How to check on elderly parents in Egypt when you live abroad

For Egyptians in the Gulf, Europe and North America: a daily WhatsApp check-in in Arabic, ambulance 123, and a local circle for the day they go quiet.

By the Athnova Care team · Updated 2026-10-02

Why families abroad worry about parents in Egypt

Egyptian families are spread across the Gulf, Europe and North America, with parents in Cairo, Alexandria, Giza or a governorate in the Delta or Upper Egypt. Many parents live alone after the children leave.

A daily check-in in Arabic, on WhatsApp, tells you every morning that your parent is well, and makes sure someone acts on the day they do not answer.

A daily check-in in Arabic, on WhatsApp

Every morning, at the time you choose on their clock, your parent gets one WhatsApp message in Arabic: did they take their morning medicines? They tap a button — "yes", "not yet" or "please call me" — and you see the answer in the family app.

Nothing to install and no password: the message arrives on the WhatsApp they already use, from a contact called Athnova Care. They can also send a photo of a blood-pressure reading, a prescription or a report at any time.

If the morning message is not answered, a reminder follows about three hours later. Our follow-up phone call does not reach Egypt yet, so if the reminder also goes unanswered you are alerted straight away, and then the neighbour or relative you chose is asked to check.

Emergency numbers in Egypt

Save these in your own phone and in your parent's, and on the fridge. Messages from Athnova Care quote this number when your parent says they are unwell, and so does their emergency card.

Number	What it is for
123	Ambulance
122	Police
180	Fire

We are not an emergency service. In an emergency, your parent or the person with them should call the local number first.

Build a local circle before you need it

Choose two people close to the house — a relative, a neighbour, the building’s bawab — and save their numbers in the app so they are asked to look in if your parent goes quiet.

Put the full address, with the district, street, building and floor, on the emergency card, together with the hospital your parent prefers.

Doctors, hospitals and medicines

Know where your parent is treated: a public hospital, a health insurance hospital, or a private doctor and hospital. Universal Health Insurance is being rolled out governorate by governorate, so check whether it has reached theirs.

Keep a list of their regular medicines and their doctor’s number on the emergency card.

The time difference

Egypt is on UTC+2 and moves to UTC+3 in summer. It is one hour behind Saudi Arabia and two hours behind the UAE in winter, and usually two hours ahead of the UK.

What Athnova Care does and does not do in Egypt

Daily WhatsApp check-in in Arabic or English, with the reply in your app.
An alert to you when they go quiet (the follow-up phone call does not reach Egypt yet).
Alerts to the whole family, then to the neighbour or relative you chose.
An emergency card with their address, medicines, allergies, doctor and contacts, ready to share with a hospital.
Medicine reminders, readings and reports kept in one place for the doctor.
Not offered there: lab tests and medicine refills, which we arrange in India only.

Questions families ask

Are the messages in Arabic?

Yes, in Modern Standard Arabic, worded so the same message reads correctly for a mother or a father. Replies in Arabic are understood.

What is the ambulance number in Egypt?

123 for an ambulance, 122 for the police and 180 for the fire service.

Is there a phone call if they do not reply?

The follow-up call does not reach Egypt yet, so if the message and the reminder go unanswered we alert you and your local circle straight away.

Athnova Care tracks and coordinates care. It does not diagnose, prescribe or replace a doctor. In a medical emergency in Egypt call 123.