anyone with parents getting up in age ?? i need suggestions

[Davidtxs]

ok my mom is 80 and step dad is 85 mom has spent the last ten days in the hosp with a back problem, now shes almost ready to go home. The sad thing is she told me the other day she guessed she was gonna have to stop workin lol i said hell mom your 80 enjoy it you dont need to work. anyway what i am looking for is some type of beeper they both can wear to notify each other if they need help, he is pretty hard of hearing so im afraid that if she needs help and her cell fone is not close he wont hear her or if hes outside in the yard workin he wont. So does anyone know of some type of personal alarm that they both can wear ??

I know this is a strange request
thanks

[dbphotos]

Try this:

http://www.lifelinesys.com/

[Gleep]

Originally Posted by dbphotos

Try this:

http://www.lifelinesys.com/

Something like this is not a bad idea. A well run service like this could make the difference between a loved one getting help on time or not. I would caution you to check the company out thoroughly though.

(Please understand I am not talking about Philips Lifeline. If I have taken calls from them, I am not aware of it.)

I have been working full time as a 911/fire/ems/police dispatcher since the early 90's and deal with calls from medical alarm companies every day. In my experience many of them are slow to call and most don't have any kind of directions available. Since most of my area is rural, precious time is often lost trying to find the patient.

We even had one call a non-emergency phone number for a local volunteer EMS service last week and the patient was in a different town. There is no way that the subscriber would have given that number to the company. The call would have been missed if one of the EMT's hadn't been in the station doing paperwork.

As I said earlier. I don't think this is a bad route to go but make sure to check the company's history and make sure they have all information (FULL address and directions, description of residence, and the direct numbers for EMS dispatch) available to their operators. As stupid as this sounds, many keep this information on file but don't make all of it available to their call centers. Don't assume since the company is large and nationally known that they keep all of this. The big boys are, in my experience, the worst offenders.

[Bill]

David,

You could tell them to always wear their cell phones or walkie-talkies. Be sure the equipment is small, light and has a vibrating alternative to the ringer. I believe there are wrist-mounted walkie-talkies available. Seems like I saw one at Cabela's and ads in outdoor/hiking mags.

You might check this out, also: http://www.aarp.org/aarp_benefits/of...n_service.html

When you go to that page, click on the Request More Information link to learn about other ADT services that are relevant.

Check www.cccoaweb.org for more aging resources. The Collin County Committee on Aging is an agency of the Collin County United Way. Their volunteers may have a program available for assistance facilitation. If your folks are not in Collin County, check with their local United Way for referral to the appropriate local agency.

Check also with the police department in your parent's town to see what programs they may offer and to follow Ed's advice about checking out any service.

Bill

[Davidtxs]

hmm thanks guys I was while I think the remote monitoring is something we need to look at as well the walkie talkie may be a good idea if I can find something small enough and on a lanyard. Thanks for the links also and Ed I will check em out good

thanks

[Rox74]

Originally Posted by Gleep

Something like this is not a bad idea. A well run service like this could make the difference between a loved one getting help on time or not. I would caution you to check the company out thoroughly though.

(Please understand I am not talking about Philips Lifeline. If I have taken calls from them, I am not aware of it.)

I have been working full time as a 911/fire/ems/police dispatcher since the early 90's and deal with calls from medical alarm companies every day. In my experience many of them are slow to call and most don't have any kind of directions available. Since most of my area is rural, precious time is often lost trying to find the patient.

We even had one call a non-emergency phone number for a local volunteer EMS service last week and the patient was in a different town. There is no way that the subscriber would have given that number to the company. The call would have been missed if one of the EMT's hadn't been in the station doing paperwork.

As I said earlier. I don't think this is a bad route to go but make sure to check the company's history and make sure they have all information (FULL address and directions, description of residence, and the direct numbers for EMS dispatch) available to their operators. As stupid as this sounds, many keep this information on file but don't make all of it available to their call centers. Don't assume since the company is large and nationally known that they keep all of this. The big boys are, in my experience, the worst offenders.

I COMPLETELY agree with this. I used to work for a home medical equipment company and one of my clients had a service that just closed up but didn't notify their client. After researching it further, I found out that this is a huge problem! It's very scary to think of how many people may wear these with nobody on the receiving end o fit.

My parents aren't hard of hearing, but I do have a Mom in a wheelchair and a Dad that has to wear a CPAP while he is sleeping. Therefore, they end up sleeping in separate rooms. With my Mom's health deteriorating, the idea of them being on opposite ends of the house scared me. You can buy a cordless phone with 2 handsets and they can call each other on them. That's what we did for my parents. I'm sure my Dad appreciates it.... hehe

[Dsheree]

What about those cell phones for kids that only dial two numbers plus 911. Sorry don't remember where I saw them or what they are called.

[Cope]

The problem with a cell phone is that at an advanced age, and in a medical situation, they may not be able to dial even a speed dial number. A single button is another matter. My cousin has advanced Parkinson's, and his wife found a telephone with large buttons. It also has a unit he can wear, so that if he falls, he pushes the button, and the phone aouto dials up to nine people in order, and redials several times before hanging up. There is a pre-recorded message "this is John Doe. I have fallen and need help". I don't know ehre they got theirs, but I know these are available through hearing aid dealers.