How to keep track of elderly parent who lives alone

Hi, my mum is 88 and also frail with poor mobility . She has an alarm button on a chain around her neck. She lives in a retirement apartment and they organise it. Also in her flat she presses a button every morning to let the manager know she’s ok.
In her previous house , she had an alarm which was from age uk .
As for something attached to a plug , I’ve not heard of anything like that. Is it a tracker device like you’d use on a dog ?

Round here, Adult Social Care can refer you to the assisting technology debt who are brilliant. Check with you local council.

Does she have broadband/wifi? You can get a rechargeable camera for about £40. You can put in a part of her home she has to pass - say the hall - in order to get to other rooms or the front door. Then you can see that she is up and about without infringing her pricvacy. Most people go to the door at least once a day to see if there is any mail. It will open an app on your mobile device or send a signal when she passes it. I have a similar arrangement with a relative who had a stroke and lay on the floor for 2 days before anyone found them.

You could get a home monitoring camera, it seems rather intrusive to me and should be with your mothers agreement.

You should get her the alarm to go round her neck
i would hate a camera in my house gosh absolutely hate it however frail I was
My dad had the alarm system and found it very very useful I use to ring him two or three times a day as well for a little chat to keep him company I believe the alarm system has moved up a notch as my friend has one and it works outside the home and can tell if she’s fell

friend has a app on her phone that waits 30second when it wasdropped or hit hard same as car app in accident
if no response it sends call to medical or a family memeber or close friend that has the app to get things fixed

after lung operation i had one for a few months
does ukhave this program i can call my doctors office and they will send ambulance

An alarm round the neck would only tell you something is wrong if it's pressed.

Google "dementia trackers"

Has your mother actually agreed to this surveillance?

You are probably best with a standard care system. The button around her neck that Tenko mentions would be connected to the operator, usually through the phone system. The phone has a speaker.

If your mother presses it, they will speak to her through the system to find out what the problem is. If she is not able to answer, they will call the emergency services and let you know. They would want an up-to-date copy of your mother's medical conditions and medication. If she lives in a building with a code entry, they will need that too for any of the emergency services should they be needed.

They will also need a key to her accessible door. If you choose to be her key holder or someone else is nominated they must be available 24 hours a day and to be able to get to your mother quickly. All in all, I would recommend a key safe rather than a nominated key holder. If this is chosen, the service provider will also need the code for the key safe.

To keep in touch with you, your mother could have an Echo Show. I believe you could set it up so she can say, "Alexa, send a message to bobble to say I am up and having my breakfast". There is also a drop-in facility between devices (you would also need one for this). If your mother gives permission, you can do just that. Your mother may not want that at the moment, but you can send a phone message asking if you could "drop in on Alexa for a chat". Then, if things deteriorate, she may be happy for you to look in and see if she is okay.

I think a Care Line system is more of a priority, but it all needs her agreement.

The button round your neck can just be for Mum to press or it can also be a fall alarm.

Not only if pressed Kitty as I said I’m not sure how it works but my friends recognises a fall

My mother moved from a simple alarm that you oress to one that combined a fall alarm. They measured her for the combined on so it must have been able to detect the distance.

If you choose to be her key holder or someone else is nominated they must be available 24 hours a day and to be able to get to your mother quickly

I refused to do this for a neighbour a couple of months ago. Its too much responsibility.

The alarm button is all very well but the elderly person has got to be wearing it. My MiL lay on her bathroom floor for 12 hours as she’d got up to go to the loo without bothering to take the alarm.

There are watches which detect movement including a fall. No need to press anything

Apple Watches have various automatic alarm and tracking systems, including a hard fall detector.

You are balancing your concern with your relatives legal entitlement to do as they wish as long as they have capacity.

I imagine (but that's all it is) that as they use virtual wards more we will be asked to accept cameras. One person can then continuously check many during the night. For some it will be worth it in order to stay at home. They may already doing it. I haven't come across it but that doesn't mean it someone hasn't put it in place already.

I have a relative who uses the Drop In on their Alexa's if her dad doesn't answer the phone (with his permission). He us usually taking a nap He is aware of his multiple issues so that makes it easier.

NotAGran55

Apple Watches have various automatic alarm and tracking systems, including a hard fall detector.

You can usually get a watch style alarm instead of wearing it round your neck.

It is night-time that is the problem.

Notsoold27

There are watches which detect movement including a fall. No need to press anything

With the ones I have been describing you don't need to press anything if you fall. It works in the same way the watch does. Being able to call for help by pressing the button is separate. The fall alarm is additional and you would probably have to request it if it isn't in your basic package.

You have to ask who the watch would call. Are they available 24 hours a day? Do they have the same relationship with the emergency services, the persons medical history to refer to? And how close are they?

My MIL calls us each morning when she is up and each evening when she is in bed. Just 3 rings , we don’t answer. We do speak to her at other times😀.

If she hasn’t rung by the allotted times, we call her. Luckily she is in the routine of doing this and has only forgotten a couple of times.

Another one who hasnt come back on a thread she started 🙄

My mother had an alarm on a cord round her neck. It went off when she fell, due to a stroke, and the people from the alarm company went round immediately. They had a key and my contact details and rang me as soon as they'd got her to hospital. This was about 12/13 years ago; the technology might be better now but it was enough even then to get her help quickly.

vegansrock

The alarm button is all very well but the elderly person has got to be wearing it. My MiL lay on her bathroom floor for 12 hours as she’d got up to go to the loo without bothering to take the alarm.

Also, if there’s any degree of dementia, the person will very likely forget to wear it or hide it, and even if they do remember to wear it, will forget what it’s for.