Medical alert systems

[Kevin_73]

My mother broke her pelvis a couple of weeks ago. She was in the hospital for a week, then another week in the rehab facility, but she will be going home soon. She lives alone in an apartment with her cats, so we would like her to have a medical alert system in case of another emergency.
Does anyone have any experience with these things?
If so, any recommendations?

She does not have a land line in the apartment, but I'm sure we could get one installed if needed.
My sister is concerned that the cell reception in our mother's apartment is rather weak, so she is concerned about the cellular based "go anywhere" devices, but I would like her to have one that can be used anywhere.

Would it be better to just get her an Iphone, and turn Siri on?

Any help would be appreciated.

[Sea Six]

I set my 85 yo cousin up with the one by Medical Alert.

He's already hit the button when he fell in the yard. Help was there in minutes.

Get the add on equipment.

[DAB]

cell phone would be easier.

those systems, my MIL had one years ago, call a central office, and then they listen, and if needed, they then call the "call list", and nearby relatives and neighbors are on the top of that list. fire/police are at the bottom of the list, as most problems do not require fire/police response, so most calls can be resolved by someone she knows going over to the house to help out.

or she can just call her favorite neighbor or kid. save a step or two.

and if she cannot work a cell phone, then maybe she should not be left alone. or a landline with cordless handsets.

[Sea Six]

If one has a stroke, one might not be able to do anything but press a button. Plus no cell phone in the shower, so there's that.

[DAB]

if someone is that frail, then they need company. move in with them, or move them in with you. pick one.

we've been thru this. 24/7 help is not cheap.

[Sea Six]

He's not frail now.

He just needs a button to press in case he suddenly becomes frail. Like with a stroke.

[DAB]

pre-frail? that's frail.

[Black94lt1]

My MIL had one until she went to assisted living where they have built in call boxes in the apartments - she used it a couple of times and help was very quick, plus it allows two way communication with the dispatcher. My office mates FIL has one and just rolled over on it while sleeping (necklace) style and again responders were there in minutes

[OddBall]

Got an 85 year old dad. Guess I better start looking into this as well.

[99 pewtercoupe]

I got the Great Call a couple of years ago for my mother. She is now 87 and still lives on her own and drives. I am over 1000 miles away but I know she wears it and takes it with her whenever she leaves the house

https://www.greatcall.com/devices/li...l-alert-system

[SubZero]

Originally Posted by Sea Six

Plus no cell phone in the shower, so there's that.

How is one supposed to take selfies in the shower without a cell phone

[Bill]

Originally Posted by SubZero

How is one supposed to take selfies in the shower without a cell phone

This guy Weiners!

[04 commemorative]

Wifes cousin was 88 years old and had one around the neck....he went out to get mail and fell....it called for help by itself......I think it was medic alert.
I think it would be better than a cell phone.

[Bill]

Originally Posted by DAB

if someone is that frail, then they need company. move in with them, or move them in with you. pick one.

we've been thru this. 24/7 help is not cheap.

OP, you need to move your mom (and her cats) in with you, at least for a few months, until your mother is completely rehabilitated. Have a few of her neighbors keep an eye on her apartment until she is able to return.

[Sea Six]

Originally Posted by 04 commemorative

Wifes cousin was 88 years old and had one around the neck....he went out to get mail and fell....it called for help by itself......I think it was medic alert.
I think it would be better than a cell phone.

He has one of those too.

They each serve a different purpose.

[Kevin_73]

Originally Posted by 99 pewtercoupe

I got the Great Call a couple of years ago for my mother. She is now 87 and still lives on her own and drives. I am over 1000 miles away but I know she wears it and takes it with her whenever she leaves the house

https://www.greatcall.com/devices/li...l-alert-system

After a few hours of research yesterday that is the one I decided to recommend for my mother.
The reviews on Amazon were mostly good, but there some bad ones too. Most of the complaints were about the supplied lanyard coming unclasped (not really a problem since I can get a different one for it). There were also complaints about it being heavy, the blinking lights annoyed some people, and a few complaints about the charging dock. The biggest complaint was about the battery life though. I'm guessing their quality control has been a little lacking in the past and they have shipped a few of these that either had weak batteries, or faulty chargers, and the units would not stay powered up for the 24-36 hours as advertised.
Has your mother had any of these problems?
If so, how has the company been to deal with these (or any other) issues?

