OT: Help With Older Mother

K

Kevin Carney

Guest
Hi,
I know this subject has come up before and I highly value the opinions of
both groups. My mom is living by herself and has fallen twice and unable to
get up. Both times she was able to crawl to the phone and get help but it
took a long time to get there. We are looking into some type of service
where she will wear a necklace with an emergency pager. The services are a
little expensive (probably due to liability insurance) but that is OK. Does
anyone have any input ? I was thinking about a very small cell phone
attached to a knecklace. That would give her coverage in and out of the
home. We would have to get her to wear it all the time and charge it at
night near the bed for close reach. I like the ability to program one touch
keys (911, my work, my home, etc). Thank you in advance. Take Care, Kevin

--
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***************************************************
"We ought always to know precisely why a given job
is done in a particular way, and why it is done at
all, and why it can't be done more efficiently,
if it must be done at all."-- T.J.Watson

***************************************************
 
Look at the pendant with 1 button that activates a dialer. If mom falls
real good she may not be able to activate a cell phone...my mom has trouble
with a cell phone on her best days. I feel for you and it's not going to
get better. Take each day in turn, look at the good things and don't have
any expectations.


"Kevin Carney" <carneyke@us.ibm.combo> wrote in message
news:br9rou$no8$1@news.btv.ibm.com...
Hi,
I know this subject has come up before and I highly value the opinions of
both groups. My mom is living by herself and has fallen twice and unable
to
get up. Both times she was able to crawl to the phone and get help but it
took a long time to get there. We are looking into some type of service
where she will wear a necklace with an emergency pager. The services are a
little expensive (probably due to liability insurance) but that is OK.
Does
anyone have any input ? I was thinking about a very small cell phone
attached to a knecklace. That would give her coverage in and out of the
home. We would have to get her to wear it all the time and charge it at
night near the bed for close reach. I like the ability to program one
touch
keys (911, my work, my home, etc). Thank you in advance. Take Care,
Kevin

--
change .combo to .com for correct email

***************************************************
"We ought always to know precisely why a given job
is done in a particular way, and why it is done at
all, and why it can't be done more efficiently,
if it must be done at all."-- T.J.Watson

***************************************************
 
I know I'm in the wrong country here in UK but we had just what you are
describing for my Grandmother and it was literally a life saver. Ours came
from our social services so they are available. Obviously I can't help you
locate one in US but try any bodies who work with the elderly. Hospitals,
charities, social services, invalid suppliers,etc
As Randy says, go for a one button device. If an elderly person falls they
get confused and may not be capable of clear thought.
This is a difficult time for you all but there is much equipment that is
available to help your Mother. Try to get into the subject and you will
discover a world of invalid aids for the elderly.
Good luck.

John
One other thought. Try a wheel chair supplier as well.

"Kevin Carney" <carneyke@us.ibm.combo> wrote in message
news:br9rou$no8$1@news.btv.ibm.com...
Hi,
I know this subject has come up before and I highly value the opinions of
both groups. My mom is living by herself and has fallen twice and unable
to
get up. Both times she was able to crawl to the phone and get help but it
took a long time to get there. We are looking into some type of service
where she will wear a necklace with an emergency pager. The services are a
little expensive (probably due to liability insurance) but that is OK.
Does
anyone have any input ? I was thinking about a very small cell phone
attached to a knecklace. That would give her coverage in and out of the
home. We would have to get her to wear it all the time and charge it at
night near the bed for close reach. I like the ability to program one
touch
keys (911, my work, my home, etc). Thank you in advance. Take Care,
Kevin

--
change .combo to .com for correct email

***************************************************
"We ought always to know precisely why a given job
is done in a particular way, and why it is done at
all, and why it can't be done more efficiently,
if it must be done at all."-- T.J.Watson

***************************************************
 
"Kevin Carney" <carneyke@us.ibm.combo> wrote in message
news:br9rou$no8$1@news.btv.ibm.com...
Hi,
I know this subject has come up before and I highly value the opinions of
both groups. My mom is living by herself and has fallen twice and unable
to
get up. Both times she was able to crawl to the phone and get help but it
took a long time to get there. We are looking into some type of service
where she will wear a necklace with an emergency pager. The services are a
little expensive (probably due to liability insurance) but that is OK.
A shower is tough on a cell phone. I don't know if your mom is disabled or
elderly so the following may not apply. Try your local Social Services
office, inquire about Home and Community Based Services, HCBS. She may
qualify for free Lifeline and may even get a personal assistant.

The following may be more than you wanted to know but...

