Using technology for the elderly to call for help

[TopCat]

Good luck with the support you give.

 

[sim667]

Thanks for all the helpful replies.

She has an OH woman coming round on Monday. She absolutely does need a stairlift skyscraper101 , I've asked her to ask about it, let's hope she does. I said a new one would cost around £2k and she said 'oh no, I couldn't afford that'. (Her sister died last year childless and intestate so yes, she bloody can, as long as her son, who is handling the sale of her sisters house, isn't ripping her off. I don't think he is, but it's difficult to tell).

I hear what you are all saying about the careline thingy, but she's an obstinate soul and it's a very fine line I have to tread. She had a real go at me a couple of months ago for 'treating her like a child'. But since her fall, she is more receptive to the idea. Lifeline is the company I spoke to yesterday felixthecat , it's £4.70 a week or £7.98 if you want them to come round and pick you up off the floor rather than just call friends/family/emergency services. Again hopefully OH will get her to sign up again.

She does have a smartphone and if you can ask Alexa to call someone, then I think it would be better than nothing. I will practice on mine first. Echo Show looks interesting.

It’s worth having them come round and pick them up. If an ambulance can’t get there quick enough it often becomes considered a long lie, and paramedics will get very touchy about rhabdomyalysis and kidney injuries, and will quite often convey them off the basis of that.

Does she have carers? Often it’s worth having a carer just so someone is making contact with them in person daily, and they can watch out for confusion (often indicative of UTI’s preceding a fall) etc.

The best thing you can do is keep them socialised and active, they’ll remain much more independent that way. A care button is much more practical than an Alexa, if they ever have a breathing problem and are stuggling to speak then an Alexa will be useless, with a care button it sets of a chain of events (notifying a relative, calling an ambulance, calling a falls team if they pay for that).

Whilst I appreciate these things are expensive to have in place, the reality is she’ll eventually lose her independence and it’s better to have these things sorted before she’s found having messed herself on the floor, dehydrated, malnourished with an acute kidney injury. Also she’s of an age now where broken hips or pubic rami fractures are a real risk.

The longest I’ve been to was someone who was stuck on the floor for 7 days, because they had none of this stuff in place, they were only just alive.

Also the key safe stops people putting in her front door during a concern for welfare…… she’d have to pay to have that repaired.

 

[A380]

On the key safe front a good low tech addition is to get a key cutting place to do a plastic or metal plaque with a couple of contact mobile numbers on it and fix that to the wall by the key safe. Makes it much easier for any emergency types that need to get in and also others people ( meal or medication delivery people etc) if the occupant sleeps during the day or has hearing loss. Have this for the in-laws and has proved really useful. My and Ms 747’s numbers.

 

[newme]

Check with her local authority. Ours had some funding for non-means tested assistive technology. In laws got given a central station monitoring device, with emergency pendants, fall watches and smoke detectors all connected, we assumed they’d have to pay because of their savings but they didn’t.

Yeh I had to setup a contract for a bunch of Technology Enabled Care devices for a big council. Cost the council a fair bit but it was part of the leaving hospital procedure they had to get assessed for whatever they could do to help people stay at home. Or get back to home and out of hospital beds etc.

 

[hash tag]

Careline isn't the only option, there are about five companies operating in this space with a range of tariffs according to what is needed (eg a pendant that allows you to call for help is cheaper than one that also has falls detection built in). I think my dad had the age UK one. Some advice in this which article:

How to buy the best personal alarm - Which?

Find the best personal alarm for you or a loved one. Our guide covers everything from the best service providers to how much to spend, plus the top features to look out for

www.which.co.uk

Check this first, it might be a much better service and might be cheaper. ( More tomorrow, I have to go out now)..

It's a straight flight. I've seen ads for £495 reconditioned and installed but possibly a bit dodgy. I suspect a lot of these don't get used much as they probably don't get installed until the owners are are on their last legs (bad joke, sorry).

We had a recon one installed for mil a few years back, complete with service plan and it's still going strong.
Feel free to pm if you want.

 

[Boudicca]

Thanks for all your comments about the careline, unfortunately it is not me that needs to be convinced. But maybe I could read the thread out loud to her.

My hopes are pinned on the OH lady coming around tomorrow.

 

[Saul Goodman]

After my mother fell and broke her hip, we got her an Ajax house alarm. It has a pendant which she wears around her neck, and if there's an emergency, she can press the button on the pendant and all nominated users will get a notification to the app on their phone.
You can choose to pay extra for monitoring, if you want, otherwise it's free.

