Falls Alarm Watch experiences

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Hi am looking to get the Suresafe Go Falls Alarm & GPS tracker for my DM with dementia who wants one to feel safer as at risk of falling.

Just wondering if anyone has any feedback on using this one or similar?

They’ve only been in production for 3 years & so not much history or user feedback, or on the lifespan of the watch itself to go on - unlike other more established brands.

This one comes out tops being 2 way, no base unit, has fall detection & works outdoors, is showerproof & suitable for remote areas,

The drawback is it needs to be taken off & charged for 90mins every 2-4 days & so could prove bothersome & scope for my DM to get frustrated with, misplace it, or find it too technical (as she does with her hearing aids).

Where the simpler pendant ones have an inbuilt battery & are less hassle. But the base unit won’t work in the size & layout of her home.

A bit specific but thought would ask!

It also doesn’t give her a backup alarm to wear while charging either. Grateful for any feedback on them tho!

Have you thought of getting her an Apple Watch? They have a fall alert on it. My mum had one of those things that goes around your neck but it does rely on you pressing it. With the watch as long as they're wearing it then you'll get the alert.

it's a very worrying time isn't it. I hope you find a solution and also hope you never need it!

Does she have any visiting care? My mum has a wristband one, and her carers charge it. Before we hired them, my sister did it. No report on efficacy yet [touch wood].

My DPs have recently got these, we are still bedding in.

Good points
. Don't need a base unit, can speak directly into them
. Chargers are simple (Mine charge at breakfast as they take an hour over that)
. The app is v good, I get alerts if charge is down too low or fall/sos alarm set off

But issues so far
. Fall alarm was far too sensitive on most sensitive setting so changed to medium.
. The straps!! The supplied straps are far too fiddly. So we got the magnetic ones. They came off too easily eg in bed. So we got some elasticated ones from amazon. But to fit round dads hand they are too loose on his wrist so spin round, and then he leans his arm on something and sets them off. Trying a different amazon one tomorrow.
. Because of all the features need to charge every 4-5 days which is quite frequent.
. Dad's hearing bad and he can't hear the watch if he sets it off at night without his hearing aid in.

The pendant rather than watch might have been better, but dangly, and would come with other problems for dad, eg being unsafe in workshop when working with power tools.

Would have been better to get earlier before dad's memory got so bad so he could have got used to it.

My dad has a council one. Doesn't need charging. The base unit is really loud and picks up sound well.

A base unit wouldn't work for my parents, their house is too big with too many brick walls.

My Mother had one from Sure Stride that she wore like a watch on her wrist. It worked very well in the house and also when she was out and about. She particularly wanted one that would work if something happened when she was out on her mobility scooter. The charging was a bit of an issue as she started off doing it at night when I thought she was more vulnerable to a fall but it worked out ok charging during the day instead. It was very sensitive and if she moved her arm too fast she would get a little voice asking if she was ok!

My mum has a wrist one (don’t know the brand) but a couple of times she’s been found on the floor at home and it doesn’t go off. We think it’s cos she’s slowly tottering around holding onto furniture etc and slowly slides down with no impact. She doesn’t remember to press it and can’t get up alone. So in our experience it only works if you’re moving at speed, or trying to clean windows against adult childrens advice etc.

@WatchingTheDetectiveit certainly is & I know nothing will be a perfect solution. I did consider an Apple Watch but think the two way contact & response centre option would be good. The reality though is family would still need to get to her as emergency services couldn’t be expected to attend every alarm. So that aspect of it may be good in theory but not really as necessary , or even used as much as I think. Mmm will give this some more thought - thanks!

Hi @GarlicPintno carers as yet but I or other family members could ensure it’s charged. Encouraging it’s helping your DM - the wristband style I think will be better than a pendant too.

Hi @TeenToTwentiesthis is really helpful feedback thank you. And good to know about the strap as my mum’s only recently gone to an elasticated watch strap so I never even thought about the drawbacks of this option. It will drive her mad tho if it’s fiddly & time consuming. Had thought the magnetic option would have been a good workaround but good to know how easy it is to come off. May swing more towards a pendant now then. She prefers a watch style & I’ve always thought a pendant is more of a risk of getting caught on things & easier to take off (like getting in the shower etc). Aaarghhh it’s a minefield. Great feedback tho thanks.

My DM prob wouldn’t hear it going off either. Sorry you’re having probs with your DF using it tho. Has he ever requested help from the SOS button & is he able to remember how to use it? That’s the other drawback where I’ve read about falls mats that can bypass this. You can’t put them everywhere tho!! Thanks again.