I have not been following the MICASA bill in congress but it allowed for
those disabled to choose where the funds go nation wide rather than each
state have its own rules. You can go into a nursing home and get a $30 per
month stipend for yourself, or, you stay at home and the $20,000 - $50,000
per year the gov gave to the nursing home for your care can now be used by
YOU for your home care, personal assistants, Night Support, bus passes,
Lifeline, Meals On Wheels, adaptive equipment, etc.

Unless your mom is rich, she qualifies for something, use it.

C
 
Since she is at home, you can give her a cordless phone that is small. Or,
even a cell phone. A cell phone will work anywhere she is, as long as
there is cell service in you area. Cell phones are very easy to program
speed dialling. It is possible to program the phone to have a very simple
speed dial.

For example with most Motorola and other makes of phones, if you hold down a
speed dial key for about 3 seconds, it will dial the pre-programmed number
that you put in. The first 9 digits of the keypad are programmable. Number
1 is reserved for messages on many models, so you have from 2 to 9. Some
makes and models of phones reserve the number 1 for the 911 service. The
user just has to press and hold the number 1 key for about 3 seconds, and
the phone is connected.

Cell phones generally have greater flexibility than the lower cost cordless
phones. The cordless phones will generally be a bit more complicated to use
for speed dialling, depending on the model. You should shop around. Stay
with the known brand names. With a cell phone there will be a monthly fee,
and a minute charge when used, depending on the carrier service in your
area.

--

Greetings,

Jerry Greenberg GLG Technologies GLG
=========================================
WebPage http://www.zoom-one.com
Electronics http://www.zoom-one.com/electron.htm
=========================================


"Kevin Carney" <carneyke@us.ibm.combo> wrote in message
news:br9rou$no8$1@news.btv.ibm.com...
Hi,
I know this subject has come up before and I highly value the opinions of
both groups. My mom is living by herself and has fallen twice and unable to
get up. Both times she was able to crawl to the phone and get help but it
took a long time to get there. We are looking into some type of service
where she will wear a necklace with an emergency pager. The services are a
little expensive (probably due to liability insurance) but that is OK. Does
anyone have any input ? I was thinking about a very small cell phone
attached to a knecklace. That would give her coverage in and out of the
home. We would have to get her to wear it all the time and charge it at
night near the bed for close reach. I like the ability to program one touch
keys (911, my work, my home, etc). Thank you in advance. Take Care, Kevin

--
change .combo to .com for correct email

***************************************************
"We ought always to know precisely why a given job
is done in a particular way, and why it is done at
all, and why it can't be done more efficiently,
if it must be done at all."-- T.J.Watson

***************************************************
 
"Kevin Carney" <carneyke@us.ibm.combo> wrote in message
news:br9rou$no8$1@news.btv.ibm.com...
Hi,
I know this subject has come up before and I highly value the opinions of
both groups. My mom is living by herself and has fallen twice and unable
to
get up. Both times she was able to crawl to the phone and get help but it
took a long time to get there. We are looking into some type of service
where she will wear a necklace with an emergency pager. The services are a
little expensive (probably due to liability insurance) but that is OK.
Does
anyone have any input ? I was thinking about a very small cell phone
attached to a knecklace. That would give her coverage in and out of the
home. We would have to get her to wear it all the time and charge it at
night near the bed for close reach. I like the ability to program one
touch
keys (911, my work, my home, etc). Thank you in advance. Take Care,
Kevin

--
change .combo to .com for correct email
If you're on a tight budget you could get an old cellphone, they work to
dial 911 even without service.
 
"Kevin Carney" <carneyke@us.ibm.combo> wrote in message news:<br9rou$no8$1@news.btv.ibm.com>...
Hi,
I know this subject has come up before and I highly value the opinions of
both groups. My mom is living by herself and has fallen twice and unable to
get up. Both times she was able to crawl to the phone and get help but it
took a long time to get there. We are looking into some type of service
where she will wear a necklace with an emergency pager. The services are a
little expensive (probably due to liability insurance) but that is OK. Does
anyone have any input ? I was thinking about a very small cell phone
attached to a knecklace. That would give her coverage in and out of the
home. We would have to get her to wear it all the time and charge it at
night near the bed for close reach. I like the ability to program one touch
keys (911, my work, my home, etc). Thank you in advance. Take Care, Kevin

--
change .combo to .com for correct email

***************************************************
"We ought always to know precisely why a given job
is done in a particular way, and why it is done at
all, and why it can't be done more efficiently,
if it must be done at all."-- T.J.Watson

***************************************************
Check out a Personal Assistance Voice Dialer from X-10 Products. We
have two of them. No fees. You can call friends or family. They also
have other dialers.
Look at http://www.x10.com/products/x10_pa5800.htm for more
information.
Al
 
You can make such a system yourself fairly inexpensively with
Ademco components readily available on Ebay. Get a Vista 15 alarm
panel, a 5881 RF receiver, and the pocket or panic transmitter.
You connect the system via your home phone line, and the alarm
service can dispatch help.