 

[hash tag]

Thanks for all your comments about the careline, unfortunately it is not me that needs to be convinced. But maybe I could read the thread out loud to her.

My hopes are pinned on the OH lady coming around tomorrow.

Few hour wait for an ambulance or maybe half an hour or so for a care line responder (depending on type of alarm and where she lives).
It's keeping her independent at home without being intrusive.
It's just just because I work for an alarm service, I told my father he was having one; it saved his life once or twice
After much convincing, my mil has now had one for a few years. She has used it maybe 3 or 4 times and it has become a comfort blanket for her. She is inserapable from it.

 

[Boudicca]

After my mother fell and broke her hip, we got her an Ajax house alarm. It has a pendant which she wears around her neck, and if there's an emergency, she can press the button on the pendant and all nominated users will get a notification to the app on their phone.
You can choose to pay extra for monitoring, if you want, otherwise it's free.

That exactly the way my thoughts were going, thank you. If all the careline HO is going to do is call family or neighbours, the alarm may as well do it directly. Obviously the more expensive systems have better follow up, but that comes at a cost. I will of course be advocating for the more expensive option on the basis that she is paying for a service and doesn't have to rely on favours from friends and neighbours.

 

[Boudicca]

Few hour wait for an ambulance or maybe half an hour or so for a care line responder (depending on type of alarm and where she lives).
It's keeping her independent at home without being intrusive.
It's just just because I work for an alarm service, I told my father he was having one; it saved his life once or twice
After much convincing, my mil has now had one for a few years. She has used it maybe 3 or 4 times and it has become a comfort blanket for her. She is inserapable from it.

I feel I might be getting one myself soon....

 

[hash tag]

That exactly the way my thoughts were going, thank you. If all the careline HO is going to do is call family or neighbours, the alarm may as well do it directly. Obviously the more expensive systems have better follow up, but that comes at a cost. I will of course be advocating for the more expensive option on the basis that she is paying for a service and doesn't have to rely on favours from friends and neighbours.

The main scheme I work for care line has professional responders, which is why I suggested you check with your local authority to see if the offer an alarm and how it's operated. We are 24/7. Have enhanced DBS checks, first aid certs, training in manual handling, lifting gear etc.
It's quick, professional, quite often saves the ambulances work and it can save lives.
Just lying on the floor too long without injury can be fatal for some people.

 

[hash tag]

I feel I might be getting one myself soon....

We have clients as young as 39 ish ( just saying).

 

[Boudicca]

The main scheme I work for care line has professional responders, which is why I suggested you check with your local authority to see if the offer an alarm and how it's operated. We are 24/7. Have enhanced DBS checks, first aid certs, training in manual handling, lifting gear etc.
It's quick, professional, quite often saves the ambulances work and it can save lives.
Just lying on the floor too long without injury can be fatal for some people.

I have checked and the Lifeline service BCP offer is £8 per week. It's my job to persuade her it's worth it.

 

[hash tag]

I have checked and the Lifeline service BCP offer is £8 per week. It's my job to persuade her it's worth it.

Professional responders or family and friends. F&F is better than nothing but not nearly as good as a professional service.
Our top rate ( out of 3 rates ) is just over £8 a week, no other costs, no long term contract. The cost of 2 pints or 10 fags, or a bottle of wine a week, although still a lot to people on a limited budget.
Worth every penny though.

 

[ouirdeaux]

Another vote for alarm+keysafe. Trust me, every careline is used to false alarms. Better the occasional mishap than to be trapped lying on the floor until you die.

 

[hash tag]

Another vote for alarm+keysafe. Trust me, every careline is used to false alarms. Better the occasional mishap than to be trapped lying on the floor until you die.

Totally agree. I tell anyone who will listen that I am happy to visit a false alarm at 2 in the morning. The other side of this coin which upsets me is people who have it and don't or cannot use it when necessary. It is dangerous, uncomfortable and unnecessary to be stuck in the floor for a long time, not to mention, painfull, uncomfortable and possibly embarrassing.

 

[scifisam]

Drop in function?

Hopefully that is only from within the house and not thousands of miles away? (Unplugs the Alexa).

You can do it from anywhere but only from your own phone to your own Alexa. I've used it to drop in to my Alexa at home when my daughter wasn't getting up for college and wasn't answering her phone. It does tell you someone is going to drop in, though, and make a sort of white noise sound as well as whatever noises the person dropping is making, and it lights up, so it's not exactly covert.

