Fall alarm for elderly parent

[Windyone]

Does anyone use this type of service for a parent? I'm looking for a recommendation. I'm in Scotland if that makes any difference. Elderly Dad will be totally resistant to the idea but its become a necessity really.

Any advice will be gratefully received,
Thanks

My parents were against these until my mum was in hospital and worried about my dad falling at home. Their local social services organised for it to be fitted and now my mum is home they have matching pendants. There's also a key safe as i live an hour away.

They were offer pendants or wristbands and ones incorporating a fall detector were also offered.

Thanks for answering. I assumed it would be a private company I'd need to use so that's useful to know.

Contact Adult Services as your DF may qualify for help with funding and/or they may have details of companies that cover his area. If they can't help try Age Concern etc. My DM relies on hers when she falls.

My DM uses the Buddi wristband which is a fall detector and she can also buzz us if she needs to.

Wristband was about £100, and I think it is about £8 per month subscription for family & friends to be alerted if there is a fall. There is a facility for a call centre to monitor, but that's a bit more.

Have a look at the latest Apple Watch as well. The thing with the pendants is that if you fall you need to push to attract attention (and therefore be conscious). With the watches they track a sudden fall (I’m not sure how but meant to be reliable) and then if you don’t cancel do the alert thing. I want my mother to swap from a pendant to the watch as her falls are caused by passing out but she found the watch too big for her wrist. Might work for your dad.

Try MECS which I think stands for Mobile Emergency Care Service or System. DF had this and it was about £12/ month four years ago.

Great, thanks everyone!

Should be info on local council website. Think about £10-£12 a month.

My parents have one through Age UK, and the service has been brilliant as unfortunatly they have used it a number of times. I'm not around to help, so knowing they get someone straightway, theres no need to charge anything or change batteries, and the call centre always check back after a call.

There are lots of providers often with special offers, do a comparison on prices. They can have wrist ones or round the neck, wrist seem to be more reliable as they are less likely to be taken off at bedtime and forgotten!

Local Council in Scotland provided my parents one.

Check with your local.council first. Where I live (in England) the council has a service whereby it works with certain alarm providers so that if someone needs help but not an ambulance (eg a fall where they aren't injured but cant get up) the Council sends out two care workers to support them and check.they are ok. Only certain providers though.

Also, the pendant or watch alarms can have extras added in,, eg falls detectors, automatic alerts if temperature drops in the property etc.

Thanks. I'll start with the local council. Just need to persuade my dad that it's a good idea!

OP - beware the alarm thing can be a double edged sword. It has become that with my Dad Im afraid.

He was the same. Moaned about having it because it cost money - £30 a year or something here in wales?

Then he started using is as an "attention button". He'd call GP out, GP would tell him that he was fine (until they stopped coming out), he didn't like this answer so an hour later he was pressing the alert button. Of course, they answer and send an ambulance. He went to hospital a few times, then sent home, paramedics came, wouldnt take him in, now ambulance comes next day if at all.

At the moment, GP refuses to come out to him, the alert people won't send an ambulance, and the ambulance service won't send one now.

Not saying your parent will do this but its very easy to abuse....