From Early Warning to Life-Saving Intervention: Case Study Evidence of Persuasive Wearable Health Monitoring in Older Adults and Older Adults With MCI

Consumer persuasive wearables (PWs) collect physiological data and provide feedback that can support self-monitoring. While older adults might benefit from PWs, little is known about how wearable feedback translates into real-world preventive action, particularly for those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). This paper presents narrative case-study evidence from a longitudinal mixed-methods study of 44 older adults (55–86 years; M = 74.25), including 29 with MCI, who wore a commercially available PW for an average of 444 days. Seventeen events were identified where participants reported sharing PW trends with clinicians. This typically occurred after noticing changes in sleep, stress, or cardiovascular indicators. We also identified four serious incidents in which PW feedback served as an early warning cue, supporting the urgent escalation of care and providing reassurance during recovery. These cases highlight how PWs can extend beyond wellness tracking to facilitate preventive decision-making among older adults.