Did you find it reassuring or annoying. Because I had that fall in my kitchen when I didn't have my mobile phone on me I've been looking at a scheme run by my county council where they put a sort of telephone in your house that responds to me pressing an emergency button either round my neck or on my wrist. You have to nominate 2 or 3 people who they would then phone to alert them that I was in trouble. It can even detect whether I'm sitting down or lying on the floor.
In truth I really don't understand how it works!
My problem is that all my family live 2 hours drive away, while my neighbors and friends who live next door are elderly,probably not strong enough to lift me up, and don't have a mobile phone, whereas the only one who would has a job that takes him miles away during the day.
I thought it might be useful to hear about someone else's experience.
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Pris80
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My father had one and I don’t think he knew how to use it either. He also used to forget to carry it with him half the time. Every now and then he used to press it by mistake. In the end he just carried his mobile phone round with him.
Just got rid of mine as Chubb took over from Saga & I didn't read small print in new contract so having battle over £16 subs monthly I allegedly owe them. It wasn't compatible with my new phone line anyway. Never had to use it. Could be useful however. I now make sure my mobile's in my pocket all the time!
Many watches and fitness bands will allow you to make and receive calls through your mobile, using a bluetooth connection. You need to be close enough for a good connection, and it's only mid-priced and up watches/bands that allow this. They will also monitor your heartrate and other metrics, making them far more useful than a dedicated alarm button. And if it's worn in bed to monitor your sleep, then you will never forget to have it.
No-one untrained would be able to lift you if you were lying on the floor, that isn't the role of the responders. You need to ask the council what responsibilities they undertake. There are also other options from private companies.
I had one here in Italy for my husband but it was issued by the local White Cross charity which also runs our ambulance service. They held a key for access to the flat if there was noone who could let them in - and in your case that MAY be the purpose of the contacts. It is not uncommon for an ambulance to be sent out to an elderly person who has fallen but they cannot get access to the house as the doors are locked and the person cannot get to the door.
Some alarms can sense if you have fallen hard and sends an alarm to the call centre - they can then call the baseunit in the home to talk to the person and ask what the problem is. However, the base unit may be in a different room or the person is very deaf for example. Then they would call the contact to go in to the home to ascertain what the situation is to assess if an ambulance is required to lift them or deal with injuries/illness.
I was the contact for my husband - on one occasion he had fallen in his bedroom having got up in the night. I was in the next room asleep and didn't hear him, the base unit was in the living room and being deaf he couldn't hear them without his hearing aids. So the call centre called me on my mobile phone! I was able to tell them we needed help to lift him and in the meantime I was able to cover him with a blanket and mop up the cut on his head.
I don't know what options there are in the UK - but if you can find a good one they are very comforting to know that you are unlikely to lie on the floor for hours without being found because you can't manage to get to the phone and haven't got your mobile phone in your pocket. My younger and fit neighbour who lives alone, slipped on a wet floor, breaking her arm, hip and ankle in the fall. I didn't hear her - she managed to wriggle across the floor and hook the door handle with her good leg to crack it open and another neighbour heard her when she came out to go down to the cellar for dog food. The medics had no idea how she had managed. An alarm for her would have been wonderful.
There are versions that work within the house, within so many yards of the house in the garden and even GPS versions that work anywhere and rescuers are able to identify where you are by the signal - in the same way as a mobile phone.
But any of them are only as good as YOU - my husband would forget he had it, my mother in law laid her pendant on the coffee table during the day, on her bedside table at night - and didn't pick it up when she moved away from it. The whole point was if she fell going to the loo!!! It was a large stone built house and you couldn't hear from one room to another!!
Your neighbours could hold a key to access the house and your family can be a contact to be told quickly how serious the event is. You must have other friends locally? But you need someone to explain the system to you.
Thats a lot of information, thankyou. But you've hit the nail on the head. The system is only as good as the operator.I think for now I will make a real effort to make sure I have my phone with me at all times.
It has to be said that a real positive aspect of a smart watch is that you have it on your wrist and some will call a contact in the event of a fall - even if you are unconscious! Because even having the phone on you isn't much help if you have picked up a head injury or are unconscious because of a heart attack or stroke - which we have to be aware is a possibility!
