Hi Jade,
To monitor a person with dementia it is essential to have a broadband package.
The best gadget I have is a YI home camera. Buy on Amazon, change out of £30 pounds. I have it stood on the microwave aimed at the kettle. Every time someone breaks the beam it sends a message to my phone. You can also observe the scene ‘live’ if you want. This is a godsend if no one is answering the phone. The combination of no alerts and no phone answered can also quickly highlight a problem.
I have a carelink subscription, with a neck pendent to be pressed by the person if in Trouble.
I have recently sign up for free telephone call screening, where unknown callers have to record a short message. This then get played to the person and they have to press number one to accept. Much to my surprise this has been a huge success, don’t underestimate the danger of sales calls to people with dementia.
I have a Memrabel 2. This is like a day clock showing the day, month etc in a display like an I pad. You can programme it with prompts to do things. I use it for medication prompts. One family with a mother how loved Sean Connery programmed it with his photo flashing up and someone did a voice impression telling her to take her medication, and it worked.
I tried buying the plastic medication boxes that say am,pm,night. They didn’t work,they got meddled with! Dossette boxes from the pharmacy are delivered once a month now. The medication is kept in the kitchen with an additional day clock kept 6 inches away.
I have a ring doorbell installed, this sends a photo of everyone who comes to the door, to my mobile.
I have a guard cam, an outside light that takes photos of all callers.
I have a sign that warns all callers that there is video surveillance inside and out.
Just installed an Alexa show. It the new model with the video screen. This enables the family to ‘drop in’ and the callers and receiver can see each other as they talk.I don’t like Alexa alarms for dementia because you have to remember to say’ Alexa ‘to turn them off, but Alexa reminders are good. I have ours programmed to say ‘do you want to phone your sister’, every Sunday at 5. You can also use it to remind someone that a favourite tv programme is starting. You could also use it to set reminders about meal times.
Communication is another issue. I realised that I was sounding like a disgruntled headmistress for most of the time and had to change it. I separate the persons behaviours into two categories unsafe, and costing money. You analyse each event as it occurs. Example chicken purchased yesterday now in the bin because out of date????? Then that comes into the ‘money wasted category’. Do not lecture,it doesn’t improve anything.If it helps, remembering they were in a care home it would cost £12,000 a month. That means the cost of the wasted chicken isn’t to dramatic.
There is a saying people don’t remember what you did or what you said but how you made them feel.
I work really hard to achieve this. Last week it was ‘ my rings have gone missing’ I said ‘ not again’ which was the wrong answer! The correct answer was, don’t worry we will go and look for them. It is a matter of changing ‘reflex answers’, I will keep practicing until I get it right.
Don’t forget can you claim attendance allowance, or a reduction of the community charge? That money alone would pay for all of the above.
This is my first post so apologies if it is a bit Random.