Panic alarm advice

[cashmerecardigans]

My mum had a minor fall yesterday and I really think it would be good for her to have some sort of alarm whereby it'll alert me if she has a problem.

I'm not expecting she'll be very keen on it, as she's fiercely independent, so a bracelet type thing would be better than a necklace and it would need to be waterproof too. We have talked about it briefly before and I've used the tack that's it's a good thing for anyone who lives alone.

I've had a quick Google and one thing that does bother me is that some of them connect to an app. My mum doesn't use the internet at all and only has a very basic mobile (that she very rarely uses).

Can anyone offer any advice on what might work for her?
Thanks so much

My mum has Lifeline, which we accessed through our local council's Adult support service. She has a pendant, but my MiL has a bracelet which does the same thing. Should she fall she pushes the button and the system rings through to a call centre which will then deal with the call. It's been a real weight off my mind.

Thanks so much, I might try ringing adult services first then, hadn't thought of that. I just assumed I'd have to sort it out myself, so that's good to hear

We got a Careline bracelet through social services, they arrange a everything including connecting it up to the phone, you press it, the phone rings to see what's happened and they contact either the first responder who could be friend or family, carers or the emergency services. It might be worth thinking about a keysafe just in case she falls and is unable to get up to open the door, the code is given to responders, carers and emergency services.

My MIL has Careline, linked to the phone. If she falls and presses the button they phone her immediately. She doesn't need to answer the phone, they can speak to her and hear her. If they get no response they automatically phone and ambulance. If she does respond they phone my OH. She also has a key safe.

My in laws also have one via their local council. It's a 3rd party company but all approved by social services etc. They've used it a couple of times to call an ambulance and my mum used hers once when she went to the loo in the evening and there was a power cut. She couldn't get back to her bedroom safely in the dark, so she pressed the button and the service called my sister to go round and rescue her!
Highly recommend them. Literally a life saver, but if they are not used, they are not intrusive. Nobody will be spying on your mum. She will still have all her independence.

I too was going to suggest getting in touch with your local social services - they are usually good at anything that helps support folk to stay in their own homes, rather than needing to come into residential care.
Age Concern are also good for advice on things like this.

Agree about the keypad safe for your key though.
If your Mum presses the button, they phone the house first to check if all is well / if it was a mistake, and then you can set it up so they call you (or someone else who lives nearby) and if can't get an answer there, they phone the emergency services, and it is therefore helpful if they don't have to break in.

Thanks everyone, this is so helpful. I think I'll start with social services and go from there. Such a worry, I really hope she accepts it would be s good idea.

Our county council has a very helpful website with info. Might be a good place to look.

Adult Social Care def best place to start. Depending on where you live, how much money your mother has and how critical or substantial her illness is, ASC might pay for all or part of the service. All pendants are waterproof and come with wrist or necklace options. You can also go direct to a private company and it will cost you between £12-16 a month.

Definitely definitely get a keysafe at the same time (Ambulance family here, had to use fire service for two breakins in the past two months, messy and expensive). Also has she had a falls assessment? Get her to speak to her GP and also get her permission (ideally in writing) to discuss her health on her behalf with your GP ‘just in case’ for the future.

Thanks for all the advice. No she's not had a falls assessment, but she fell at my sisters a month or so ago and again when out shopping about 6 months back.
It's so hard, each time it happens she just makes light of it, saying it's her fault and she just tripped. However, it's not a good picture when I put it all together. I'm seeing her today so will start the conversation at least and I can call adult social care for advice too.

Because there is a drive to support people in their own homes, rather than them becoming institutionalised, most LAs are good at doing things like fitting handrails - for example on steps between front and back door and outside, or arranging for your bin to be collected from your house and not have to be put out on the road, just as 2 examples, to try to prevent falls and all the consequences of having to them support an older person who has broken their hip and the ongoing consequences. Worth asking about that.

Sounds like a chat with the LA is in order. The other issue is that Mums house has no downstairs toilet. There is space for one in what used to be the pantry, but I'm now wondering if there might be financial help for that sort of thing? I presume GP support would be needed for that, so that's where the falls assessment would come in I guess?

It depends on where you are, but generally LAs will do as much as possible to keep someone in their own home. They might not be able to provide a downstairs toilet, but they may have low cost tradespeople that would fit it. Have a look to see if there's a local Care and Repair branch - they can be very helpful.

The council's alarm line people were literally lifesavers - my parents have their smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detector connected to them, and when the boiler was leaking CO they called the gas board and ambulance out.

You can get pads that go under the carpet that alert if they don't get someone walking over them on a regular basis (but a friends mum used to use her walking stick to sort of pole vault over it because she didn't want the alarm people knowing how often she went to the loo so not foolproof!!). My folks managed fine with the necklaces, they're not at all intrusive and they're on a nylon string so can be worn in the shower etc.

A key safe is a very good idea - we got a Supra C500 for my folks from Keysafe, it's police approved and seriously heavy duty. The alarm people keep the code so if the emergency services need access they can get in quickly.

My in laws had a lady come round from the LA to assess their home for safety - alarms etc,but also hand rails outside the house, stairlift, bath aids etc. They actually already had most things , including a key safe and there was no pressure to act on the recommendations, but it was all good common sense ideas. Maybe your mum doesn't need all these things yet, but it's good to be pre-emptive.
My in laws kept saying that they didn't need a stair lift,they weren't that old etc. DH insisted and within a couple of months they didn't know how to manage without it.

You can get pads that go under the carpet that alert if they don't get someone walking over them on a regular basis (but a friends mum used to use her walking stick to sort of pole vault over it because she didn't want the alarm people knowing how often she went to the loo so not foolproof!!)

Maggiecate that did make me laugh

An OT assessment is brilliant. Simple things like cooking your veg inside a sort of deep fryer type basket, so when it is cooked, you lift the basket of veg / potatoes out, without having to carry a pan of boiling water to the sink to drain, when lifting heavy things becomes a bit difficult with arthritis etc. So bloomin' obvious when you see it, but didn't cross our minds until the OT suggested (and provided) it for my Dad after an assessment. Then the tings you put your socks on with, so older person isn't bending right over, and, when off balance, most likely to fall. Lots of small adjustments like that can not only make life safer, they can make things just a little bit easier all round.

Definitely get a key safe.

Grandfather had the local authority system we used to do spot alarm button checks & bollock him if he didn't have it on.

In his last year of life he started falling and the alarm, and community response team who have amazing inflatable kit to get people off the floor were a great combo.

Do think about who needs key safe access - my aunt refused to give my siblings & I the code. This was a control thing. She lived hundreds of miles away and we were in the same city so were the ones getting the calls.
We all had to be super vigilant about carrying the house keys which was really frustrating when everyone else (GP, Carers, alarm service etc) had the keysafe code. After one occasion when I arrived to meet the GP, got to the house to find I'd left my key at home and my grandparent wasn't answering the door so was sitting on the doorstep the GP "accidentally" gave it to me.

Caroline connects to land line telephone. It's about £12_15 a month. I also agree with key safe on outside wall. Also possibly give friends or relatives a spare key or the key code. However, I don't think that Caroline works if the person has a fall in the garden (but I could be wrong)

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