As winter approaches, iSharing reports higher GPS safety app setup completion rates during Thanksgiving and Christmas when families gather together
As families gather around holiday tables this season, a growing number are having an uncomfortable but necessary conversation: convincing aging parents to install GPS tracking apps before winter’s dangers set in. According to iSharing‘s data, family invitation completion rates are significantly higher on days when families gather together, such as weekends, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
The timing isn’t coincidental. Winter poses unique threats to older adults, especially the nearly 30% of adults age 65 and older who live alone according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That figure jumps to 43% among women age 75 and older. Cold weather, early sunsets, icy sidewalks, and holiday travel create what safety experts call “a perfect storm” for falls, disorientation, and life-threatening delays in emergency response. For families separated by distance, the anxious daily phone check is no longer sufficient protection.
“Winter is not only the most dangerous season for older adults, it is also the one time of year when most families are physically together,” said Yongjae Chuh, CTO and Co-Founder of iSharingSoft. “We’re encouraging families to install the app during Thanksgiving and Christmas when parents are more likely to accept help and family members have time to set up alerts and walk them through how it works.”
The holiday installation approach addresses a common barrier: resistance from parents who see safety monitoring as an invasion of privacy or admission of decline. When the conversation happens face-to-face, during a time associated with family care and togetherness, seniors are more willing to participate. The in-person setup also ensures the technology is properly configured before adult children return home.
iSharing, which serves more than sixty million users worldwide, has seen dramatic growth in senior adoption – 75.3% in the United States alone during 2025.
The risks facing elderly adults living alone are significant. A study published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy examined 207 missing elderly drivers with dementia over a 10-year period and found that approximately one-third were never found. Even small changes like missing the same exit, taking longer than usual to return home, or adding unexplained stops can be early warning signs worth tracking before they escalate into a crisis.
For families navigating the difficult transition between full independence and assisted living, winter presents daily anxieties. Did Mom make it home from the grocery store? Is Dad driving in the dark? Has anyone checked in since this morning? These questions multiply during the holiday season when routines are disrupted and weather is unpredictable.
iSharing’s Elderly Care GPS features are designed specifically for these concerns. What sets iSharing apart from other GPS tracking apps is its automatic inactivity alert system – a feature not commonly found in competitor apps. The app automatically notifies families when no movement has been detected for an extended period, which is critical during winter months when a fall on ice could leave someone stranded in cold temperatures. Real-time location awareness provides peace of mind, while geofencing notifies caregivers if a parent unexpectedly leaves designated safe zones around home, senior centers, or familiar routes.
The app also includes instant SOS emergency alerts and driving behavior monitoring to detect concerning patterns. Perhaps most importantly, users can access an entire year of location history, allowing families to identify gradual changes in behavior that might indicate cognitive decline or health issues. The kind of subtle shifts that are easy to miss during brief holiday visits.
“The hardest part is starting the conversation,” Chuh noted. “But when it happens around the dinner table, with family present and love evident, parents understand it comes from a place of care, not control.”
The platform’s design acknowledges the reality of how seniors use technology. Battery conservation features ensure that parents who forget to charge their phones regularly aren’t left unprotected. The interface is simple enough for older adults to navigate, and the ability to share access with multiple siblings means caregiving responsibilities can be distributed rather than falling on one person.
Traditional safety solutions like emergency pendants require seniors to remember to wear them and press a button during a crisis. Medical alert systems need specialized hardware and monthly fees. By contrast, iSharing works on the smartphones many seniors already carry, requires no additional equipment, and focuses on preventing emergencies rather than just responding to them.
The holiday timing strategy reflects a broader understanding of family dynamics. Adult children often feel guilty about living far from aging parents, while seniors struggle with accepting help that might signal loss of independence. Thanksgiving and Christmas visits provide natural opportunities to address safety concerns in the context of family bonds rather than clinical necessity.
“We’ve heard from thousands of families who say the same thing,” Chuh explained. “I wish we had done this sooner. Someone got lost, or fell, or didn’t answer the phone for hours, and that’s when they realized they needed better tools. Our message is: don’t wait for the emergency. Use this holiday visit to protect the people you love.”
The company has created step-by-step guides for adult children to help navigate the conversation with parents. The approach emphasizes mutual peace of mind, children worry less, parents gain access to quick help if needed, rather than framing it as surveillance or acknowledging decline.
As winter deepens and families return to their separate homes after the holidays, the safety questions intensify. The next snowstorm, the next icy morning, the next time a parent doesn’t answer the phone, these moments of anxiety are when families most regret not having taken action during their Thanksgiving visit.
This winter, iSharing is placing its focus on one message: Do not wait for an emergency to wish you had acted earlier. Install now while you are home. Protect the people you love before the worst happens. The holiday table is where difficult conversations happen, where family decisions are made, and where love translates into action.
For families dreading the “safety talk” with aging parents, the alternative is worse: the phone call that comes too late, the hours of not knowing, the regret that arrives after tragedy. The few minutes it takes to install an app during a holiday visit could make the difference between prevention and crisis.
About iSharing
iSharing is a real-time location sharing and safety platform designed to protect families across generations. With more than 60 million users worldwide, the app has become a leading solution for families seeking to keep elderly parents safe during high-risk winter months. The platform provides live GPS tracking, inactivity detection, instant SOS alerts, comprehensive location history, and driving monitoring, all without requiring specialized hardware. iSharing’s philosophy centers on preventing emergencies before they happen and making modern safety accessible to every family during the times that matter most.
The app is available for download in the App Store and Google Play.
For more information, please visit isharingsoft.com
Yunjoo Park
iSharingSoft
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