check in safety apps for people living alone

[Andre1969]

My father died, alone, on the couch. Fortunately, I was calling him almost every day, and checking up on him in person 2-3 times per week, so when I did find him, it wasn't *too* bad I guess. I also had a gut feeling it was going to happen, so it wasn't a total shock. I would normally call him just before coming over, to see if he needed me to get him anything from the store. That one morning, he didn't answer the phone, and after trying a few times, I started to get that sinking feeling that this was it.

 

[haha]

That one morning, he didn't answer the phone, and after trying a few times, I started to get that sinking feeling that this was it.

A sad day, and you were a very good son.

Ha

 

[FireFool]

For someone living alone that's concerned about this I would think a friend or relative could be asked to merely be a recipient of a daily text or email - "alive". The burden of work would be on the person living alone to do this daily, with the request if it's not received by a predetermined time they call an appropriate well check. Growing up my aunt had a somewhat similar agreement with a neighbor - where if she didn't open her front curtain in the morning, or close it at night, by a certain time the neighbor would call my parents. This actually was how they were contacted when she had a stroke. For my Mom now I make a daily call - it usually runs about 15 to 20 minutes of conversation but it's main purpose is to know she's alive. She lives in a senior living apartment and unfortunately one of the other residents passed undetected for up to 5 days before they were discovered.

 

[sengsational]

Actually I have thought of but not implemented a device that would work in these cases. Put motion detectors in the bath rooms, and set them up such that if none of the detectors sees motion for say 8 to 10 hours send an alarm. You could also add a water flow alarm if there is no water flow for 8-10 hours it sends an alarm. It appears that you can combined motion sensors with raspberry pi devices. But I am surprised none of the large alarm companies have thought of this. (It would need to have a way to disarm the system if you were out of the house for a while)

Great Idea! I like the water flow sensor the best. Motion sensors, but only if there was a pattern recognition routine that would prevent false positives. But no water flow would be really simple and probably wouldn't generate false positives.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Just in case it was missed in my post. Here is a service that is probably easier than a "water flow monitor" (sure sounds like a complex solution to me; a daily fire to send smoke signals would be as easy)

Here, they will call/text everyday at an appointed time. If they don't respond, they will let up to 6 people in a "circle" know. Seems like a great solution for many.

Quick Tour of how the service works - for those who live alone

 

[Rico]

This topic hits close to home.

A neighbor, age 52, in the process of a divorce, living alone with no pets or interaction with others, was discovered dead in his home this past month. According to the investigator who interviewed neighbors to piece together a timeline (I was little help), the resident had passed prior to Christmas. Apparent natural causes but impossible to determine specifics due to the circumstances. A concerned but estranged relative discovered him after a wellness check 6 weeks after the date of his estimated passing. Horrible situation. The next week or so was dedicated to removing pretty much everything including drywall and carpet from the interior of the house. I came to find out that there are custom services that exist for this very situation. A sad reality, indeed.

The subdivision is a mixture of rental houses and long-term residents, where everyone respects privacy and is cordial and friendly, but not in a “borrow a cup of sugar” way. Especially during long winter months, it's not typical to follow the comings and goings of neighbors, little outside activity or lawn work is being done, overall minimal daily visibility/interaction among residents.

I suspect that as our population ages and many folks have the means and well-deserved freedom to live independently, we might expect this to happen more often. Anyone who lives alone with a sparse social safety net has the potential to meet this sad fate of dying alone, not immediately discovered. And even moreso since families are scattered. It’s a rarity when multiple generations live together under one roof as was common in the old days.

I'm hopeful that with existing electronics and the promise of future technology, nanoscience, artificial intelligence, robotics, sensors, etc. we can expect a futuristic solution to the problem. It’s likely already in the works. Beyond devices that are worn (think FitBit, LifeAlert), even more sophisticated worn or implanted technology can't be far away. To provide much earlier alerts in these cases where any life-threatening changes (medical or biological) can be detected. I’m hopeful.