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

For Kenyan families abroad: a daily WhatsApp check-in in English, a phone call if they go quiet, 999 and E-Plus 1199, and a local circle.

By the Athnova Care team · Updated 2026-10-05

Why families abroad worry about parents in Kenya

Kenyan families work in Minneapolis, Dallas, London, Doha, Riyadh and Toronto while parents stay in Nairobi, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Mombasa or up-country. Money moves on M-Pesa in seconds; news of a parent’s fall can take days to reach you.

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

A daily check-in in English, on WhatsApp

Every morning, at the time you choose on their clock, your parent gets one WhatsApp message in English: 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, then a phone call in their language. If the calls go unanswered too, you are alerted, and then the neighbour or relative you chose is asked to check. The call reaches Kenya today.

Emergency numbers in Kenya

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
999	Emergency — police, fire, ambulance (112 also works)
1199	Kenya Red Cross E-Plus ambulance

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 home — a relative, a neighbour, someone from church — save their numbers in the app and agree that a message from us means "please go and check".

Many homes have no street number, so the emergency card should carry the estate or village, road, building or plot, a landmark and a pinned location that a boda boda rider or an ambulance can follow.

Doctors, hospitals and medicines

Make sure your parent is registered with the Social Health Authority (SHA), which replaced the NHIF, and knows which hospital they use. Write the nearest hospital with an emergency department on the card.

Keep a list of their regular medicines and the doctor’s number on the card, and ask them to send a photo of each new prescription on WhatsApp.

The time difference

Kenya is on East Africa Time, UTC+3, all year. It is two hours ahead of the UK in summer and three in winter, the same as Saudi Arabia and Qatar, one hour behind the UAE, and seven or eight hours ahead of New York.

What Athnova Care does and does not do in Kenya

Daily WhatsApp check-in in English or English, with the reply in your app.
A phone call in English when they go quiet.
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

Is the check-in in Swahili?

Not yet: in Kenya the check-in is in English, with short buttons. If your parent would prefer Swahili, tell us at care@athnova.in — it helps us decide which language comes next.

What is the emergency number in Kenya?

999 or 112 for police, fire and ambulance. The Kenya Red Cross E-Plus ambulance answers on 1199.

Is there a phone call if they do not reply?

Yes. If the WhatsApp message goes unanswered, the reminder is followed by a phone call in English.

Athnova Care tracks and coordinates care. It does not diagnose, prescribe or replace a doctor. In a medical emergency in Kenya call 999.