Abby2018 Asked April 2023
Looking for advice on Life Alert systems? Suggestions or preferences?
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Dad (93) still living at home and is cognitively alert, but is now a fall risk. He's fallen twice within in the past week (slid actually trying to put on his socks) off the bed and didn't have the strength to get up initially. For whatever reason his phone was not near him. Please don't suggest it's more than time for AL, we KNOW this. He is receiving Hospice care, but is totally mobile and only relies on a walker for added support. Since he has all his faculties and refuses to leave his home, all we can do is to make him comfortable and do as much as we can to keep him safe. Hence, my question. Any input will be much appreciated. Thank you!
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My mom slid off of the edge of the bed like your dad did. She had Parkinson’s disease and mobility, strength and balance was an issue for her.
Accidents or falls will also happen in a facility. They are just about impossible to prevent.
I’m sorry that your dad has taken a few tumbles. Falls are frightening for them and for the family members.
We had the life alert pendant through my mom’s insurance. She had Humana Gold Plus. It was okay. It did detect falls when they occurred.
I placed a lockbox on my porch. Emergency personnel were able to enter a code to enter our home quickly.
Personally, I felt that calling 911 was faster. In your case, your dad’s phone wasn’t nearby so I understand that he wasn’t able to call 911.
Google information on different devices and select accordingly to what you feel are the best features.
Wishing you and your family all the best.
I had a regional company that was associated with an ambulance company. They covered a large geo area including various small towns and rural areas. I had the same company for my mom as for my DH aunt though they lived 90 miles apart. So I got to know them over the years. In aunts case, since she lived very close to where the ambulance drivers like to wait for their dispatches (a church parking lot), they were there within 5 min on several occasions. Maybe quicker. The way hers worked was if she should fall it would activate. She wasn’t one to fall. She more often hit the pendant by accident when changing. The speaker box on her dresser (connected to a land line) would announce/answer at a loud volume. The phone would ring, if she didn’t answer they would call me, if I did not answer they would dispatch the ambulance. Usually by the time I checked the cameras (I lived two hours away), I would see her entertaining the ambulance drivers (access through lock box) and they would be checking things out. I would call her house to speak to one of them and that would agree all was fine. The one time she did actually fall (forgot she didn’t walk anymore, got up and fell) I and her aide and my DH were right there, I activated the button and the fire department came and got her back into bed. I could have used 911 just as easily but I had it for when I wasn’t there.
My mom fell once when she got up in the night to use her bedside commode. She lay on the floor for several hours. I asked her why she didn’t use her bracelet to call for help. She said she didn’t think they would believe her that she was okay. That they would want to take her to the small town hospital where more harm than good would be done. She was about 95 Or 96. She knew she wasn’t hurt and decided she would wait for my brother who always came by to put her nighttime drops in her eyes. He didn’t come by until very late that night so she had a long wait. Her choice. It was good to know that she had a choice.
So for me it was the response I was concerned about and not so much the unit itself.
If I were you, in addition to the medical alert, I would move dads socks near a safer place for him to sit, evaluate the height of the bed, the texture of his slacks and the bed covers. If you changed it all out it would be easier and less stressful than a potential broken bone. Oh and his weight. Make sure you weigh him on a regular basis and take his BP, O2/pulse. Medicare covers home health for the homebound needing less than 24/7 care and they would do this every week. Helped my elders live at home.
He sounds like he is doing great but he has probably put his socks on many years in that same spot so look about for what has changed. His body weight may have kept him safely grounded before where now he may be too light plus he may have shrunk in height. A little OT/PT might help. It sure helped my elders. An evaluation wouldn’t hurt.
I hope you are doing well. Coming up on a year since your mom passed. I’m sure she is missed.
If he has Alexa or other device it can be programed to call 911. Would he accept that? Granted it would not help if he were outside or away from home. But I am guessing if he were outside or away from home he would have his phone.
If he will use one of the systems then do research and find the one with the best reputation, best price and if there is a one time fee or a monthly fee and how the contract is (can it be discontinued at any time or does the contract run 1 year? 2 years?...)