CCTV to keep an eye on Dad

[Joybelles]

Does anyone have CCTV set up to ensure a parent is safe during the day and stays in bed at night?

I live 15 mins in the car away from Dad and am considering setting up cctv but don't know what I need to buy, I wondered if anyone else has done this and can recommend a particular brand /type. I would want a system that records to a 'cloud' so I can access remotely.

Any input would be appreciated


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[starryuk]

I have a friend who has set something up for her dad. She has two cameras ...one facing his arm chair and one facing the bed. She has 'connected' them via the internet to her phone, so that she can check he is ok when she is out.(He lives with her)

It is called Y-cam. It comes with instructions to set up the remote view etc. It explains how it works on Amazon, she says. There are several brands available. You can choose to have sound with the picture and email alerts if there is movement, but she doesn't use those.

Anyway, it has proved invaluable for her, as it gives her reassurance. Her dad hasn't noticed the cameras at all!

 

[Pete R]

Does anyone have CCTV set up to ensure a parent is safe during the day and stays in bed at night?

I live 15 mins in the car away from Dad and am considering setting up cctv but don't know what I need to buy, I wondered if anyone else has done this and can recommend a particular brand /type. I would want a system that records to a 'cloud' so I can access remotely.

Any input would be appreciated

Does your Dad's house have broadband? If not it wont work.

No set up will ensure your Dad is safe but it will give you piece of mind that he is in the correct part of the house at the right time. A simple but not so effective way is to leave a plugged in a mobile phone (or two) that you can silently dial up and listen in. I had a camera on Mom's front door but it also had audio so I could hear where she was around the house.

 

[Pete R]

I would want a system that records to a 'cloud' so I can access remotely.

Forgot to add that if you do have broadband then if you use a camera that allows footage to be recorded onto an SD card you can access that remotely rather than paying extra for cloud storage.

 

[Joybelles]

Thank you , there is broadband in the house. I didn't know you could access an SD card remotely, I will have to look further into that.


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[Pete R]

Thank you , there is broadband in the house. I didn't know you could access an SD card remotely, I will have to look further into that.

It is common with most cameras that have sd card facility.

I bought 2 of these over Christmas and for the money they work great and the set up was easy even thought he instructions were in "Chinglish". The motion detection is very sensitive and not adjustable so a 32GB card is a must but remote access is probably one of the easiest I have ever set up. The app will not work on a tablet with no phone access but fine for me on an android phone and a windows computer.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01MSHANH3/ref=pe_385721_37986871_TE_item

 

[sinkhole]

There are a lot of choices in the CCTV market and it can be confusing.

I have tested and used quite a few cameras for use in my mum's house and for my home security and I'd recommend the Foscam range. They are not the cheapest, but are better quality and more reliable than most. There are options to record locally, stream to your browser remotely or store to the cloud.

Also worth looking at is the Blink Home Security system as this is very easy to install and the cameras are quite discrete.

Bear in mind with any camera sending video over a broadband connection, when it is streaming, especially if it is high quality HD video, it will be using up quite a bit of bandwidth, so if you are on a package which limits you to a certain amount of uploading/downloading each month, it can have an impact if you use it a lot or forget to close the connection once you've had a quick peek!

The other approach is not to use a camera, but instead have a device which monitors movement or electrical appliances around the house and alerts you if the usual activity of the occupant changes.

The one I've looked at (not used it yet) is called SeNCit and it's a PIR sensor which sends alerts via SMS messages, so it doesn't need broadband or Wi-Fi.

 

[Fordy5]

Hi, another system that has been alluded to if you don't need CCTV is something called CanaryCare that I used with my mum.

It comprises a small hub and 6 sensors, 4 room ones and 1 each at the front and back door. It detects movement and feeds into an online portal so activity can be monitored 24/7 but you can set a whole host of alerts both email & text for pretty much whatever scenario you want to monitor. No activity in a certain room for a period of time, doors open too long etc.

If you check the CanaryCare website is will show you how it works. They do 2 options, buy the system and smaller monthly subscription or rent it with higher monthly subscription. I bought a system and used it for 6 months and found it invaluable especially when I got alerts and couldn't get to see her I could contact the neighbour to check on her. She has gone into a care home as of 1st Jan so am now looking to sell the system we had. Would recommend but know there must be plenty of alternatives.

 

[Plymum]

I had Canary Care too and although my Mum is now in a NH I would thoroughly recommend the system.


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[sinkhole]

I've just bought a SenCit detector to test. It's a stand-alone PIR sensor which you can programme to send you alerts via SMS or phone ringing if activity isn't detected for a period of time you can set.

The big advantage is that there's no subscription to pay as it's a one-off purchase. I'm going to try it for a while at my mum's house to see how it performs.