Elderly Parent Life Alert?

[statsman 5486]

My MIL (no pics) lives seven minutes away, alone. She is 89 and fairly mobile, but it’s kind of “when”, not “if” on something happening, right?

Anyone have any recommendations on those things old people have where they wear them around their neck and press a button if they need help? Is there a monthly fee for monitoring? Any options without a fee?

Why not use her cell phone? Because she doesn’t use her cell phone. 
 
Any help or suggestions are appreciated 

[thunderlounge 7950]

Same with my MIL, but she’s 25-30min away.

We got her some alexa devices and put them throughout her house. Hooked to her phone so she could ask it to make a call.

She was adamant about not wearing some old lady device. It’s not been pretty. She was starting to get catfished by some mother fucker between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Put a stop to that quick, thankfully got things stopped, and back to square one. Needless to say, it’s been difficult. 

[Nice Guy Eddie 13528]

Doesn't an Apple Watch have fall detection and call someone? Or maybe call 911 for you.  Of course, the wearer has to be with it enough to recharge the watch and actually wear it.

[SimonBolivar 10960]

[Deej 76946]

15 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

Doesn't an Apple Watch have fall detection and call someone? Or maybe call 911 for you.  Of course, the wearer has to be with it enough to recharge the watch and actually wear it.

That's what I did for my mom. She wouldn't think about a life alert, but she has no problem with the watch. Dials me and 911 if she falls. 

[Nice Guy Eddie 13528]

When my mom was in assisted living, she would have her Assist Pendant next to her in bed. When she would walk to the bathroom or wherever, she would leave the pendant in her bed. head slap.

it had a loop so you could wear it around your neck but she didn't like doing that.

[Gil Bang 26048]

1 hour ago, thunderlounge said:

Same with my MIL, but she’s 25-30min away.

We got her some alexa devices and put them throughout her house. Hooked to her phone so she could ask it to make a call.

She was adamant about not wearing some old lady device. It’s not been pretty. She was starting to get catfished by some mother fucker between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Put a stop to that quick, thankfully got things stopped, and back to square one. Needless to say, it’s been difficult. 

exactly what I did for my MIL.   Of course, I also had to put a sign on the wall next to each of them that reads "hey Alexa", beause she had trouble remembering "Alexa".   

They are so cheap these days. 

[Jerry Callo 8734]

Check with her insurance.  My mother's insurance company, Humana, paid for one of the monitoring things.  She chose the one to wear around her neck although there was a watch version as well.

[Prepuce of Doom 21106]

We're sending help immediately, Mrs. Fletcher! 

[MonkeyDoughnut 10357]

6 hours ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

Doesn't an Apple Watch have fall detection and call someone? Or maybe call 911 for you.  Of course, the wearer has to be with it enough to recharge the watch and actually wear it.

My parents are in retirement home and have mentioned Apple watch is the thing everyone is using and recommending there.

[conVINCEd 21469]

Apple Watches here as well.  It really doesn’t matter until they are living alone.  Grandma fell and broke her hip 6 months after grandpa died.  In a senior living facility and she laid on the bathroom floor for over a day before someone checked on her because she missed multiple meals.  Died of pneumonia a month later in a rehab facility.  The watch makes them feel young and hip.  The necklace/lanyard thing makes them feel old.

[Nice Guy Eddie 13528]

3 hours ago, conVINCEd said:

Apple Watches here as well.  It really doesn’t matter until they are living alone.  Grandma fell and broke her hip 6 months after grandpa died.  In a senior living facility and she laid on the bathroom floor for over a day before someone checked on her because she missed multiple meals.  Died of pneumonia a month later in a rehab facility.  The watch makes them feel young and hip.  The necklace/lanyard thing makes them feel old.

Crazy that no one checked on her for a day. 

[conVINCEd 21469]

1 hour ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

Crazy that no one checked on her for a day. 

She lived by herself.  They had full kitchens in their apartments and it wasn’t uncommon for people to go out for meals.  The cafeteria was actually a restaurant with a menu, and it was like a country club, there was a minimum spend per month required, but once you met that minimum, you could do whatever you wanted to. There were months when a few of us would have dinner with them there at the end of the month because they hadn’t met their minimum for the month because they ate out so much and it was use it or lose it.  It was one of the nicer options for this sort of living arrangement in DFW and we had no complaints while they were there.  Old people are just fragile and shit.  Old people living alone need something like an Apple Watch.

