Life Alert/ alert watches for elderly

[Pilotbaby]

Hello everyone,
I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with any of the life alert devices. Particularly interested in a watch with the ability to call 911 and possibly family members. I see several online but its hard to get information from them without providing lots to them first. Hoping to get some real experiences here and recommendations to use as a starting point. This would be for my father who is often alone and has fallen and gotten hurt before. Trying to find something he can easily wear that would enable him to be able to get help immediately if needed. TIA

[pharmjenn]

My FIL with dementia wears a necklace that will call a service center when he falls. I believe they connect immediately with 911 dispatch. He is never home alone anymore, but has still fallen when he is in the bedroom and hasn't put the necklace on yet, and MIL is across the house so he was down for probably 30min and calling to her before she checked on him.
I don't know anything about watch type alerts, but would imagine that your subscription to the service will allow them to call a family member and not 911 if the patient/member is alert and can vocalize his request and answers that he doesn't have any injuries.
I can find out what type FIL uses, but I am sure it is something linked to their alarm system in the house.

[mom2binsd]

Many of my patients who come to the nursing have something thst looks like a watch for home. The watch is easier than a necklace. The company will vary given the geographical are.

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[jawilli4]

How do you feel about Google Home or Amazon Echo? It might not replace a wearable device but could offer a layer of protection.

I found a great article from USA Today about it. https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/...elp/486075001/

Here is some of what it said:

There's an app for that

While it's not possible to call 911 with Alexa or Google Home, you can set up a "skill," on both that will alert a designated friend to make the call for you.

The Ask My Buddy skill is set up from within the Amazon Alexa and Google Home smartphone apps, and you use it to say things like, "Alexa, Ask my Buddy for help," or "OK Google, alert my family." In turn, the designated Buddy (a person the device owner has previously contacted) gets a call, text and/or e-mail.

Paul Burden, who runs the Ourvoice.net website to help seniors with technology, calls the Buddy app "the gold standard'" for emergency calls. The reason: unlike the life alert- type companies that charge a monthly fee between $25 and $30 for wearing a device, Buddy starts at free.

"The story I very frequently hear is the life alert pendant is on the bathroom sink or on the bureau in the bedroom, when a person falls," he says.

For someone using the Echo to listen to music, get information from the Internet or have books read to them, "it's there when needed in case of emergency," as long as they're within earshot of the Echo, says Burden.

[mom2binsd]

For an older person, I'd go with the watch or necklace, anything like the echo wouldn't really be able to help them in all situations, most falls are either outside getting the mail, coming in from outside, in the bathroom or in hallways, getting out of bed etc. Something attached to them is very important. I just had a gentleman who took off his necklace to take a shower, fell in the shower and his family found him 20 hours later, with the drain imprint on his back. The waterproof watch is now in his wrist as he transitioned home.

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[Pilotbaby]

How do you feel about Google Home or Amazon Echo? It might not replace a wearable device but could offer a layer of protection.

I found a great article from USA Today about it. https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/...elp/486075001/

Here is some of what it said:

There's an app for that

While it's not possible to call 911 with Alexa or Google Home, you can set up a "skill," on both that will alert a designated friend to make the call for you.

The Ask My Buddy skill is set up from within the Amazon Alexa and Google Home smartphone apps, and you use it to say things like, "Alexa, Ask my Buddy for help," or "OK Google, alert my family." In turn, the designated Buddy (a person the device owner has previously contacted) gets a call, text and/or e-mail.

Paul Burden, who runs the Ourvoice.net website to help seniors with technology, calls the Buddy app "the gold standard'" for emergency calls. The reason: unlike the life alert- type companies that charge a monthly fee between $25 and $30 for wearing a device, Buddy starts at free.

"The story I very frequently hear is the life alert pendant is on the bathroom sink or on the bureau in the bedroom, when a person falls," he says.

For someone using the Echo to listen to music, get information from the Internet or have books read to them, "it's there when needed in case of emergency," as long as they're within earshot of the Echo, says Burden.

Good idea to add this in as well. I hadn't even thought of it and we have Alexa in our house.

[NCGrandma]

I agree that something worn all the time is the best for summoning help in case of a fall etc. But in addition, there are lots of "quality of life" ways in which Alexa can be helpful. A number of my retirement community neighbors use these in various creative ways as well as for listening to music, news, weather etc. One friend whose husband was getting frail set up elaborate lighting controls, timers and reminders, intercoms to communicate between rooms, etc — these all helped him do things for himself safely and easily in their apartment instead of getting up and falling.

Several others who have very limited mobility and have moved permanently to the nursing home part of the CCRC use Alexa to listen to music and audiobooks, news and weather, etc.

None of these uses will help if someone has had a fall and needs help, but they can be important for falls prevention if they can help someone do what they enjoy without doing it in a risky way.


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[LD92599]

My mom has a necklace and it is through one of the local hospitals though she certainly doesnt need to use that hospital should she need to call. She has used it several times over the last 10 years. I would recommend you call your local hospital to ask. I know i prefer that it is based locally!

[Pilotbaby]

My mom has a necklace and it is through one of the local hospitals though she certainly doesnt need to use that hospital should she need to call. She has used it several times over the last 10 years. I would recommend you call your local hospital to ask. I know i prefer that it is based locally!

Thanks- do you have any idea who you spoke to when you called the hospital? My Dad is in another state and I can look up a local hospital to call but assume I'll just get an operator who probably won't know what I am talking about.

[Pilotbaby]

Do you know what the watch is called? I have tried googling it several different ways but I just can't find a watch that allows a person to go outside and is worn on the wrist instead of around the neck.

For an older person, I'd go with the watch or necklace, anything like the echo wouldn't really be able to help them in all situations, most falls are either outside getting the mail, coming in from outside, in the bathroom or in hallways, getting out of bed etc. Something attached to them is very important. I just had a gentleman who took off his necklace to take a shower, fell in the shower and his family found him 20 hours later, with the drain imprint on his back. The waterproof watch is now in his wrist as he transitioned home.

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