Community Chat

[goldensrbest]

I don't know anything about this ,but she needs something, thank every one.

[Linmo]

@goldensrbest My 85 year old mom had several falls which included broken ribs and most recently a broken hip.  Since the broken hip, she is no longer able to walk and is in an assisted living facility.  My dad is 88 and lives in their home alone.  He wears a life alert necklace 24/7 in case he needs assistance.  I agree with @geezerette that the person needs to want to wear it.  My FIL had one and never wore it.  

I hope your mom recovers quickly from her injuries.  I also agree with @Vivian that she may need additional support in addition to the necklace.  Best wishes!

[RedTop]

@goldensrbest 

I am very sorry to read of your mothers fall.  

My mother is 87, broke her wrist in a fall off her porch last year, and a fall is what I fear will take her out of her house for good, as it did my grandmother.  

Falls in an elderly person usually winds up changing their lives.   Your mother may go to a rehab facility from the hospital, and will be assessed as to whether she is capable of living alone, or even going back to her home.  

My grandmother failed every part of the physical assessment, and would only be discharged home if she had someone else living with her, or 24 hour care.   A medical alert necklace would've made no difference for her.   Mamaw's best friend laid on her bathroom floor for 5 hours after a fall, with a medic alert necklace around her neck, and didn't remember to push the alert!  

Sending prayers and best wishes to your mom!

[suzyQ3]

I'm so sorry about your mom, @goldensrbest. I hope she recovers quickly. 

[CatsyCline]

My Mom (92) has an ADT system.  She wears the Pendant and there is a call box set up by her TV(also how ADT contacts her). My sister and I are the secondary contacts. When she activates her alert the message goes to her secondaries.  If she does not perform the monthly equipment test guess who gets contacted.    ADT is wonderful - there is a dedicated number so when an alert is activated we can call and speak to a live agent -  there is no hold time and/or delay. Mom used ADT recently  because she could not get up off the floor. She refused to go but she was taken to The Hospital as she takes blood thinners. Medical protocol dictates whether patient situation is to be  escalated. The Paramedics MUST err on the side of caution.  We are grateful for the alert system. Mom has used it multiple times. She has also set off her alarm by accident (she was trying to carry a ver heavy chair and leaned on the button)   The Alert was activated and paramedics arrived, but it was a false alarm. i was informed if it happened again she woud be charged for ambulance dispatch.  

[Luvsmyfam]

am so sorry about your mom goldensrbest.if I was you,I would call your Dr and inquire about a medical necklace.i hope she recoup soon.

[golding76]

goldensrbest,

Your poor, dear mother must be in such pain at this time.  I am sorry that she has fallen twice and wish her a complete recovery -- soon.

I hope that those assisting your mother at this time can help you for I do not know about those medic alert devices other than the ads I've read. 

[deja vu]

I'm sorry about your mom falling.. and I hope she a has a good and quick recovery.

Are you going to be able to go in to see her at the hospital ?

[haddon9]

@goldensrbest So sorry to hear that!  I've been down that road with my own mom.  She had one of those necklaces but refused to wear it. 

She had aides with her for most of the time but not at night until her last year or so.  She was stubbon which made things more difficult. 

Wishing the best for your mom!

[Just Bling]

@goldensrbest 

My mom's health started to decline about the same time, it's going to be very hard on you if you don't have help.

Listen to those Social Workers with one ear, they work for the Hospital and they make you think they are working for you.  After your mom gets out of the hospital she has an opportunity to go to rehab.  Under Medicare, she has up to 100 days but usually the rehab centers are really good with the paperwork and if she's ready or not, they'll release her before the 100 days.

Now that's another issue with rehab, you think they are helping her and I found my mom just sitting there and doing nothing yet they call it rehab.  This was a highly rated place in the State.

Once there at rehab before the 100 days (trust me you'll know), somebody comes in and gives her an assessment if he is able to return to her home, that's pretty tricky too, they actually come to the home and look at the steps, bathroom, bedroom, etc.  If they believe she is not able to return home, you will have to find other arrangements for her either assisted living or nursing home.  

What I'm saying is you think oh great, rehab, that will help her and inturn, you opened a can of worms.

I lived this, this is first hand knowledge.

Also, if they decided that she recovered and was able to go home, bars to hold on should be installed and other safety issues should be addressed, make the area open etc.  My mom didn't want a necklace either and that was hard too.

So they the social worker offered to have a visiting nurse come in.  That was another story, sure you think it's great, all the visiting nurses I encountered came into the home, sat themselves down at the table, opened up the computer and asked a million questions.  Did they actually do anything, no, and that was sad.   So we had rehab in the house too, this guy came, did the same thing as the visiting nurse, asked my mom to raise her leg one at a time and he left, that was one session!  I'm not saying that they are all like that but I sure didn't have any and I mean anything good to say about any of these people.  All they knew was to how to bill Medicare.   So sad.

I also hired a skilled nursing assistant to actually come and live at the house.  Well, her thoughts were different than what was expected of her.  She did absolutely nothing and I mean it, that didn't last long.  She also had her boyfriend come over and bring her food and that scared my mom that strangers were coming to the house.  No one is watching so they believe they can do anything they want.

At the end, my mom was in a skilled nursing facility private pay and if I didn't visit 3X a day, yes, I was there 3X a day, she wouldn't of gotten the care she needs.

Give her a big hug because my mom is gone but overall, I do not regret one minute of my time that I spent watching over her and protecting her.

It will be hard on you, my siblings didn't do a thing and sort of glad they didn't get in the way and I think of you getting your new pup, that was the same time I got my new pup (10 wks old) and took my pup with me when I was with my mom.  

Just hugs, it's not going to be easy and I surely won't tell you it will be.

Please keep my thoughts in the back of your mind.  Our health care system does not support the elderly at all, at times, they wrote my mom off many times and she kept going until no more.