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Original poster

Fridge camera - does it exist?

45 replies

AlwynAllWin · 13/01/2023 23:22

My dad has dementia though is still living in his own home (on his own). He's got carers coming in 3 times a day to do meals, but somehow he's constantly running out of milk (or saying he's run out - possibly the dementia means he misses the carton?).

I don't live nearby so it's difficult to drop by for things like this, but it would be useful to see inside the fridge so I know what needs to be ordered.

Does such a fridge camera exist? There's one on Amazon and in other tech shops but it's got absolutely dire reviews. I don't need any "smart" functions to check expiry dates and so on, I just want to see what's in the fridge!

AIBU to think that a camera that would work inside a fridge must exist somewhere?

OP posts:
Shauna27 · 14/01/2023 01:52

The only option I know of that has a camera inside fridge is the new smart Samsung fridge freezer. They cost about 2k so it's an expensive solution.

NumberTheory · 14/01/2023 04:28

Something like this: smarter.am/products/smarter-fridgecam

NumberTheory · 14/01/2023 04:29

(Don’t know if you can avoid the link to Amazon).

BarbaraofSeville · 14/01/2023 06:14

It would be an obvious useful feature for smart appliances.

This sort of reason that you want and also for when you're in the supermarket and can't remember if you need milk etc. You could just look at 'fridge cam' on your phone to see.

Unlike the large selection of wifi kettles, dishwashers etc that you can switch on remotely but have to be in contact with to fill up with water, detergent etc anyway, so seems pretty useless as far as I can see.

FlickFlackTrap · 14/01/2023 07:00

Could you not just have an external camera pointing at the fridge? So you can see the contents when the door is open?
An internal fridge camera would need to be waterproof and have a power supply inside the fridge which sounds expensive and difficult to do.
Would he use a stash of long life milk as a back up?
A camera covering the kitchen generally would also show you when and on what he is using the milk.
Is this not something the carers could assist with anyway though? Could they monitor the milk and let you know if be needs more?

Icedlatteplease · 14/01/2023 07:02

Talk to the carers

goodmorningsunny · 14/01/2023 07:03

I agree with @FlickFlackTrap, makes more sense to get a general kitchen camera and point it so it clearly shows the fridge. We have a camera for the dog that we picked up off Amazon for about £30 and it's been running amazingly for 5 years now!

MichelleScarn · 14/01/2023 07:03

Can you not just ask the carers? Is there not the risk that carers may think you're doing this to monitor them or are accusing them of taking fridge items?

Original poster
AlwynAllWin · 14/01/2023 08:21

@NumberTheory Thanks! But that's the one with awful reviews! There's one pretty detailed review on Amazon from someone who says they worked on it for a while and most of the kit is not fit for purpose, but the management went ahead anyway...

@MichelleScarn I don't have any direct contact for the carers. Yes, they're there and can pop out for milk if they see there isn't any, but then dad calls me up in the evening and says he doesn't have any milk so I'm not sure if it's the carers letting him run low, or if he's drinking it or pouring it away, or if he just can't identify the milk in the fridge.

@FlickFlackTrap An inside camera would be great, but is probably not possible due to likely objections from other family members, plus I guess the carers wouldn't be keen? That's why I wanted it to be just in the fridge, then it's clear it's not filming anyone!

@Shauna27 It would be nice just to have an inbuilt one, but we don't have 2k for a fridge unfortunately!

OP posts:
Spaghetti201 · 14/01/2023 08:27

Could you get a ring doorbell fitted opposite the fridge? It’s motion activated so you could see what happens when he opens the fridge (eg if he is using the milk). And you can log into the app and view whenever you need to see. No need to have the door chimes plugged etc.

Lmgify · 14/01/2023 08:42

Have a chat with the carers. Also arrange a milkman delivery for him?

Original poster
AlwynAllWin · 14/01/2023 11:58

Could look into milk delivery perhaps. It would still be really helpful to see the contents of the fridge though!

OP posts:
Paddingtonsmarmlade · 14/01/2023 12:20

Does the care company use an app for updates? If so could you get access for it and ask the carers to put a list of needed shopping/getting low

NumberTheory · 14/01/2023 13:33

Could you try a regular wifi camera set up outside the fridge looking in so it would see in whenever the door was open and then some kind of trigger switch on the door that told the camera to record while the door was open?

