Home Medical Alert system?

[Catrin]

I wasn't sure where to put this, this seemed the most appropriate place. To make a long story short, my mother is moving in with my sister - they are in Tennessee. Our mom's health isn't so good, and for a couple of other reasons it seems time. Mom is getting a nice set of rooms upstairs, but both my sister and I are concerned about those stairs. So I am considering getting Mom one of those medical alert bracelets where she can call for help should something happen when she is home alone and paying the monthly fee for her...

Does anyone here have any experience with these? I've searched for information of course, and am still researching it. My sister doesn't have a landline so I will need to determine what options might exist for her.

[snapdragen]

I'd love to hear thoughts on this also; my mom will be home alone eventually.

[Chicken Little]

I am a big fan of these items, they have saved many of my patients that have fallen. I don't know of one without a land line, though. I'm sure there is one, though.

Along with this topic comes the obvious questions concerning living wills, power of attorney, advance directives. I don't mean to pry, but have you had this important discussion? How old is your Mom?

[snapdragen]

We've talked about it. Has anything been done? Of course not, Mom is the Queen of Denial. Must talk again....

snap "has a living will" dragen

[wnyrider]

My Mom has one of those med alert units in her Florida place and it does connect to the landline. However, the laundry room is outside her villa and the med alert unit wouldn't be of assistance if she fell out there-- out of range. We looked into the SPOT Personal Tracker...
http://www.findmespot.com/en/index.php?cid=101
This was a promising option, but we didn't get her one since she ended up planning to come up north shortly thereafter. We simply got her a lanyard for her cell phone so she could have it on hand when she did her laundry in the meantime.

[Catrin]

My Mom has one of those med alert units in her Florida place and it does connect to the landline. However, the laundry room is outside her villa and the med alert unit wouldn't be of assistance if she fell out there-- out of range. We looked into the SPOT Personal Tracker...
http://www.findmespot.com/en/index.php?cid=101
This was a promising option, but we didn't get her one since she ended up planning to come up north shortly thereafter. We simply got her a lanyard for her cell phone so she could have it on hand when she did her laundry in the meantime.

Hmmmm, this is interesting. Mom does have a cell phone, so perhaps your lanyard solution would be an appropriate option as well. I suspect the SPOT unit wouldn't be much different in size, and perhaps be larger. Good food for discussion with my sister.

Mom is 71, and while she does have health issues, I think she does pretty good for someone who has had cancer, and a few chronic health problems. She is moving in with my sister more for financial reasons at this point, and I am looking for ways that I can help out. I don't have a lot myself, but I don't want all of the burden to be on my sister. While my relationship with my mother has been far from normal for my entire 51 years, she still IS my mother...Thanks for the comments!

[malkin]

If you can help your sister with some respite, I'm sure they'll both appreciate it.

[Catrin]

If you can help your sister with some respite, I'm sure they'll both appreciate it.

I would if I were closer than 500 miles away...but I get down when I can.

[HillSlugger]

We're setting my mom up with one this coming week. It will be tied into a landline.

[ronarnold]

Here are a couple good options for medical alert systems
1. No monthly fee medical alert system http://www.tntalert.com
2. GPS Cellular based medical alert system http://www.SkyAngelGPS.com

[solobiker]

Life Lines and such have helped out many of my patients as well. Cell phones are good, but sometimes it is not always available or if something happens there are more steps involved with using a phone vs pusing a "Life Line " button.

As for the stairs...would there be anyway to put in a stair glide?? There are many different type/models and from the ones I have seen they do not take up very much room/space. I have had several patients use them and have seen the benefits to having them installed.