Agreed with everyone else that it'd be a useful back-up but not enough for someone who's already had a fall. Careline and similar aren't cheap, but they're really a tool to retain your independence, not lose it.

 

[hash tag]

From felixthecat's post, that looks like an analogue alarm. Be warned, as analogue telephone lines being phased out, this alarm might well be obsolete in less than 2 years. It appears to include a falls detector; I am not a fan. These activate when you don't want them to, but, crucially they often do activate when falling. They need a sharp tap to activate automatically. If some falls gently to the floor there is a good chance it will not activate. People rely on them more than they should

Lifeline Fall Detector Alarm Monthly Plan VAT EX

Shop for the Lifeline Fall Detector. The detector automatically alerts our 24/7 Response Team when you have a fall, getting you help faster. Find out more now.

www.lifeconnect24.co.uk

 

[Boudicca]

You can do it from anywhere but only from your own phone to your own Alexa. I've used it to drop in to my Alexa at home when my daughter wasn't getting up for college and wasn't answering her phone. It does tell you someone is going to drop in, though, and make a sort of white noise sound as well as whatever noises the person dropping is making, and it lights up, so it's not exactly covert.

Agreed with everyone else that it'd be a useful back-up but not enough for someone who's already had a fall. Careline and similar aren't cheap, but they're really a tool to retain your independence, not lose it.

Thanks. I've been thinking about getting an Alexa for my mother and step-father and I think I definitely will now.

 

[hash tag]

If you go down the family, friends and neighbours route as responders, please be very careful; this causes endless grief.
Make sure they have been told that they are on this list and what is expected of them. I have called neighbours/friends who
weren't aware of this and wouldn't attend or were very reluctant to do so.
if they do attend, will they be capable of assisting the injured party without hurting themselves or the faller.
Will the responder and the faller be happy for a friend or neighbour to attend in "embarrassing" situations. I have attend people
who are naked, who have soiled themselves and the like; yes, I have helped clean them up.
Will they be happy to attend in the small hours of the morning. I am reluctant to call friends or neighbours in the wee small hours but
have called nearby family members who have had their phones switched off, which is pointless.
If someone has fallen, you can get in a tussle between 111 and 999. 999 are often reluctant to take these calls these days and refer you
to 111. Calling 111 can take forever and is often not very easy, all the different options you have to keep selecting.

 

[izz]

As an aside, for anyone with family or friends who refuse to have an alarm, pill dispensers are available that text or email contacts when pills are dispensed. Provided much peace of mind when Stubborn Mother refused an alarm, at least we knew she was up and about

 

[ouirdeaux]

If someone has fallen, you can get in a tussle between 111 and 999. 999 are often reluctant to take these calls these days and refer you
to 111. Calling 111 can take forever and is often not very easy, all the different options you have to keep selecting.

At the moment -- these policies change fairly often -- 999 will arrange ambulances for fallers who are 65 or older, or who are vulnerable (ill-defined). This applies to London, and things may be different elsewhere.

Paradoxically, calling 111 can sometimes result in a quicker result, as some London boroughs have dedicated falls teams, which 111 can call on but not 999. People who are lying on the floor with minor injuries or none are not going to be a high priority, unfortunately. So if you're calling in for someone who you think has fallen because they're having a stroke or other medical emergency, be sure to mention this.

 

[hash tag]

At the moment -- these policies change fairly often

Don't I bloody know it
111 are operated by different companies or have different call centre's; never worked out which and there is no link up between the two.
It has taken me over 30 minutes to contact 111 before now. Always a good one to mention is if someone is taking blood thinners.
111 call handlers also stick ridgedely to their script. Me, the person has fallen, they cannot answer the phone.
Them; I will have to get a clinician to call them back!

 

[felixthecat]

OK recent experience after a fallen mother in severe pain, but breathing, conscious and no obvious broken bones (I'm PHIC trained).checked out and CT scanned at hospital all OK went home. Pain escalated significantly that night
Called 111 as no immediate danger to life and has been assessed in ED, said will call back. 4hrs later called back to say they don't have a clinician to speak to me. Waited 2 hrs then called Dr's surgery as it opened. Spoke to practice nurse, prescribed 15mg codeine. Didn't help at all, mums pain worsening so called 999. They passed me to clinician who prescribed 30mg codeine and told me to call back if didn't help. Of course it didn't help, called back, asked to call 111 as not an emergency. Called GP again as couldn't face 111, sent a paramedic out. He wasn't happy so ordered ambulance to take her back to ED - couldn't get her out of bed let alone into a car. Waited 15, yes FIFTEEN, hours for the ambulance, lovely paramedics got her stoned out of her head (was amusing to see a clearly wasted little 89 year old lady grinning inanely) to get her in a chair and down the stairs and back to ED where 2 spinal fractures were diagnosed.

