Consumer Cellular Expands Into Connected Care

SCOTTSDALE, Arizona—Consumer Cellular announced SpeakEasy Connect Care+, expanding its recently launched SpeakEasy brand with a new connected-care experience the company said is designed to help adults age 75 and older maintain their independence while giving families visibility built on what the customer chooses to share.

Approximately three-quarters of adults age 50 and older want to remain in their homes as they age, according to AARP. Consumer Cellular said SpeakEasy Connect Care+ is designed around that preference.

“The goal is to give older adults more confidence to keep doing things on their own and make it easier for families to be there when they’re needed,” said Ed Evans, chairman and CEO of Consumer Cellular. “SpeakEasy Connect Care+ was designed to provide reassurance without hovering so mom or dad can keep living life on their own terms while the people they trust have an easier way to know they’re doing okay.”

Unlike traditional caregiver solutions that can require an older adult to adopt or manage an additional monitoring device, Consumer Cellular said SpeakEasy Connect Care+ is custom-built on Smith Micro’s SafePath OS for Senior Phone platform and integrated directly into SpeakEasy Smart and SpeakEasy Flip. The SpeakEasy customer uses the connected-care features integrated into the SpeakEasy phone they already carry, while contacts download the SpeakEasy Connected Care+ app on their own iOS or Android smartphones. Trusted contacts do not need a SpeakEasy device or Consumer Cellular wireless service to use the SpeakEasy Connect Care+ app. Customers purchasing a SpeakEasy phone receive two months of service free.

Through the SpeakEasy Care app, customers and their trusted contacts can choose the tools and notifications that are most useful to them.

• Location visibility: Trusted contacts can see a customer’s shared location and follow location updates as they become available. The SpeakEasy customer can adjust or turn off location sharing at any time.
• Safety areas & scheduled alerts: Create alerts around specific locations and times, such as knowing when a loved one arrives at or leaves a familiar location or receiving an update at a certain time of day.
• Activity & location history: View available profile activity and, on SpeakEasy Smart, location history and events for a selected day. Profile activity is visible only to the member’s designated trusted contacts.
• Check-ins: Customers can send a check-in to their trusted contacts, including their available location, through a simple prompt on their SpeakEasy phone.
• Mood updates: Customers can share how they’re feeling with trusted contacts, offering a simple way for family to know how they’re doing without a call.
• Device information: View available device information, including battery status on supported SpeakEasy devices.
• Lost-device support: Ring a misplaced SpeakEasy device to help locate it.
• Trusted contacts: Each Connect Care+ account supports up to two trusted contacts selected by the SpeakEasy customer.