[69camfrk]

Originally Posted by Sea Six

If one has a stroke, one might not be able to do anything but press a button. Plus no cell phone in the shower, so there's that.

My Mom had the damn things, but would never wear them. When she suffered a massive stroke, they were hanging on her bed post about 6 feet from where she hit the floor. She lived another 6 months, and obviously never recovered. I tried a million times to get her to wear them, and hell, she was paying for the service.

[Bill]

Originally Posted by Kevin_73

After a few hours of research yesterday that is the one I decided to recommend for my mother.
The reviews on Amazon were mostly good, but there some bad ones too. Most of the complaints were about the supplied lanyard coming unclasped (not really a problem since I can get a different one for it). There were also complaints about it being heavy, the blinking lights annoyed some people, and a few complaints about the charging dock. The biggest complaint was about the battery life though. I'm guessing their quality control has been a little lacking in the past and they have shipped a few of these that either had weak batteries, or faulty chargers, and the units would not stay powered up for the 24-36 hours as advertised.
Has your mother had any of these problems?
If so, how has the company been to deal with these (or any other) issues?

Is your mother tech savvy and organized enough to charge the pendant every day? You're envisioning that she put the charger on her night stand at night, then put it on every morning before getting up? Does she currently have a cell phone? If yes, is she good about charging it daily? If not, this seems like a lot to expect of someone older to get right, every single day, without fail. I bought my Mom a cell phone but eventually cancelled it because it was ALWAYS dead, in her purse, so useless in an emergency.

I also have big concerns about an elderly person with a broken pelvis being released unsupervised after 2 weeks. She should be with someone, at least for a while.

Finally, the old style buttons that work only around the house via a base station have their advantages, too, mainly, the pendant doesn't need charging, just a battery replacement every year or so.

[99 pewtercoupe]

Originally Posted by bill_daniels

Is your mother tech savvy and organized enough to charge the pendant every day? You're envisioning that she put the charger on her night stand at night, then put it on every morning before getting up? Does she currently have a cell phone? If yes, is she good about charging it daily? If not, this seems like a lot to expect of someone older to get right, every single day, without fail. I bought my Mom a cell phone but eventually cancelled it because it was ALWAYS dead, in her purse, so useless in an emergency.

I also have big concerns about an elderly person with a broken pelvis being released unsupervised after 2 weeks. She should be with someone, at least for a while.

Finally, the old style buttons that work only around the house via a base station have their advantages, too, mainly, the pendant doesn't need charging, just a battery replacement every year or so.

We have not had any issues with hers and she has had it for about 4 years now
She keeps the charging dock on her night stand beside the bed and has gotten to be automatic to charge it every night. She is actually visiting with us right now and I noticed the charger was set up in the bedroom she is using

[Sea Six]

Originally Posted by Kevin_73

After a few hours of research yesterday that is the one I decided to recommend for my mother.
The reviews on Amazon were mostly good, but there some bad ones too. Most of the complaints were about the supplied lanyard coming unclasped (not really a problem since I can get a different one for it). There were also complaints about it being heavy, the blinking lights annoyed some people, and a few complaints about the charging dock. The biggest complaint was about the battery life though. I'm guessing their quality control has been a little lacking in the past and they have shipped a few of these that either had weak batteries, or faulty chargers, and the units would not stay powered up for the 24-36 hours as advertised.
Has your mother had any of these problems?
If so, how has the company been to deal with these (or any other) issues?

Wow.

We've never had any of these issues. My cousin wears his all the time, so it's not uncomfortable.

The company customer care is fantastic.

That company might be cheaper, but now you know why.

Is it really worth it to save a few hundred bucks a year to give your loved one that kind of a crappy product that might be needed to save their life?