Bcol , one of our members wrote a few posts about them which you might find interesting:
Perhaps it is something to discuss with your family - the children and grandchildren probably know a load more about the possibilities than even I do, Another thing you could ask them about is Alexa or Siri. Alexa is an AI virtual assistant developed by Amazon which is on various Echo devices with voice recognition, whereas Siri which is also a voice-controlled AI assistant developed by Apple, is faster and easier to use through your Apple devices. My daughter and her partner have Alexa powered units all over their house (he is a bit of a technonut). They are voice-activated and they use them to play music, set timers and answer questions - as well as operate lights!! When I move back to the UK to live with them, I will have something on those lines to use as an alarm - I'm sure they have something in mind already!! If you had units in the house they could be used to fetch help by calling someone even if you were lying on the floor.
I'm 90 and am very unsteady on my feet, so after 4 falls I got a fall pendant which I wear around my neck AT ALL TIMES. It is waterproof so I can wear it in the shower which is of course a place of danger from falls. It has a GPS capability so it responds anywhere in the UK.
I have my son 4 miles away as the first responder but I'm about to buy a keysafe so the emergency services can enter my house independently.
It has a test facility to give reassurance about its battery state and connectivity.
The reassurance it provides gives me the confidence to get out and about to meet people and to maintain my independence for as long as possible.
My Mum had one , it saved her life twice. I think that's all I need to say really.
To add more details, they also call to check on you.
If you call, they try to ring to find out what your issue is , it doesn't have to be a fall, it can be any health issues that are causing you symptoms or even if you feel at threat.
They send the right people you need for the situation.
If you don't respond , they send an ambulance and any other nearby emergency help ( for example if you have a neighbour or care manager with a key or if you are in sheltered accommodation).
They also contact your next of kin to keep them in the loop, so they can help make decisions on your behalf or give extra medical information immediately to the EMTs or AandE looking after you. I lived about 2 hours away from my Mum having the system made a big difference to us getting informed and improved how quickly we could respond.
You get a response quickly and Emergency Assistance does appear to arrive quickly in response to their call.
My sister who is more elderly has one and has used it a few times. She lives on her own and though she has visitors, there are times when she has needed it. Once for example she had a fall in the garden and it came in handy. She also carries her mobile phone, but you do have to be able enough or in a position to use it when you fall etc. A simple press when something is around your neck is more accessible. She relies on both systems and her daughter pays towards her Lifeline. She also has a key safe to ensure access.
I don't have that personal experience Pris, but l used to work for a Council alarm centre. The type of alarms we provided came either as a necklace or watch strap device that allowed the wearer to press the button on it if they needed help and be connected to the alarm centre. Alternatively a falls alarm automatically notifies the centre. If the persons named contact people were not available or lived to far away, we would send out our emergency carers who had equipment to assist the person up. However, the person would need to have had a key safe so the carers could gain access to the house. Not every council offer this service, and if they don't then an ambulance is usually called so they can assist the person up. Hope that helps
We were on call to our elderly neighbour, who had a buzzer. We both worked full time & we were getting 3 calls a week between the hours of midnight & 6am. Once he’d managed to fall out of bed & then crawled under the bed. Meanwhile his dog had got into the bed. His daughter lived 5 miles away, but couldn’t drive. It’s tough being the number 1 call out on such a service & definitely impacted our lives. This one was a council service. Not sure why I’m giving you the other end of the service story! I guess I’d like people to choose their responders carefully, or perhaps, if possible, rotate it so the responders get a holiday some time. It was a tough time for us, as our neighbour was a stout man, who fell often. One day we found him laid out in his strawberry patch in the garden. I was so busy helping I forgot I had something on the stove (boiling beetroot) & ruined the pan…but luckily no fire!!
I was “advised” to get one. I then charged my mind as I felt I didn’t really need one. I then got hassled by the company who install them so I concluded that they get some sort of commission which put me off even more. At the end of the day, if you’re able to push a button and/or communicate with these people, you can probably phone a family member or an ambulance. X
"At the end of the day, if you’re able to push a button and/or communicate with these people, you can probably phone a family member or an ambulance"
Not so sure that is true to be honest. The alarm is a single button - even on speed dial or emergency my phone is not. I have to open the screen, identify the position of Emergency and press the call button. Anyone can do that if they find you of course - but it is the finding that is the problem.
