Which fall detection device?

[stephenson]

Hi All,

My sister who is terminally ill is going to return home and attempt some semblance of caring for herself, but with family, home healthcare nurses, and pay as you go caretakers - but, she wants to try and do as much as possible herself.

She clearly has the potential to fall, so we would like to get a fall detection and communications device to monitor her.

We live in the same city, so could receive the alerts ourselves, or have them go through a monitoring service - which works best? She has bluetooth phone, and home wifi so both or either could provide connection ... or local cell system.

Which devices are best in this sort of circumstance?

I'm sure someone has gone through this recently?

As always, thank you for your comments!

 

[Hillbilly]

I'm sorry to hear about your sister. I'm sure she is grateful to have somebody like you to help her.

My mother and I reviewed many options out there and went with a basic flip style phone that has an emergency button on the exterior that can be pushed. Once pushed, it dials my phone with an "SOS" code including her location. It worked well last year since she used it 17 times for non-fall situations while at home. At the beginning, a few times I entered her house randomly and she didn't have the phone on her person: those discussions got interesting. My motto was "no phone on you, you can't stay here like this. You have to be safe".

We also discussed very briefly an Arlo camera arrangement in the house so I could randomly check in daily on her. Neither of us liked this option. However, this discussion helped push "carrying the phone on your person" as the leading option. The obvious privacy concerns with the camera placements would need to be worked through.

Good luck to you.

 

[athena53]

I didn't get it for this purpose but the fall detection on my Apple Watch is pretty good. It allows you to set up calls if you fall and there's no response; I haven't done that yet because falling isn't an issue for me. I do get a false fall detection if I slam my left hand against a hard surface (I wear it on my left hand). First it vibrates (VERY good if the wearer is hard of hearing and/or isn't always wearing hearing aids). Then it displays "Are you OK?" and if you respond that you are, it asks if you fell and are OK, or you didn't fall. I'm guessing a non-response to either would trigger whatever calls you set up. I've had it for 4 months and slid on some ice a few weeks agao. No harm done and it did detect it.

I'd been considering fall detection devices for the future since I live alone, but didn't like the idea of a pendant (uncomfortable to sleep on it) or the phone. A hospice nurse for DH said she had one client who fell and the phone flew out of is pocket and out of reach. Dad was in Assisted Living and his pendant would register a fall when nothing was wrong (once when I hugged him really hard!). He wouldn't hear the audible inquiry and half the time if he did it was someone offshore with a heavy accent and the ambulance would show up while he was having lunch in the dining room. (My brither finally found one that alerted the facility staff first.)

 

[braumeister]

If a person would be comfortable wearing it, the Apple Watch does an extremely good job at fall detection. As athena53 said, it has a built-in verification function to avoid false alarm calls, which I think is very important.

 

[Dash man]

I wear an Apple Watch for the fall detection, along with heart monitoring and oxygen measurement capabilities. It works great.

 

[pacergal]

my grandmother and father both used first alert pendants when they were living alone, worked well.
But Apple Watch sure sounds like a good deal.

 

[Teacher Terry]

My friend used life alert and it worked great.

 

[USGrant1962]

I researched this a little while ago for DM. We ended up with Bay Alarm Medical. It is rated number 1 by Consumer Reports, and generally has top reviews on the internet.

DM started with the pendant, but it was too sensitive to being knocked around and false alarms. She has since switched to the bracelet and it works fine.

CR rates Life Alert last, mostly due to opaque and high pricing.

 

[Act2]

My Dad wouldn’t wear the pendant, but happily wore a watch type device. Don’t recall the brand. Item is useless if they won’t wear/carry it.

 

[Ronstar]

My Apple Watch has picked up every fall I’ve had since I got the watch. I feel confident that it will work well if I ever need it for sos. Haven't had a bad fall, so I just hit the "I'm ok" button. And it tells me when I’m having a heart rate issue.

 

[EastWest Gal]

I second Bay Alarm Medical based on the fact that you may not just want fall alert but actual help to come. The medical alert devices have a whole system in place for assistance, in addition to fall detection. What do you do if you are a couple of hours away and she falls? And can you help her get up?

The system in place includes a health history that you fill out and leave available, and a lock box on the outside that EMS can access to get in a locked house.

 

[stephenson]

Our plan is now:
- discharge to home tomorrow
- Home Health Care three days a week
- Palliative care via Vitas to fill in
- my wife and I stay first two days to assess needs and how visits work
- by the hour care begins after wife and I leave (Home Instead)
- keypad entry door handle
- three wired Ring cameras which have two way audio

 

[ncbill]

My Apple Watch has picked up every fall I’ve had since I got the watch. I feel confident that it will work well if I ever need it for sos. Haven't had a bad fall, so I just hit the "I'm ok" button. And it tells me when I’m having a heart rate issue.

My early 20s kid gets those low heart rate warnings on his Apple watch since PT nearly every day means he's in great shape.

 

[stephenson]

Just to close this thread out - we decided we could observe via four Ring cameras inside the house, and one at the front door - effectively enough to not require fall detection. Not a perfect solution, but in practice it works well.

 

[Chuckanut]

I like the idea of fall detection.

What size Apple Watch are people choosing? Does the bigger screen size really improve ease of use?

 

[braumeister]

I like the idea of fall detection.

What size Apple Watch are people choosing? Does the bigger screen size really improve ease of use?

I strongly recommend going to an Apple Store and trying on the different versions.
Personally, I have the 44 mm version and like it a lot. Makes a noticeable difference for these aging eyes of mine. But DW only wanted the 40 mm version and still thinks it's too big. A very personal preference.

 

[mabuhay]

I have the Apple Watch 8, 44mm version also, and I have rather small wrists for a man, but it still looks fine. The Ultra would be too large though. The fall protection is really amazing and as a cyclist and motorcyclist who is usually biking or riding alone, I am really glad to have it. It will call 9-1-1 if you don't reply that you're okay.

I'm pretty healthy and wish I could talk my brother, who smokes and is overweight, to get one. He lives alone and I'm afraid he'll have a stroke and fall, and not be able to make a call. But he hates the newer tech and isn't interested.

 

[stephenson]

Well, we have moved into my sister's home for the duration.

She agreed to hospice care, on two conditions: 1. They allow her to exit hospice if her oncologist would agree to continue chemo (she did not), and 2. If they promised not to call it hospice.

She no longer walks so now very limited fall detection risk.

I had previously set up four Ring cameras (wall power) and they work effectively. But, even though we are in the house, now, a bit more was needed so we borrowed a baby monitor and placed the microphone end about three feet from her (now) hospital bed. This is sufficient for now.

 

[mabuhay]

Sorry to hear what you are going through. Its tough.