.
This can also lead to seniors moving more, resuming activities they stopped doing out of fear, and perhaps trying new things they previously didn't dare to do. They have the freedom to do what they want and can maintain their independence and self-determination well into old age.
Enjoy security with Gardia even on a shopping trip.
Michael: The Gardia Emergency Call Wristband allows older people to live more independently, while simultaneously increasing safety in an emergency situation. The care burden for family members can be reduced and worries eased. With the help of fall detection, which automatically sends an emergency call in an emergency, even seniors who are unable to press the emergency call button after a fall can still be protected. Gardia offers the possibility to improve the lives of older people and people with physical limitations.
The Gardia Emergency Call Wristband has been on the market for several months now. What have the experiences been like? Are older people coping well with it?
Marlon: It was very important to us to make the operation as simple as possible. The Gardia Emergency Call Wristband is not a smartwatch where operation is complicated. We deliberately opted against a display and additional buttons. An emergency call is triggered at the push of a button or by a fall, and a voice connection is established with the emergency contacts. If it is a false alarm, it can also be cancelled by pressing the button again for 3 seconds. It really couldn't be simpler! And our customers appreciate that. We receive numerous messages about how the Gardia Emergency Call Wristband has brought more security into the lives of seniors and their relatives. It's not uncommon for us to read that Gardia has saved lives!
Customer feedback on the Gardia Emergency Call Wristband.
Michael: To minimize the risk of seniors getting into dangerous situations due to empty batteries and frequent charging cycles, we focused on an extremely long battery life. The battery life is up to 21 days and is fully charged again in under two hours. We recommend short charging when relatives are there for coffee and cake. This way, they won't forget to put it on again and are always protected in an emergency. Emergency contacts are also notified in the app if the battery status of the emergency call wristband is low.
Marlon: And specifically about the customer experiences – just watch this video: Customer feedback Gardia Emergency Call Wristband!
Thank you for the informative interview!
See for yourself!
Would you like to experience the benefits of the Gardia emergency wristband for yourself? Nothing could be simpler. You have the opportunity to test the Gardia emergency wristband with fall detection risk-free for a whole month with the 30-day money-back guarantee. If you are not satisfied, you can return the Gardia emergency wristband to us free of charge and receive your money back.
