My mother is in her 80’s with faltering health and is in need of some kind of device that will let her summon help – not necessarily 911, but just somebody to help her get up if she falls, etc.
It looks like something that she can wear or otherwise have on hand 24hrs per day is in order, so smartphone apps don’t seem like they’ll cut it. She’s self-conscious, so bonus points for something that can be worn/carried unobtrusively.
Does anyone have first-hand recommendations for such a device and/or service?
Thanks.
[EDIT: Thank you everyone for the advice. She has decided to go with an Apple Watch Series 10 after consulting the rest of the family.]
If you step off a 10 inch high patio and don’t realize that it’s a 10 inch drop and then go splat, it will ask you if you want to call 911. You can tell it no.
I also understand that it works if you crash your bike. Thankfully, I do not have personal experience with that.
I’m looking at the various models on the Apple site right now. Does the Apple watch have the ability to call someone via voice command or simple button press – say from a short list of contacts – and have a voice conversation?
Yes, I have answered my phone with my watch a number of times when I’ve left my phone upstairs in my office and I came downstairs to get something to drink or eat.
I work for an aged care provider here in Australia and a service we offer is referred to as a “personal alarm”. It’s not for security per se, but if someone has a fall they can press the duress alarm which then calls a call centre/next of kin etc. This does rely on our client wearing the device (on a necklace) 24/7 so they can reach it if needed (the intention is the device is to be worn on the necklace 24/7).
One thing with smart watches is they need to be charged regularly so there is a risk that the battery will be flat when needed, or the person who needs it isn’t wearing it, so there’s that to keep in mind.
Thanks! That’s a good point. Another issue for my case is that I think a smartwatch may be too technically intimidating for her. Just having a single-button device that lets her talk to somebody has a lot of appeal.
What about the “I’ve fallen and can’t get up” product. I believe it was a small device, worn around the neck. If you fell you pushed a button and it called either 911 or a company that could summon help.
There are several companies making those kind of “pendants”. And, I think the concept has a lot of merit for what I need. They all seem to require a monthly subscription (as opposed to the smartwatch route), which may be Ok.
But, subscription plans vary, and I have no good information about the reliability and usability of the devices, or the quality of the services.
Recommendations based on first-hand experiences with specific products would be most welcome.
One issue with pendants is the scenario where the person falls and is not conscious or is unable to operate the pendant. I don’t know the probability of such a fall, but it was a consideration for us in getting an Apple Watch. With any device there is a question whether the person will wear it in the shower, for example.
The latest-generation pendants seem to have fall detection capability – if the device automatically detects a fall, an operator attempts to contact the wearer via voice, and calls 911 if the wearer doesn’t respond.
FWIW, my Google-Fu (AI-fu?) says that the fall tech in the pendants is now better than the tech in the Apple watch…
We set up Amazon Echo smart devices throughout my mother-in-law’s house so she can simply say “Alexa, call Jim” or “Alexa, call 911” and it will call the phone number and allow her to communicate as long as she can speak.
My Mum in Australia has one of these. She had a fall a few days ago, it detected the fall and alerted my brothers. One of my brothers was nearby so went to see if she was OK. You can program them to contact emergency services.
For an elderly person we like the simplicity of a pendant with fall detection and a manual activation button.
The message includes the person’s GPS location.
We had one of these for my mother. She wouldn’t wear it, but that’s another story. One thing to look at, is where it works. Some of them have a base station in the house (Connected to internet or land line). Others have phone service built in and can be used anywhere. You have to look at where the person goes and may need help. Costs will vary dependent upon access.
We got my dad the fall detection watch from Unali wear (developed by a triathlete techie/entrepreneur in Austin). It’s a combination of watch, fall detection, and can use voice command or press a button to call for help. They would call family if requested, or if no response, call 911. My dad isn’t in the Apple universe, or we prob would have gone that way.
Pros: it looks like a watch, but a little bulkier than a Garmin, but generally unobtrusive to where it doesn’t look like a separate device. Has 4 interchangeable batteries (2 charge, 2 on the watch), so the watch doesn’t have to be off for charging overnight (when sooooo many seniors fall, in my experience as a radiologist). Has voice and button activation and fall detection. Customer service seems good.
Cons: monitoring fee higher than other medical alert services.
Main con: he mostly won’t wear it because he likes his old Timex and he’s stubborn, in spite of living alone and getting frailer. That could be a whole other post about how frustrating the world of aging parents is. I have to work on my compartmentalization skills because it can be all-consuming to worry all the time.
