Help! I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up!
May 24, 2010 1:56 PM Subscribe
An inconspicuous emergency call button on a bracelet or something for a spry 70-year-old?
My amazing mom just fell and sprained her ankle, and was able to limp back indoors to call us for help, but what if she hadn't been able to? Freaking. Out.
She is a brilliant, bubbly woman who appears younger than her lovely 70 years, but if something worse were to happen I want her to be able to call for help with the push of a button. Whether it's us or 911.
Caveat: she will NOT wear something that is obviously an emergency button. she will also not wear a necklace. bracelet or anklet is best bet. Needs to be battery operated or solar powered or something.
TIA Hive Mind!
My amazing mom just fell and sprained her ankle, and was able to limp back indoors to call us for help, but what if she hadn't been able to? Freaking. Out.
She is a brilliant, bubbly woman who appears younger than her lovely 70 years, but if something worse were to happen I want her to be able to call for help with the push of a button. Whether it's us or 911.
Caveat: she will NOT wear something that is obviously an emergency button. she will also not wear a necklace. bracelet or anklet is best bet. Needs to be battery operated or solar powered or something.
TIA Hive Mind!
I don't take my cell phone out gardening. I'd bet she won't either.
posted by amtho at 2:03 PM on May 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by amtho at 2:03 PM on May 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
Get a prepaid cell phone with a lanyard, or if you want something fancier you can buy a phone like this or this.
You will have to keep an eye on the battery though... rechargeable batteries have tendency to discharge.
posted by bbxx at 2:16 PM on May 24, 2010
You will have to keep an eye on the battery though... rechargeable batteries have tendency to discharge.
posted by bbxx at 2:16 PM on May 24, 2010
Response by poster: Ha! I meant to add- she is ANTI-CELL PHONE. We have bought her no fewer than ten, including the jitterbug. I need something that stays on her person, like a brooch or a bracelet or something.
posted by curiositykilledthelemur at 2:33 PM on May 24, 2010
posted by curiositykilledthelemur at 2:33 PM on May 24, 2010
I've never had any experience with this company, but a quick google search for this type of thing shows me this site:
http://www.lifealert.com/medical_50.html
On the left side of that page it looks like you can get it as a watch.
posted by ajackson at 2:36 PM on May 24, 2010
http://www.lifealert.com/medical_50.html
On the left side of that page it looks like you can get it as a watch.
posted by ajackson at 2:36 PM on May 24, 2010
I know with my parents, after two unfortunately timed incidents, a simple discussion through the worst case scenarios was enough to get them to agree to some small restrictions on their independence in the form of agreeing to carry and always have on their cell phones. It helps if you talk through the situations with her and have her come to the conclusion herself that it would be a good idea to have some kind of alert device that was reliable.
Barring that, does she have any friends who could talk some sense into her? For example, I have a friend whose grandmother matches your description, who was wonderful and independent in her own home... until she fell down the basement stairs on a Friday night, managed to get herself UP the stairs, but then DIDN'T CALL ANYONE UNTIL MONDAY because she didn't want to bother them.
She now lives in a lovely assisted living facility.
It is lovely (I make Sopranos jokes when we go to visit her) but her family simply couldn't countenance something worse happening. She too was anti Life Alert/cell phone/intercom to the neighbors.
posted by micawber at 2:52 PM on May 24, 2010
Barring that, does she have any friends who could talk some sense into her? For example, I have a friend whose grandmother matches your description, who was wonderful and independent in her own home... until she fell down the basement stairs on a Friday night, managed to get herself UP the stairs, but then DIDN'T CALL ANYONE UNTIL MONDAY because she didn't want to bother them.
She now lives in a lovely assisted living facility.
It is lovely (I make Sopranos jokes when we go to visit her) but her family simply couldn't countenance something worse happening. She too was anti Life Alert/cell phone/intercom to the neighbors.
posted by micawber at 2:52 PM on May 24, 2010
Well... then use the accident as an eye opener for her. Convince her, why it is a good idea to carry a cell phone in case something like that happen again.
posted by bbxx at 2:55 PM on May 24, 2010
posted by bbxx at 2:55 PM on May 24, 2010
We use Lifeline for my mother-in-law. She uses the pendant, but they also have one that looks like a watch. It still looks like a medical alert button, though, so if she's looking for something that looks like jewelry, that's not it. Maybe you can bedazzle it or something.
posted by crankylex at 3:29 PM on May 24, 2010
posted by crankylex at 3:29 PM on May 24, 2010
I'm interested in non-cell answers to this question, too. I cannot wear my cell phone without it affecting my epilepsy* and I'm about to live on my own for the first time since I became ill in 2003. I'm getting some pressure from kith & kin to get something for my safety.
* Yeah, yeah, yeah, the doc swears it doesn't, the phone companies swears it doesn't, but when I'm fitting on the ground every time I wear a cell for more than 20 minutes, I'm pretty SURE it does. I've tried multiple phones - the current one is least bad.
posted by _paegan_ at 5:33 PM on May 24, 2010
* Yeah, yeah, yeah, the doc swears it doesn't, the phone companies swears it doesn't, but when I'm fitting on the ground every time I wear a cell for more than 20 minutes, I'm pretty SURE it does. I've tried multiple phones - the current one is least bad.
posted by _paegan_ at 5:33 PM on May 24, 2010
Response by poster: thanks for the "make her wear a cell!" messages, but she really won't/can't - like above, when she's gardening, or otherwise doing stuff, she has nowhere to put it. and what if she forgot it? help paegan and us! :) looking at the suggestions now....
posted by curiositykilledthelemur at 8:15 PM on May 24, 2010
posted by curiositykilledthelemur at 8:15 PM on May 24, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Phire at 2:01 PM on May 24, 2010