Wellness

[CatsyCline]

To save doors from damage, you can buy a Lockbox to hold a key outside the home so the door can be opened by the EMTs. The EMS service has the combination on file and relays to the EMTs.

My Mom kept her spare key in a clothespin bag so they knew to look there.  

[SilleeMee]

Years a go I had LifeAlert and it was connected to my landline. I no longer have it but a friend told me that she has one for her disabled son and that it's also connected to her landline. She said the ones connected to cellphones can be vulnerable to disconnect especially if you live in an area, rural mostly, where cell towers have problems in storms. Landlines are more reliable in those instances. Something to think about.

[mspatmac]

@On It 

I got an apple Watch a couple months ago and love it.  In case of a car accident, home accident, fall and are unconscious it will call both my son and 911 automatically with my location immediately.  No relay through a third party and no monthly fee.  I can also activate manually.  It does need to be recharged if that is a deal breaker.

I also have an iPhone as do my kids so they know where I am all the time while traveling or anywhere in the country, even the grocery store. I have enabled such permission, .  I  understand from past threads that many don't see the value in cell phones etc, but there is so much available to kelp us all safe.

[Skyegirl21]

Yes Catsy, I did get a lockbox for that purpose. A great idea!

[Kachina624]

@mspatmac    If one buys an Apple phone, then an Apple watch, you're talking about a considerable investment of over $1,000 for a device(s) with a limited lifespan which must be frequently recharged.  That's not practical for many people and certainly not for someone with no tech knowledge or skills.

[patbz]

Amazon has a similar service which is much more cost effective than Life Alert or an Apple Watch.  Its " Call toU" ($33.95 on early prime).  I had a friend who was nearing 80 who lived alone but had many friends ( also elderly). I suggested that she pair with several friends who could call one another in the morning and.the evening and take action if they got no response.  Years ago my MIL, who lived alone ( but had 2 local kids; one of whom visited in the evening on his way home from work and the other did her shopping and cleaning).  Guess what, my MIL tripped over her small dog and hit her head on b.r. sink.  She laid on floor for 1 1/2 days and both kids were out of town and assumed the other was home. We lived 5 hrs away so were of no help in this case.  When she was found, she was hospitalized and after that point she was never the same. So anything you can use as a backup system increases the likelihood that won't happen to your loved one.

[mspatmac]

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@Kachina624 wrote:

@mspatmac    If one buys an Apple phone, then an Apple watch, you're talking about a considerable investment of over $1,000 for a device(s) with a limited lifespan which must be frequently recharged.  That's not practical for many people and certainly not for someone with no tech knowledge or skills.

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@Kachina624 

Valid points but every product is not affordable or practable for everyone.  It was a discussion of Life Line type products and I was mearly explaining what I utalize as others explained what they have or provided their parent(s). 

[Lilysmom1]

@On It , I was going to mention Apple Watch as well.  I have had one for four or five years and would not be without it.  

When I work in the garden sometimes I dig holes in some pretty hard conditions requiring quite a bit of force.  My Apple watch detects the force of the movement and prompts me with 'Did you Fall?"

I have also gotten the prompt if I shake out pillow cases before hanging to dry.  

If the techie mountain isn't too high to climb, I would certainly recommend and there is no monthly fee to pay.  LM

PS, I see from reading on that it is not for everyone but good info to get out there.  

Also smart idea to have a lockbox outside.  I have a Weiser electronic door that opens with a keypad touch pad.  I keep the lockbox outside in case it fails.

[Eileen in Virginia]

My 97 year old Aunt has had a lanyard (I'm not sure which brand) for the past 4 years after she laid on the floor for over a day before anyone found her. Hers is for use in her house and is tied to her land line. She didn't feel she needed an outdoor version because she never went outside alone. So far, this has worked for her. 

She last used it about 6 months ago when she had a nosebleed that she couldn't stop and was weak from blood loss. She pushed the button on her lanyard and they had the EMT's there very quickly. Unfortunately, they had to break through the back door, so I'll ask her about hiding a spare key. I'll also look into the notification option, as she didn't tell us about this trip to the ER until the next day.  

BTW, one of my friends lives with her husband, who has dementia. Her husband doesn't remember how to use the telephone, so I recommended she look into subscribing to one of these services. She has a number of health issues and is very wobbly on her feet.  If she fell or had another serious incident, he wouldn't be able to get help. 

[chrystaltree]

We've been talking about that. I'm happy my disabled sister has one.  My upstairs neighbor who is around my are but has some condition that requires an ambulance and paramedics on occasion.  Friday she fell off the toilet and could not pull herself up.  She was yelling for help, apparently for quite some time until her upstairs neighbor heard her.  Her door was locked.  No one could get in and they wasted a LOT of time trying to kick the door in.  Finally, they called for an ambulance and those paramedics had to call the fire department to get in her door.  This is where hubby and I got home.  They get in and and the ambulance whisks her off to the hospital but thank heavens, it had not been a medical event.   She just fell off the toilet bowl.  If she'd had a Life Alert device, she would have had help in minutes.  I think if she'd had a heart attack or stroke, it's likely she would not have survived after all the time that was wasted.