[troph 24912]

I just texted my mom. I think I may need to get her an Apple Watch. She lives alone and is 75 in good health though. 

[HRSchenker 2274]

Get a wearable. DO NOT let them depend on a cell phone. We made that mistake with my grandma who broke her leg tripping over a cat. Of course the cell phone was inside the house and she was outside immobilized. Ended up getting help because a neighbor heard her scream a few hours later 

[BottleRocket 647]

My father-in-law lives alone in an independent living place and wears a nurse-call device provided by the facility.  One night he was having digestive issues and literally shit-the-bed.  He called 911 and EMS/FIre department came rolling in.  We asked him why he didn't just press the nurse-call button and he said that he didn't want to cause a fuss.   lol.    Such a joy.

[Nice Guy Eddie 13528]

3 hours ago, BottleRocket said:

My father-in-law lives alone in an independent living place and wears a nurse-call device provided by the facility.  One night he was having digestive issues and literally shit-the-bed.  He called 911 and EMS/FIre department came rolling in.  We asked him why he didn't just press the nurse-call button and he said that he didn't want to cause a fuss.   lol.    Such a joy.

I literally lol-ed with that story. From having a parent in assisted living, I can appreciate that story. I can only imagine the reaction from the care staff when they saw EMS roll up and discover the reason.

[troph 24912]

4 hours ago, BottleRocket said:

My father-in-law lives alone in an independent living place and wears a nurse-call device provided by the facility.  One night he was having digestive issues and literally shit-the-bed.  He called 911 and EMS/FIre department came rolling in.  We asked him why he didn't just press the nurse-call button and he said that he didn't want to cause a fuss.   lol.    Such a joy.

dang I laughed outloud on this. I feel for ya. didn't want to cause a fuss? don't shit your bed or call 911 when you do pops! man getting old and caring for the old is no picnic. ugh.

Edited May 29 by troph

[Gil Bang 26048]

wait a minute.  I can call 911 when I shit the bed?   

[topochico 1049]

Get whatever wearable she is actually willing to use and make sure she knows how to use it to call for help. Be kind but persistent on getting her to agree to use one. The Apple watch is more "hip" but she has to know how to use the SOS function and remember to charge the watch. Depending on how open to new tech your MIL is, that can be a barrier. 

[Slacks 6870]

My grandmother had a life alert, fell down a bunch of times and couldn't get up... Never once pressed the button.

[ROFL BOX 6649]

I am maybe considering something similar for my 79 year old Mom; 3 falls inside of 3 weeks (2 in one week, another yesterday).

 

Mom to me:  "I read where the CDC says if you fall 3x or more in 3 months you'll be dead within 9 months."

 

Yay for that attitude, Mom.

[msbesq 387]

When my mother died, I insisted that my father get one and wear it. He did and he used it a few times when no one was around. I’m glad he had it.

[UTPhil2006 3817]

9 hours ago, ROFL BOX said:

I am maybe considering something similar for my 79 year old Mom; 3 falls inside of 3 weeks (2 in one week, another yesterday).

 

Mom to me:  "I read where the CDC says if you fall 3x or more in 3 months you'll be dead within 9 months."

 

Yay for that attitude, Mom.

Chris Del Conte said that?

[Nice Guy Eddie 13528]

you can attempt to teach parents how to call via voice on the mobile. Siri call 911, or Siri call my lazy son.

[fattyflattie 4638]

Timely thread, dad had a bad fall yesterday while my mother was out. Trying to get to the pasture for some reason - he hasn’t been able to handle the cattle in over 5 years.  Don’t know if he’s got the wherewithal to work the watch.  Shits fucked yo. 

[LaunchPad 10]

I have been using this watch for my Uncle over the past year and it is great.  Can make calls to it, and set up a geo-fence to send alerts.  They can send out SOS to all family members.  It's not the sleekest watch but very simple and so far great.  The best part is it reminds them and you to put it on a charger each night.  At first, I would call when it would alert me that it was charging, and eventually, it became a habit for him.

 

https://www.angelsense.com/gps-tracker-watch/

 

 

[horn4life 3783]

This thread brings up my one gripe about the Apple watch, why not have a much longer battery life? I got used to charging mine, but for an older person? My Dad could do it, but he is fading.  He actually keeps his phone in what I think was a passport bag around his neck.  He is in an independent living apartment and my mom is in memory care, while they await a larger apartment where they both can live together.  Praying that works, but am about to search for caregiving help so that it might work.