Hi @somanyspottydogsglad it worked well for your DM & gave ber peace of mind when out & about too. This brand was top of my list til I found out it’s not waterproof hence the Suresafe one seeming better.
How did your mum find the watch strap - was it easy to use? Will have another look at this option & see what their straps are like. Thanks again.

That’s the same for my DM whose layout as well means she just wouldn’t hear it. I wish we could have this option as they seem much simpler & better with long battery life etc. Swings & roundabouts!

Hi @B0Doh no that’s not good - I hope no major harm happened to her? My mun is also much slower now than she ever was & unlikely to be doing things at speed either. This is the other issue with them. I don’t know if she would know to actively alert them either.

Thanks for everyone’s replies been really helpful will go back & have yet another think!! V glad I asked though 🙏

The watch strap was just a soft rubbery material with a conventional sort of strap buckle. Mum was fine with it and she was very fussy, for example when she started out with the pendant type alarms the first thing she did was go out and buy a chain to put it on! She was fiercely independent right to the end (96 and living on her own) and chose the Sure Stride herself - like you we would have preferred a waterproof one but she did keep it very close by during her daily shower.

@somanyspottydogs wow your DM sounds like she really made the most of life & into her later years. She would have made a good advert for the Surestride! Love that she chose it herself too. Mine’s been v lucky but now needing some support & with arthritic fingers & less tolerance just wondered how the strap fared as a PP mentioned the Suresafe one is not the best.
Anyway now come across a CPR Guardian Falls one which on top of everything you can call the wearer on as well….oh god 😆

Honestly unless they are in full agreement on wearing the alarm all the time it's still a problem. FIL has an alarm but refuses to wear it despite falls and being stuck on the floor. My granny had an alarm and had two falls where she was unable to get up for hours before she reliably wore the alarm.

Unfortunately my experience is like B0D's. Council pendant with base station to begin with, but she never pressed it when she fell. Then a wrist one, same thing. 7 A&E attendances for falls in three months including one for five broken ribs, the alarm didn't sound once.

@Mumbles12this is the thing - it’s a change to a habit & routine & like you say only works with compliance. Did your granny’s ever detect any falls when she was wearing it? They sound good in theory maybe less so in practise. Helpful feedback thanks.

@InveterateWineDrinkeroh goodness that’s awful your poor LO - definitely a false sense of security then. I’m guessing this is why family members install cameras as it’s easier to check in if everything’s ok - tho we’re not really there yet. Thanks for the feedback.

I do some care work with people with dementia in their own homes and the biggest obstacle I find is the fact that they don't think to press the alarm if they do fall. I sometimes wonder if it would become more of a habit if they started to wear them earlier, almost before they needed them but while they still had the capacity to take on new ideas.
I know that I was very lucky with Mum and she did realise her limitations.
I looked after one lovely lady who unfortunately had a fall in the bathroom one night but didn't press her alarm, luckily she was ok. When I asked her why she hadn't she said she didn't want an ambulance to come in the middle of the night and disturb her neighbours!

Granny's alarm was a long time ago and was a pendant that she had to press. She started to wear it not after the falls, when she was on the kitchen floor for hours beating her walking stick so that lovely neighbour who had a key eventually heard her, but after an incident with the stair lift. She was on the stair lift half way up the stairs when it stopped and "I realised I was in a bit of a pickle". Fortunately she quickly realised she wasn't pressing the button properly and once she did that the lift started moving 😂. Granny was sharp as a tack and did not have dementia and FIL is also fully all there. What they have/had in common is a very strong will. FIL is particularly stubborn.... Friend who is a vicar and thus sees lots of elderly people thinks it's the elderly people who refuse adaptations to the house and carers that go into care homes sooner than that would have needed to due to falls etc. I sadly think she's probably right.

V true - you do wonder how fair it is to expect someone with a memory condition to acquire this new habit but then also remember to use it when needed. I can totally understand them not wanting to make a fuss & bothering ambulance services too. And that strong will that makes people so independent & resilient is so hard to let go of esp when maybe other things start becoming out of your control too.
I guess all these aids have a place - some more so than others. Your granny temporarily stuck on her stairlift did make me chuckle tho @Mumbles12(though it could also so easily not have been). Helpful to hear you’ve all been there & that all we can do is our best x

We got my dad (now 94) one after my
mum sadly died nearly 2 years ago. He has an age uk GPS one and it’s brilliant, it has a base unit which is next to his bed, but as gps it connects straight to them if it detects a fall. I’ve been there when this has happened - by accident! - but good to know it works! It does need Charging regularly but not as often as others that pp have mentioned