In case of an emergency to caregivers

charley0419

what can I get in case something should happen to me , caregiver, when with my wife alone and she needs to get in touch with 911? It needs to be the simplest thing to use , remembering to dial or 911 is not an option. Any thoughts as every second of delay could be life threatening

sandwichone123

You need automatic technology, such as an amulet or watch that senses a fall and calls 911 or a relative automatically. You cannot depend on her learning a new technology, no matter how simple, or recognizing and emergency and responding to it.

Jgirl57

You might need to use a wearable for yourself. Does your wife still know the address? My HWD no longer knows our address or know how to talk to 911 operator so I recently purchased a smart watch for me to wear . It is scary knowing they are not able to assist in an emergency .

charley0419

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/241521#Comment_241521

my issue I’m worried about is if I render unconscious how would she be able to call or get help. If I can’t call 911 how would she ????

harshedbuzz

@charley0419

I'm going to be blunt.

There is no technological device that 100% replaces a human in the event of an emergency. Full stop.

A pendent you wear could summon EMTs if you are conscious and actually have it on your person. An Apple Watch can detect and fall and send help even if you are unconscious, but it can't help if you have a heart attack in bed.

What you need is a daily well check from a reliable human being. Perhaps a family member or neighbor can check on you daily by text or phone or even a signal like blinds opened by a certain time in the morning. At worst, this will limit your time on the floor/wife alone unsupervised to 24 hours assuming a regular schedule of well checks.

The above is what I do. I call mom daily to check her unless I will be actually seeing her in person. She also wears an Apple Watch (most of the time); I do get an alert if she falls. She had a Medical Guardian, but she never wore it in the 2 years she had it. I also have her registered with Smart911 and have a lockbox on her front door so that first responders can enter the house without breaking down the door.

Mom and I have both accepted the risk that comes with this arrangement. FWIW, a move to a hospitality-model AL would likely only offer a well check every 24 hours. My aunt had a fall in her AL apartment and was on the floor with a broken hip for about 18 hours.

HB

Jgirl57

What would be your plan once she passes and you are living alone ? The Apple Watch would detect a fall and call for help, but as HB said, nothing will help if you get ill or pass in your sleep. I have toured several assisted living locations and they all offer a 2nd person rate and everyone gets a wearable of some sort. These are all difficult scenarios.

charley0419

to be honest my concern is if she has to get help for me. Sometimes I play a game with her that I get ill and unconscious what you do , by the time out, if she does I’d be gone. That’s my worry

ARIL

You are not living in a safe situation. You know this already. I agree with others that a human checking in on a daily basis (at least) would be the best approach if you are going to remain in your current living situation. You may also want to start thinking about alternative options.

SDianeL

this is the device the VA gave us. If you fall it automatically calls you. If you don’t answer it sends help. You wear it around your neck or on a clip on your belt. She won’t be able to use any device because she doesn’t understand what an emergency is. She wouldn’t know to push a button. You would need to wear the device. You can shower in it. You should still have someone check on you every day. https://www.medequipalert.com/veterans/