Hi everyone - new to this

[rache3185]

Hi all, new to this so please forgive me if I make a hash of it ! A bit about my situation to start with, my dad was diagnosed with Alzheimers about 4 years ago - looking back I suppose it started maybe 6 or 7 years ago (what seems like normal forgetfullness and stress can be used as an excuse for a long time) anyway Dad is happily married and mum is coping most of the time, they just recently moved into a new house hoping to enjoy retirement - no such luck ! There are 3 kids (can i class myself still as a kid at 39 (?)) and we all live fairly local to mum & dad so always around if needed, take them out for days, shopping garden centres (seems to be afavourite) but never feel as though we are doing enough. Dad has never been one for reading or writing, has been a farmer for all his life, so was more a practical type, very strong character with a reputation for making a good deal all through his farming life, but all that's gone now, he follows mum around all the time and cannot concentrate on anything, gets very bored easily but can't express what he wants to do. We have just reached the stage where he is forgetting how to shave etc (don't you feel awfull talking about your dad behind his back !). He still likes pottering in the garden but even that interest is waining now - what do we do? I know there are no answers and I know what time will bring but no matter how "tough" on the outside you feel, the inside is hurting, but we have to find this inner strength to help mum as much as we help dad? Mum just getting over a bout of gout and one of the issues we had was that when mum wanted to contact us - dad couldn't get the phone to her - one of the questions I would like to see if any of you can shed light on is - "is there some kind of personal alarm that mum could have located around the house that would contact one of us - rather than a 3rd party?"

Was worried that I wouldn't have anything to say - think I've proved myself wrong & think I will become a regular !

 

[DaisyG]

Welcome

Welcome to Talking Point.


I'm sure you will find everyone here a great help.

I'm sorry I can't personally answer your 'personal alarm' query...
Someone on TP will know what's available and how/where to get it..
IF IT IS AVAILABLE.


I do know that there is such a thing as a MOBILE PHONE tracker .. that I may have to think about at some point in the future.
It's for if your 'loved one' goes on a walk about... (missing!).. and you need to find them. Works like a SAT NAV...


Take Care

DaisyG

 

[rache3185]

thanks

thanks daisyg - just nice to know that there are people out there that undertand -
Cheers

 

[Helena]

Would not a cordless phone or several around the house not be the answer .......your mum could have it with her always except at night when she puts it back in charger cradle hopefully by her bed

Having extention telephone points installed round the house seems a sensible first move

 

[Kayla]

Personal alarm

When my Dad died and Mum was living on her own, we got an Invicta Alarm, which is based in Kent, but there are similar devices elsewhere. It was excellent and Mum only had to press a red button, on a gadget worn around her neck(or wrist) and she was in contact with a switchboard. An ambulance would automatically be alerted, unless they could talk to her and check she was safe, and they would contact us or the other keyholders.
If there was a powercut, they would check she was safe and warm and then contact us if necessary. The device was connected to the phone network, but it was possible to talk through the red button. It was so simple to use, that a person in the early or middle stages of dementia could probably cope with it. It saved Mum being stranded on the floor for hours several times, and also alerted us to powercuts that we weren't experiencing, although we were only a mile or so away.
They always responded immediately to the alarm being pressed. It cost about £32 for two or three months rental, which seems a small price to pay for peace of mind.
Kayla

 

[rache3185]

usefull infr

very helpful info thanks - will do a bit more research into it, was hoping that there was some system that would alert us first, but it's a starting point

thank you

 

[jenniferpa]

I don't know about these alarm systems. Before my Mother moved she had one, but it caused no end of problems - if the wrong button was pressed it ended up tying up the phone line, unbeknowst to anyone. As I live overseas, it meant I was constsntly having to get people to go over and reset it. It definitely caused more problems than it solved.

 

[Lila13]

Personal alarm

My mother had one

http://www.spelthorne.gov.uk/community___learning/com_living_home/com_ind_span.htm

We had to remind her again and again not to take it off when she went to bed or when she had a shower. She was always losing it, of course.

I think she only used it once, when she went and sat down at the bottom of the garden after dark on a frosty night.

 

[BazCare]

Hello Rache, I have arranged through social services for my dad to be covered by the local Link Line service, this works on a very similar system to the Invicta Alarm that Rache has already mentioned. I have just covered how the system works in more detail in a thread headed ‘Any experience in personal key safes' which is just above this thread.