Help! I've fallen and I can't get up solution

Ronk246

Hi Y'all,

My DW of 55 years fell last night while I was asleep. As I am quite deaf without my hearing aids, I did not hear her call to me.

Fortunately, she managed to get up by herself. with no damage other than a bump on her head and a sore finger. She appears much more frail (Overnight!!!) so I got her a walker today. The immediate concern is gone, but I'm wondering if there is a alarm she could hang around her neck that would enable her to wake me if it happens again. She's stopped using a cell phone, so that's not a fix.

The next time, it could be worse. If anyone has a suggestion, I am most grateful.

Young@heart

Ronk256..I purchased a wireless monitoring system to allow my husband to call me from any room in the house. You can buy them on Amazon the link is https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M5BBRV6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It is similar to what might be used in a group home with a smaller number of residents. I keep the main receiver in the kitchen. I then have 3 "call buttons" positioned in various rooms and one that is on a lanyard that my husband can wear around his neck. I assigned numbers to each of the call buttons. If he is in the bathroom and pushed his button, I am paged (very loudly) to respond to location number 2..and so on. It also comes with a portable Pager that I wear around my waist. It allows me to do tasks in the yard and still allow my husband to call me if needed. The range on the receiver is about 600 feet. So far, I've had no trouble receiving a page when he is inside the family room and I am outside in the garden. The receiver plus the portable Pager and 3 extra call buttons (it comes with 2 I Think.) was about $125. We've had it over a year and have relied on it a great deal. Good luck.

housefinch

If you get something, please remember that even the best device is dependent on the ability of the person wearing it to use it properly. As someone progresses, they will likely remove it or forget how to use it or that it’s there. Someone who no longer can operate a cell phone may be heading in that direction with the button system too.

Pat6177

I’ve not been in this situation so I am just throwing out ideas. Posters on this forum have used pads beside the bed that sound an alarm when the PWD gets out of bed. I have no idea if the alarm is loud enough for you to hear if you don’t have your hearing aids in.

I have not seen anyone post on here whether they have used an Apple Watch for their PWD. And I don’t know exactly how it works. I gather that if the watch senses a sudden drop, it sends a message to the watch to see if you are ok. If no response, then either it calls 911 for you or calls a number designated in the app (I’m not sure about this) But you would have to hear the phone ringing.

I think one of the medical alert systems might also have this sort of sensor for a fall but I don’t know anything about it.

I don’t wear hearing aids so I don’t know if it’s reasonable to wear them at night.

Keep in mind that sudden changes (like sudden frailty) might indicate a UTI. So strange but in older people the symptoms have nothing to do with urinating.

Ed1937

I'd suggest getting on Amazon to see customer reviews on different units. You should be able to search reviews for "loud" or any other word that is appropriate.

Elshack

I purchased through Amazon a 2 piece alarm system. One part ( a sensor ) I put under his bed so when he got out of bed and touched the floor, an alarm went off in my adjoining bedroom. The alarm was LOUD and I think if you put it right next to your pillow you would be able to hear it unless you are totally deaf without your hearing aids.

harshedbuzz

@Ronk246

I have a friend who used a set of mats on the sides of her mom's bed. They bought a 5000 sqft house when they moved mom in just so they'd have an in-law suite for her downstairs. The size and configuration of the house was a challenge. The mats send an alarm to an app on her smartphone. It rang and also flashed.

They also alarmed the exterior doors as she liked to go walk-about in the middle of the night often sans teeth and clothing. Before they were able to finish installing the alarms, they set up a bear alarm- a chair near the door stacked with pots, pans and lids. Low tech but it did the job.

I would be hesitant to add new technology for her to use. If she's wandering, she's likely well past learning how to use a pendant or even remembering to wear and use it. After dad died, mom signed up with a pendant. She paid for 3 years of monitoring. In those 3 years, I never, ever, ever saw her wear the thing. It's ugly, it makes me look like an old lady, it doesn't work with this neckline and I only wear it outside. FTR, she lives in a 55+ community populated by the nosiest dog-walkers on the planet-- if she fell outside, she'd be attend to in seconds. I know this, because it happened.

An Apple watch, if she'll wear it, will alert if she had a hard fall. It won't if she has one of those slow-motion slides to the ground. My mom and I both wear one. She's had several falls, so I have seen it in action. It will alert EMS if she doesn't turn off the alert. I'm not 100% certain about whether you'd be contacted at the same time-- I believe so. The times mom's fall detection activated, I was right there and turned it off, so I wasn't alerted. I can also track my mom's watch. She doesn't have dementia, so this would only be something I would do when she takes the train between my niece's house and home-- knowing where she is allows me to get to the station before the train arrives.

With any sudden change in function, I would test for a UTI. Mom had one 2 weeks ago-- the change in mental status, mood, physical ability was stunning. Her PT turfed us to the PCP whose nurse triaged her by phone and sent us to the ER. Six hours and many tests later we were told it was a UTI-- she was given a prescription and 2 weeks later is finally back to her baseline. Mom's PCP would order a CT scan for any fall where the head was hit. The walker sounds like a good idea-- does she know how to use it properly and is it at the correct height? Dad was prescribed a walker as he entered the later stages of dementia-- he often forgot he was supposed to use it and never really got the hang of it.

HB