I did say “probably “. It’s a choice. I decided I didn’t need it this point in my life but only because I live with my 20 year old son. However, he’s Autistic and sometimes non verbal so I definitely had to weigh up the options.
Agreed, as proved the last time my Mum fell during COVID before she was found to have end stage NAFLD and Hepatic encephalopathy which had caused the fall.She had forgotten to put on her buzzer.
She fell in the kitchen and hit her head as well as breaking her nose and leg.
She had her phone in her pocket but either didn't realise or couldn't work it.
She laid on the floor for four hours until, luckily, the person whom delivered her food during COVID knocked and heard her calling.
My Mum had a safe box outside the front door with a number on it to the same Emergency call out centre.
The person could call them , they tried to call my Mum , when she couldn't answer they sent an Ambulance and gave me a call to check the person outside the door was an approved visitor.
I did and they got a code , which was a good thing as the person sat with my Mum and kept her comfortable because it took 3 hours for the Ambulance to arrive as it was during a COVID Lockdown.
If she hasn't had the system she would have been there all weekend because it happened on a Friday and her next check in visit was on a Monday. She had a habit of not answering her phones!
Yes, If I have an issue I think I'm probably going to call the farmer across the back field up and get him to give me a lift in the sheep truck, it would certainly be a lot quicker!
The call centre does often ask if you can get to the ED under your own steam - or with a neighbour/taxi - if it is something urgent and no ambos are available because they are parked outside the ED with patients they can't offload.
But it happens in the best regulated of symptoms - big article on German TV last night after blitz-ice in Erlangen where I used to live! Super-cooled rain falling onto cold roads and pavements resulted in dozens of falls and broken bones and they had to call in all their volunteers to help out. They had about 3 times the usual numbers in the ED.
Must be a cushy life there - pop of 120,000 and they had 50 patients per hour turning up. I know smaller EDs than that in the UK who have that all day every day. week after week!!!!
We got my husband an apple watch as he goes mountain biking and can be on his own at times. If he falls off it should ask him if he's okay and if no reply call the specified contacts. It's possible to get his location too.
On another note..
I have set up emergency contacts and my health conditions on my phone. We did emergency first aid at work and were told to look at the emergency feature that most mobiles have. You do not need to unlock the phone you just press the emergency button if you found someone passed out in the street etc. I was too scared to do that without someone telling me too! But it's easy. I keep it up to take with all my medication. I have practiced on friends phone since..
On mine when you press the Emergency button it takes you to the keypad and then you just press the green button to call the listed stores emergency numbers.
With regard to mobile phones, get a lanyard so you can hang it round your neck or crossways over the chest. Very cheap to get online . I use mine when out walking and don't want to take a bag
In her later years my Mum (she was 102 when she died)had a system in her own home whereby if she was unwell or had a fall she could press a button on a wrist strap or one you put round your neck (Mum had both!!). For this you require a landline and, of course, there is an operator’s fee. My Mum had to use it on several occasions. Once when she had a fall into a nearby wall and broke her hip. Mum was on the floor and couldn’t move at all. Mum pressed the button on her wrist. That allows the operators of the system to speak to you (on speaker) and ask what has happened. If deemed necessary they will call chosen family members and an ambulance. An external keybox is also a must. My Mum found her system invaluable and it was used several times. Even if Mum had her phone with her she would not have been in a suitable state to use it. I think that Help the Aged/Age UK in your area or local social services would likely be able to advise on operators. However, these systems are not inexpensive. It gave Mum her independence so she considered it worth every penny.
I got a new smartwatch for Christmas and I believe it has the capacity to detect falls and use an SOS system. You could go into your local Apple shop and ask them exactly how this works. It is fully waterproof so could even be worn when bathing etc. I have a very slow resting heart rate and my Cardiologist advised it so I can monitor that my heart rate does increase if required to. I have found many other features excellent as it reminds me to stand if I am seated for more than an hour. As I have arthritis this helps with mobility. Once the watch is purchased there are no ongoing fees so probably much more cost effective.
