topic Re: Caregivers/Moms...Need a Baby Monitor System with Specific Features in Community Chat

Caregivers/Moms...Need a Baby Monitor System with Specific Features

Yardlie — Thu, 04 Jan 2018 23:10:56 GMT

Hi all ... My 93 year old mother has reached the point in her dementia that she frequently needs to wake us up at night. I believe it is dangerous for her to be walking around in the dark, and she usually doesn't use her cane.

We have been told to try a baby monitor system. We would like a system that does not have video, as we do not want to invade her privacy to that extent. We want a system that will allow us to hear her, but we do not want her to be able to hear what we are talking about in our bedroom. On the other hand, we do want the system to have a feature so that we can turn on our unit for her to hear us if we need to answer her.

Any suggestions? Thanks so much!

Re: Caregivers/Moms...Need a Baby Monitor System with Specific Features

Zhills — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 00:39:53 GMT

Battery operated doorbell with chimes..

I bought one of these when I was sick and my help was on the other side of the house. Is she able to use such a device? Will she use it?

Just gave mine to my neighbor when she broke her shoulder. Said it was a life saver!

Re: Caregivers/Moms...Need a Baby Monitor System with Specific Features

Yardlie — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 01:00:49 GMT

Thanks, Zhills. I can see how that would be useful when you want to alert someone that you need something. It reminds me of when we were kids and at home sick. My mother used to give us a little bell to shake when we needed her. For us, it isn't quite what we need for my mother. We need some way of conversing with her when she is in her bedroom.

Re: Caregivers/Moms...Need a Baby Monitor System with Specific Features

Marp — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 01:29:29 GMT

@Yardlie, perhaps this would work for your situation:

https://www.dailydot.com/debug/amazon-alexa-intercom-system/

Re: Caregivers/Moms...Need a Baby Monitor System with Specific Features

Yardlie — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 01:37:11 GMT

@Marp wrote:
@Yardlie, perhaps this would work for your situation:

https://www.dailydot.com/debug/amazon-alexa-intercom-system/

Thanks! Fascinating what you can do with all this technology these days. My only concern would be that my mother would evesdrop on us in our bedroom...she is already listening in on phone calls, so the landline is going.

Re: Caregivers/Moms...Need a Baby Monitor System with Specific Features

Nightowlz — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 01:47:15 GMT

@Marp wrote:
@Yardlie, perhaps this would work for your situation:

https://www.dailydot.com/debug/amazon-alexa-intercom-system/

@Yardlie @Marp Yes Alexa would work. We have one in our bedroom & one in the living room. When I go to bed I wake up DH but he always falls back asleep. From our bedroom I can tell Alexa to Drop In on the living room so I can keep saying wake up. LOL!!!

I guess you could Drop In on her room to see if you can hear anything. You would need to turn up the volume.

She would not be able to eavesdrop on you unless she knows how to use it. You do have to say Drop In on what you name the location. Name your bedroom something she cannot figure out.

Re: Caregivers/Moms...Need a Baby Monitor System with Specific Features

Greeneyedlady21 — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 02:00:50 GMT

I have a V Tech from Amazon, I can look it up on my account for you. No video, and I can press a button on mine to talk to my Mom. I can hear everything she says without her pressing anything. Can hear her tv, when she gets up with her walker, everything. It's worked very well for me.

Re: Caregivers/Moms...Need a Baby Monitor System with Specific Features

Greeneyedlady21 — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 02:04:59 GMT

@Yardlie It's V Tech DM221. 1000 ft range. I paid 30 dollars for it.

Re: Caregivers/Moms...Need a Baby Monitor System with Specific Features

NJgirl — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 02:47:30 GMT

I hope I can provide some useful info for you from my situation caring for my 95 year old mother. I have used a couple of different monitors. My Mom is bed bound so I need to be able to hear whether she was in trouble physically or if she needed something. I found the monitors with 2 ‘parent units’ to be the best solution. I placed the base unit near her bed and the two mobile units went on my bedroom nightstand and the other downstairs in the kitchen. The 2 brands I used were VTech and Willcare. It gave me so much more freedom as I could clip on the one downstairs and go out in the yard for gardening or shoveling snow. Since your Mom is still mobile look for a base unit that you can clip on her so she will have it when she is mobile but you plug it in at night next to her bed.

I bought both of them on Amazon. There are different models but most are under $50.

i wish you all the best.

Re: Caregivers/Moms...Need a Baby Monitor System with Specific Features

Yardlie — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 15:42:12 GMT

@Marp, @Nightowlz ... Sounds fascinating. I'll look into Alexa. Didn't know it could be used that way. Thanks so much!

Re: Caregivers/Moms...Need a Baby Monitor System with Specific Features

Yardlie — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 15:45:24 GMT

@Greeneyedlady21, @Catch71 ... You both suggested Vtech (and Willcare from NJgirl). They just might be exactly what I am looking for. Thank you so much! Thanks for looking up the number on Amazon, @greeneyedlady!

Re: Caregivers/Moms...Need a Baby Monitor System with Specific Features

Mistic — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 19:14:41 GMT

I had the same issues as you. Purchased "Infant Optics." #1 Rated by Parents on Amazon. Amazing features. Up and down volume, zooom in and out, adjust lighting for day or night vision, tracking up & down, left & right, you can speak to her by holding button, etc... etc... Will get the Item # if you are interested. HTH

Re: Caregivers/Moms...Need a Baby Monitor System with Specific Features

Yardlie — Sat, 06 Jan 2018 15:18:41 GMT

Thanks, everyone for all the suggestions. I'll check all of them out.