A week of looking after Mum from across town
A guide by Joey Tan, FiveClose · 12 November 2026. An example family: the names and places are made up, the screens and notes are what FiveClose sends.
Ann is 78 and lives on her own. Her son David lives across town and works long days; his sister lives abroad. Ann shares her location with them in FiveClose (she said yes once, and can stop any time). She doesn't open the app much, and she doesn't have to. Here is one ordinary week.
Monday: nothing to do
At 8 in the evening David gets one note: "Mum today: home all day, no stops at her usual places." That's normal for a Monday. He doesn't ring to ask "are you alright?". He calls on Wednesday to chat instead.
Tuesday: the market
FiveClose found Ann's usual places by itself from where her phone stops: home, the market, the temple, a friend's flat. The evening note says "Market 09:10. Phone 64%." Nothing else: no map to read, no notification each time she moves.
Thursday: a doctor's appointment
On Monday David opened Ann's card and tapped ⏰ Remind Mum: "Doctor, Thursday 10:00". On Thursday at 10 her phone shows the reminder, and Home has a big Done ✓. Just after 11 David gets "Mum: Doctor ✓". If she hadn't ticked it by 11, he'd have had one note suggesting a call.
FiveClose then offered David a way to share this: "Share the care with a brother or sister?". He sent the link to his sister, who joined from abroad. Now both of them see who reached Mum last.
Sunday: not at the temple yet
Ann is at the temple most Sundays by about 9:50. This Sunday, at 10:50, David gets one note: "Mum isn't at the temple yet. Usually there by 09:50 on Sundays. Maybe check in?" He calls. She's fine, just tired and staying in. It took two minutes, and he didn't spend the morning wondering.
That note only comes when it's a real habit (three of the last four weeks), only an hour after her latest usual time, and only while her phone is still sending where it is. When Ann goes to visit her sister, she taps ✈️ Going away and these notes rest until she's back.
Sunday evening: the week in a few words
"Mum's week: out on 4 days, 6 stops. Went to Market, Temple." That's the whole letter. If she ever spends far longer in one place than she ever has (three hours or more, in the daytime, away from home), she's asked "All OK?" first, and David is told only if she doesn't answer.
What Ann does
- Nothing, most days. Her phone moving counts as "I'm OK".
- Taps Done on a reminder.
- Answers "All OK?" on the rare day it asks.
She can see her own places and delete a day, or all of it, under You → My places. Nobody outside her close circle sees any of this.