I would wonder about an internal camera how it could capture everything, especially the door.

Poppysmom22 · 14/01/2023 13:59

Put a ring doorbell in the fridge it will activate each time the door is opened so you can see what's been used.

ODFOx · 14/01/2023 14:18

What is he using milk for? If it's just tea and coffee would it be easier to switch him to UHT so it can be bought in bulk?

Iudncuewbccgrcb · 14/01/2023 14:26

Would a wireless outdoor camera like this do the job?

Blink Camera from Argos

Sallylovesdaisy · 14/01/2023 14:36

We have a ring camera in DMILs kitchen, she too has dementia. We actually have it positioned on the window sill next to the fridge, only because DH couldn't fix it anywhere else. If you could get one sited near or opposite the open fridge door you will get a great view of the contents, and you can enlarge the view too. It's amazing how much it has helped. Carers have no issues with it at all.

saltinesandcoffeecups · 14/01/2023 15:39

I think a fridge camera is mostly doomed to fail. Think about it, it’s a big metal enclosed box. The only time you’d be able to get a wireless connection is when the door would open then you’d have to wait for it to connect.

I think your best bet is either a kitchen camera, regular delivery of staples, or working it out with the carers that there is a schedule to check stock at regular intervals.

Crabbyboot · 14/01/2023 15:49

If you aren't able to do it, then that's what the carers should be doing. Just voice your concerns to them and ask them to write a note for you or to write in his daily record "fridge checked". You could even place a tick chart on fridge and they could tick a box to indicate fridge has been checked and they could write down when milk has been bought.

JustWhattheDoctorOrdered · 14/01/2023 15:57

My dad who had dementia was like this with milk and orange juice. He would obsessively take it from the fridge and then forget where he had put it so that every time I called he said he needed more. He also developed a kind of anxiety about not having enough of it. I lived quite a long way from him so I couldn’t keep checking. He also had carers 3 times a day but from an agency so I didn’t know who to communicate with about it and anyway didn’t want to bother them with something so small given the tiny amount of time they had at every visit to do the many other things he needed.

My solution was to bulk buy it and store it out of the way. I got another small fridge for the garage and asked carers to top up supplies to his fridge in the house. I also had another secret larder for the same reason. I visited every two weeks and filled the fridge and larder to the brim and just asked carers to restock from there. His house fridge and cupboards just had a minimum of stuff in them. We didn’t tell him about the extra supplies because when I first started doing it and leaving them outside the back door he would wander out and get them leave the back door open and work his way through litres and litres of it within days.

JustWhattheDoctorOrdered · 14/01/2023 16:03

Also I should say that I had a stock of long life milk in the store cupboard too just in case I wasn’t able to visit and the fresh ran out. I visited him every two weeks and got a tesco delivery when I was there so that I could put it all away and check how much he was getting through. I did worry about him not having much fresh food because this system meant that he didn’t get much fresh food and veg in the days running up to my visit. However, I put tinned fruit and vegetables in the store and the carers gave him multivitamins.

JustWhattheDoctorOrdered · 14/01/2023 16:06

Sorry to bombard you! To the people suggesting that carers organise shopping, this is much easier said than done if you are using agency carers and no one person has an overview of what is being bought and consumed plus limited knowledge of what the person likes and dislikes.

Original poster
AlwynAllWin · 14/01/2023 19:56

@JustWhattheDoctorOrdered Not at all! Much appreciated! It sounds really similar! It's really similar too about the milk anxiety.

Yes, they're agency carers who are supposed to be there for half an hour, 3 times a day, but they're usually there for 10 minutes. I understand they have a lot to do and it's a hard job, so not so easy to organise extra tasks for them (though it's a small one I know!). It's not always the same people too so continuity is also an issue with new instructions.

Having a secret stash of supplies sounds like a great idea too! Embarrassingly, it only just occurred to me that I could stock the freezer with a few loaves of bread Blush

OP posts:
JustWhattheDoctorOrdered · 14/01/2023 20:01

Yes I used to put milk, juice and bread in the freezer too. Until my dad discovered it was there and then he would repeatedly take the contents out and leave the freezer door open. Freezer is a good idea, but it’s best if they don’t know about it!

Good luck!

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