One Tap to Get Home Safely

Imagine your mum has gone for her usual walk to the shops, but today the streets look different. She cannot quite remember which turning to take. Her heart rate rises. She feels confused and alone. In that moment, she does not need a map with multiple options or a complicated interface. She needs one clear action: "Take Me Home."

OurTurn's Take Me Home feature is exactly that — a large, unmissable button on the Help tab of your loved one's app. When they tap it, Google Maps opens immediately with step-by-step directions to home. No decisions, no confusion, no typing an address. Just a clear path back to familiar surroundings.

This feature was designed with input from dementia care professionals who told us that the most effective tools for people living with cognitive changes are the ones that require the fewest steps and the least decision-making. Take Me Home embodies this principle completely.

The Take Me Home button sits prominently on the Help tab, which your loved one can access from any screen in the app. The button is large, high-contrast, and labelled with clear, simple text. When tapped, it opens Google Maps with the home address pre-filled as the destination.

Google Maps then provides turn-by-turn navigation — walking, driving, or public transport — depending on how your loved one typically travels. The navigation runs in Google Maps itself, which means your loved one benefits from the full power of Google's navigation without needing to understand how to use it. They simply follow the directions.

You set the home address during setup, and you can update it at any time from your caregiver dashboard. If your loved one stays at different locations (for example, alternating between your house and a sibling's house), you can update the home address to match where they are staying that week.

When your loved one taps the Take Me Home button, OurTurn quietly sends you a notification. This is not an alarm or an emergency alert — it is a gentle heads-up that lets you know they may need some extra support right now.

The notification tells you that the button was tapped and includes the location where they were at that moment. This gives you valuable context. If they are near the local shops, you might simply keep an eye on the map and wait for them to arrive home. If they are somewhere unexpected, you can call them or go to help.

This dual approach — helping your loved one in the moment while keeping you informed — is central to how OurTurn works. Your loved one gets immediate, practical help. You get the information you need to decide whether to step in. Nobody is left in the dark.

If you have other family members in your Family Circle, the notification is sent to everyone with caregiver access, so whoever is closest or most available can respond.

Every element of the Take Me Home feature was designed with accessibility in mind. The button uses a minimum font size of 20 pixels, high-contrast colours, and a large tap target that is easy to hit even with unsteady hands. The surrounding interface is uncluttered and calming, using the same warm, gentle design language that runs throughout the patient app.

We deliberately chose to use Google Maps deep links rather than building in-app navigation. This keeps the patient app simple and lightweight, avoids the confusion of switching between different map interfaces, and ensures your loved one gets the most reliable, up-to-date navigation available. Google Maps handles route calculation, traffic, and accessibility routing far better than any custom solution could.

The feature also works offline in a limited way. If your loved one has no internet connection, the app still shows their saved home address and emergency contact information, so they have something to show to a helpful stranger or a police officer if needed.