I live in a community where we have 2 different calls buttons. One is OK Each Day which makes sure we are ok every day. If you fail to press the screen by your agreed time they call you to make sure you are alright. If you are unreachable then they start to call your contacts.
The other call bell is for emergency use. As I found out recently it is also integrated into our smoke alarms. I have 2 pull cords in the flat and a button I can wear. This service is more for getting an ambulance or other service to you in an emergency.
I had an incident where my smoke alarm was going off. I was crisping up duck in my air fryer and the fat caused some smoke. I received calls from the service to find out if I was ok. As my alarm went off 3 times the next thing I know there's a team of fire officers at my door! Apparently, it's a precaution they take. They checked everything. 4 strapping firemen made my flat seems very small.
So I am grateful to have these things in my flat. My son lives two hours away and he has only been contacted once in the two years I have been here and that was because I slept through the period I should have pressed my ok button and didn't answer my phone. My son text me and it was all resolved.
I do have to pay a fee for these services but feel that it is very worthwhile. The emergency one in particular as you can hear them right throughout the flat so if you were away from the box you can still respond.
Thanks everyone you have been a mine of information I've bought myself a smart watch which doubles as a phone and monitors your sleep and activity as well as blood pressure, heart rate etc., and keeps its charge for days.
At least I won't forget to take it everywhere with me.
It’s much cheaper than an alarm system and, as you say, it’s on your wrist. Mine sent me an alert re high heart rate and stated ‘swipe right to call emergency services’. I sat, or should I say lay with the racing heart and took a beta blocker. No way was I facing A & E! Worst nightmare at the moment with all the flu cases.
Very wise I would not have gone either. I suppose that would be one of the downsides. I always have high blood pressure, and have often given myself a scare when I've measured it and it's been unusually high. I just calm myself down and wait for it to adjust itself.
Hi Pris80, my apologies, with moving and a few other things going on, happily not related to PMR I've been absent for too long. So happy to see you went for the smart watch option. Mine does all the things you've mentioned whether I have my mobile with me or not. One thing that was amusing was when I was clapping excitedly at an event my watch thought I'd had a fall and brought up a warning. Luckily I noticed it and cancelled it or my emergency contacts and the ambulance would have arrived at my location, could have been a tad embarrassing!!! Take care and let us know how you get on. ⌚⌚
I've got a Samsung smart watch 7. I don't have the sound on but do have it vibrate so it doesn't impinge on social life, but still let's me know I've got messages, email etc. I've always been a Samsung person and get good deals from my long term provider.
my 87 year old Mum uses one. She fell and broke her hip, pressed her button and within 20 minutes two responders let themselves in using the key safe installed for this purpose. They called an ambulance and made her comfortable until I arrived in response to their call. We then waited 11 hours for the ambulance but she’s home and recovered now and once again wearing the button to keep her safe should she fall.
On the other hand my 80 year old step mum with dementia fell and couldn’t remember to press her button at all.
My opinion / worth having and reassurance for your family.
We had them for all tenants at a sheltered housing scheme that I managed. You could still name your family members as emergency contacts, they don’t have to come out to you but it’s their decision as to whether to phone an ambulance, GP or fire brigade etc depending what your problem was. The alarms can be very useful but you need to keep them with you at all times (I lost count of the number of times I found a tenant on the bathroom floor and sometimes they’d been there for hours having left their alarm pendant hanging on the bedpost or on their bedside table!)
Do speak to your GP ....my elderly aunt had a small alarm she wore on a chain around her neck..if she fell she pressed a button on the chain & a voice just appeared out her landline phone …even though it was still on the hook. asking if she was OK.
Luckily she never needed to use it…..but a few times she pressed it by mistake & it worked well.
That was quite a while ago & it was free…as I recall her GP practice arranged it. I don’t know if that particular system is still in operation..but as I said ask your GP practice what is available.
They have a recommended supplier. The applicable prices should be the VAT-free ones, we come under the conditions, chronic condition and requiring regular medication.
As usual - those of us living alone are disadvantaged because for a fiver more a couple can be covered!
Bit confused by the notes about pacemakers. It says you can't use the everywhere version as a pendant and must switch off the fall alert but then say you can use a belt clip for the pendant. Does that mean you can then use the fall alert? Because that is one of the critical questions for someone living entirely alone I would have thought.
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