The range would be limited, but it should work for some distance
outside the house too.

It's easy to program the panel to send a pager message, so you
can notify yourself via your cell phone as well.





"Kevin Carney" <carneyke@us.ibm.combo> wrote in message news:<br9rou$no8$1@news.btv.ibm.com>...
Hi,
I know this subject has come up before and I highly value the opinions of
both groups. My mom is living by herself and has fallen twice and unable to
get up. Both times she was able to crawl to the phone and get help but it
took a long time to get there. We are looking into some type of service
where she will wear a necklace with an emergency pager. The services are a
little expensive (probably due to liability insurance) but that is OK.
 
Kevin

My Mom wears a monitored emergency signal drevice around her neck.
It costs about equivalent US$7.50 per week I think & works well.
The outfit monitoring her distress call have a series of family contacts to
call but if they can not get a anawer when they call mom back the ambulance
service is notified.
Seems simple & it works here in New Zealand, can't believe somthing very
similar is not available eleswhere.
Alternative ideas:
Two way miniaturised VHF radio, Mom has one around neck or attached belt,
friendly neighbour has the other, imperfect but better than nothing.
Garage door opener device modified to sound an external home alarm to alert
the neighbours who check or call emergency services if necessary. Not high
tech but involves the community which is sound practice.
Other options get progressively more expensive & risk prone, hope this
helps.
Pete

"Kevin Carney" <carneyke@us.ibm.combo> wrote in message
news:br9rou$no8$1@news.btv.ibm.com...
Hi,
I know this subject has come up before and I highly value the opinions of
both groups. My mom is living by herself and has fallen twice and unable
to
get up. Both times she was able to crawl to the phone and get help but it
took a long time to get there. We are looking into some type of service
where she will wear a necklace with an emergency pager. The services are a
little expensive (probably due to liability insurance) but that is OK.
Does
anyone have any input ? I was thinking about a very small cell phone
attached to a knecklace. That would give her coverage in and out of the
home. We would have to get her to wear it all the time and charge it at
night near the bed for close reach. I like the ability to program one
touch
keys (911, my work, my home, etc). Thank you in advance. Take Care,
Kevin

--
change .combo to .com for correct email

***************************************************
"We ought always to know precisely why a given job
is done in a particular way, and why it is done at
all, and why it can't be done more efficiently,
if it must be done at all."-- T.J.Watson

***************************************************
 
Thank You Al,
I purchased one of the products you described. Mom is in good health, we
are concerned about her falling again. We don't feel the need for a
monitoring company at this point. Your idea was a great inexpensive answer.
Thank you, Kevin

--
change .combo to .com for correct email

***************************************************
"We ought always to know precisely why a given job
is done in a particular way, and why it is done at
all, and why it can't be done more efficiently,
if it must be done at all."-- T.J.Watson

***************************************************

"Al 2" <rgraphic@vianet.ca> wrote in message
news:c0f0fe53.0312111034.6d236e0b@posting.google.com...
"Kevin Carney" <carneyke@us.ibm.combo> wrote in message
news:<br9rou$no8$1@news.btv.ibm.com>...
Hi,
I know this subject has come up before and I highly value the opinions
of
both groups. My mom is living by herself and has fallen twice and unable
to
get up. Both times she was able to crawl to the phone and get help but
it
took a long time to get there. We are looking into some type of service
where she will wear a necklace with an emergency pager. The services are
a
little expensive (probably due to liability insurance) but that is OK.
Does
anyone have any input ? I was thinking about a very small cell phone
attached to a knecklace. That would give her coverage in and out of the
home. We would have to get her to wear it all the time and charge it at
night near the bed for close reach. I like the ability to program one
touch
keys (911, my work, my home, etc). Thank you in advance. Take Care,
Kevin

--
change .combo to .com for correct email

***************************************************
"We ought always to know precisely why a given job
is done in a particular way, and why it is done at
all, and why it can't be done more efficiently,
if it must be done at all."-- T.J.Watson

***************************************************

Check out a Personal Assistance Voice Dialer from X-10 Products. We
have two of them. No fees. You can call friends or family. They also
have other dialers.
Look at http://www.x10.com/products/x10_pa5800.htm for more
information.
Al
 

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