This is what to expect guysFuck the Tories

 

[Thora]

Thanks. I've been thinking about getting an Alexa for my mother and step-father and I think I definitely will now.

You can drop in from your phone or from another Alexa - I can drop in on my mum's Alexa too but she had to give permission for that first. I think maybe I can drop in on my sister too as the cousins used to use it to talk to each other before they had phones.

 

[Saul Goodman]

Thanks. I've been thinking about getting an Alexa for my mother and step-father and I think I definitely will now.

I bought an Echo Show for my mother's living room, and a couple of Echo Dots for her bedroom and kitchen, and a Ring doorbell. I've replaced all the bulbs in her house with smart LED bulbs, and installed a smart central heating controller, so my mother can tell Alexa to turn lights on and off, turn the heating on and off and set its temperature, and talk to anyone at the front door. She loves it, and it means she doesn't have have to walk anywhere in the dark, or reach up high to turn the heating on. Alexa even greets my mother by name when she walks into the living room in the morning. She's always asking Alexa little things like the weather, even though there's a window a few feet away, and a Spotify account means she can ask for any song she wants to hear.
I'm pretty amazed how quick she's picked it up, but she loves it. Alexa is like a companion for her, and I'd recommend it to anyone in a similar situation.

 

[Boudicca]

I bought an Echo Show for my mother's living room, and a couple of Echo Dots for her bedroom and kitchen, and a Ring doorbell. I've replaced all the bulbs in her house with smart LED bulbs, and installed a smart central heating controller, so my mother can tell Alexa to turn lights on and off, turn the heating on and off and set its temperature, and talk to anyone at the front door. She loves it, and it means she doesn't have have to walk anywhere in the dark, or reach up high to turn the heating on. Alexa even greets my mother by name when she walks into the living room in the morning. She's always asking Alexa little things like the weather, even though there's a window a few feet away, and a Spotify account means she can ask for any song she wants to hear.
I'm pretty amazed how quick she's picked it up, but she loves it. Alexa is like a companion for her, and I'd recommend it to anyone in a similar situation.

Voice activated technology can be really useful in homes of the elderly, but those that could benefit most (isolated, with no relatives) have no-one to get it up and running for them.

I love what you have done, but my mother would be very resistant to all that tech coming in at once. I'm going to sneak an Alexa in to my Dad's room next time they are on offer and go from there.

 

[hash tag]

Sorry to hear about what your mother went through felixthecat, truly dreadful and sadly not uncommon.

 

[felixthecat]

I bought an Echo Show for my mother's living room, and a couple of Echo Dots for her bedroom and kitchen, and a Ring doorbell. I've replaced all the bulbs in her house with smart LED bulbs, and installed a smart central heating controller, so my mother can tell Alexa to turn lights on and off, turn the heating on and off and set its temperature, and talk to anyone at the front door. She loves it, and it means she doesn't have have to walk anywhere in the dark, or reach up high to turn the heating on. Alexa even greets my mother by name when she walks into the living room in the morning. She's always asking Alexa little things like the weather, even though there's a window a few feet away, and a Spotify account means she can ask for any song she wants to hear.
I'm pretty amazed how quick she's picked it up, but she loves it. Alexa is like a companion for her, and I'd recommend it to anyone in a similar situation.

Yes my mum loves her Alexa. It's linked to my accounts so she has access to all my Audible books and music and she uses her to help with crosswords when she's stumped. Alexas crossword ability is a bit patchy apparently...

 

[xenon]

Voice activated technology can be really useful in homes of the elderly, but those that could benefit most (isolated, with no relatives) have no-one to get it up and running for them.

I love what you have done, but my mother would be very resistant to all that tech coming in at once. I'm going to sneak an Alexa in to my Dad's room next time they are on offer and go from there.

Just be aware, if you add the Echo device using your account, they can in theory call any of your contacts. Otherwise, you would need to set up an Amazon account for them, sign in with those details on the Alexa app, on a separate smart phone.

It was easier to add the Echo I put in my dad's house to my own account. He had dementia / brain injury and was very unlikely to call any of my contacts. Needed to drop in on him, especially during 2020 as he would usually not answer the landline and I was about 190 miles away.