My 95 year old Mom has alzheimer's / dementia and I gently let her know how important it is to wear the Phillips Lifeline Necklace which has fall detection but she forgets (which I understand due to her dementia). She loves wearing her gold necklace. I even took off the string that is threaded through the Lifeline and put a 18K gold plated snake chain through it, but that didn't work either.
Any ideas as I do need to leave the house for 20 to 30 minutes to buy food or pick up her medication.
For those that don't know me, I am a full time caregiver for my Mom (24/7) and I don't have any help nor at this time do I need any help since my Mom is the sweetest person I know and so easy to take care of. I'm scared that she may fall (which she has done in the past).
I do have a smart phone if that makes any difference.
Thanks,
Jenna
Thanks for reminding me that I have them so I could set one up in my Mom's bedroom (where she spends most of her time) and the hallway which she uses to go to the bathroom.
She doesn't remember how to use the telephone and/or answer the telephone (which I forget to mention in my original post).
I will set up my Blink camera's.
Thanks, Jenna
I work with the elderly. When they have had a fall I ask do you have a falls alarm? So many say yes. Were you wearing it? Quite often yes. Did you press the button. Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Answers include they forget they had it, forgot how it worked. Mostly shuffled to a phone to call a relative instead. One lay in a garden all night instead of pressing the button.
My own relative has lain on the floor all night without pressing the button. Oh well, she thought, can't fall any further, just sleep here tonight.
JennaRose, I don't mean to scare you. Just there are situations beyond your control. Providing the alarm IS in your control. Whether Mother pushes the button is not. Falls happen due to a zillion reasons: loss of balance but also due to TIA, stroke, heart attack, blood pressure problems etc. Not everyone who falls call think straight. I gather the necklace is an automated alarm? Better, but not the whole solution.
If she is on the floor she cannot fall further. Yes stroke, head injury, heart attack need immediate treatment but what are your Mother's plans? Does she want CPR? I am sorry to be confronting - but many don't want that.
Maybe try a sitter.
Not good for you to be rushing round the shops in a panic attack ☹️. (((hugs)))
Yes, the necklace has a fall detection alarm. It worked in the past when my Mom fell down (without her pressing the button) because it touches the floor in within seconds someone calls from our local hospital and speaks through the monitor asking if my Mom is okay. My Mom and/or myself talk to the monitor.
I know I can't protect her 100% but I can try with all the devices that are available to me. As I posted I ordered a camera that has a feature where it pans 360 degrees and follows my Mom which I can view on my smartphone as well as talk to her (it has an intercom feature).
When I go out (and that could be once a week) I'm only gone for 30 to 45 minutes (I'm a homebody and enjoy being at home). I don't know if someone would come and sit with my Mom for such a short time. That's why I ordered this camera so I can monitor my Mom when I am out as well as talk to her.
I got really nervous because I had an important eye doctor app't yesterday which was far away so I ended up bringing my Mom with me. She enjoyed the ride (Vermont is beautiful this time of year with the snow-capped trees and mountains). Mom said to me she would like to get out more often.
Thanks for your input,
Jenna
Can the necklace be placed in a pocket each morning? She would not notice it so probably she would leave it alone.
You might also want to consider putting security cameras in the house that you can monitor on your phone.
My Mom is so confused that I don't even know if she knows to press the button. She's only familiar with tasks from her past years except the telephone.
I already have 2 security cameras so I will set them up as I can see her on my phone.
I want to let you know that if your mom has a fall pendant, it is crucial to know that she must wear the pendant outside of her clothes. These pendants need to be able to register the velocity and the impact of a fall. When someone is wearing the pendants on the inside of a shirt, the fall may not register.
Yes, she does wear it outside of the clothes.
Thanks!
I recommend installing cameras around the house that can be monitored via a phone app. For example, people use them for their pets when they need to leave the house. (We have the Kasa app on our phones for that purpose.)
The only alert device that seems to be somewhat reliable is the ankle bracelet that cannot be removed easily. They use them in nursing homes.
My mom, 96, who lives with us did the same thing every night before going to bed. She is still able to put herself to bed and get dressed in the morning. My mom also pushed the button a few times unnecessarily. The one she wears has an automatic fall response. What I had to do, which works for us is I placed tape over the call button. Also, so she does not remove the lanyard, I had to shorten it. Unconventional, but it's working for us. Good luck
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