Mini WiFi camera

marionq

Registered User
Apr 24, 2013
6,449
0
Scotland
Since coming out of hospital last week I have had to accept that my husband is in decline. The daycentre asked not to bring him until next week as today he wouldn’t stand up or walk. So I am looking ahead to a time when I cannot get out for appointments or shopping etc. I could leave his sister with him but she has a disability too and would be a bit of a liability other than making him tea.

So this little camera which is widely available online at around £40 would be linked to an app on my smartphone and I could see the two of them in my sitting room while I was out. Has anyone used these? Is there a catch I haven’t thought of?
 

Beate

Registered User
May 21, 2014
12,179
0
London
You definitely don't want to be housebound. When the loss of mobility happened to OH, I refused to let him come home from hospital as they couldn't guarantee intense physio while at home. He was transferred to a rehab ward but after it was clear that he couldn't relearn how to walk, the SW and I found him a nursing home.

I'm not saying that you should do the same, but you have to get on to SS and tell them that the Day Centre refuses to take him back until next week, but do they think he'll magically walk again by then? They will have to reassess him, and so should Social Services. If he can't attend the Day Centre anymore, he will require more care at home, and that can't all be provided by you. Best to also ask for a Carers assessment that looks into what YOU need. They can't say no, you're entitled to it by law.

I don't know much about this camera, but I will say that your sister would have to agree to being observed remotely, and that such a device will not automatically lessen your stress, because you'll be looking at it all the time while you're supposed to be out doing other things. Best to have professionals looking after him, whether they are carers or befrienders.
 

Jo_

New member
Feb 19, 2019
7
0
Hi @marionq , we used these cameras when it became more difficult to leave our PWD. We got them from Amazon, I think they were about £50. We installed one in the kitchen and then another in the hallway and front door. You will need good broadband at home, infinity or something fast like fibre, otherwise when connecting to the cameras from your mobile and trying to playback etc it will falter. We were overall very pleased with the cameras, it did give peace of mind but obviously, how can I say this.. It's not easy to watch sometimes, and watching it does distract from the task you went out of the house to achieve..

We needed the extra cable bought from Amazon at the same time, about £5 more I think, to lengthen the included cable as we put the first on top of the fridge freezer so it covered all angles. And a memory card too if you want to be able to review anything after the event. It was a little glitchy to set up as your mobile and the camera need to all be in sync with your internet connection but didn't take more than about 15 minutes. I would recommend it. Let me know if I can give more info, I'd be happy to.
 

marionq

Registered User
Apr 24, 2013
6,449
0
Scotland
Thanks both. I’ll have to try it if I find I can’t get out. John is fairly immobile now so is not likely to wander about if I leave him with his magazines and a bowl of grapes.

I’ll give it until next week to see if he improves or if this is a permanent change.
 

RosettaT

Registered User
Sep 9, 2018
866
0
Mid Lincs
I got one a few weeks before Christmas as my OH started to lie in and I was constantly running up stairs checking on him as he was struggling to get out of bed. I don't record anything just have it on live view. Wouldn't be without it now.
 

silkiest

Registered User
Feb 9, 2017
865
0
The cameras come in many shapes and sizes and are connected via wifi and often accessed via an app. There are some that are advertised to watch pets that will send an alert to your phone app if there is noise or movement which can be useful if your PWD wanders. Unfortunately our PWD has a thing about unplugging any equipment she sees so we have had to pay considerably more to get a hard wired cctv system which is proving very useful.
 

Sam Luvit

Registered User
Oct 19, 2016
6,083
0
East Sussex
I used a baby video monitor, Clever Dog, it was set up with a wide view of the room. I set it to “ping” my phone for movements (when she was asleep), but I could also open the App & watch it at any time. I had it on both my phone (for when I was out) & the tablet for when I was in another room eating etc

Amazon had a brilliant deal, it was reduced from £90 to £30. Have a look around, it might come up again.
 

marionq

Registered User
Apr 24, 2013
6,449
0
Scotland
Thanks again all of you. I've ordered one from Amazon for £39.99 and will see how that goes. I will never be that far away from the house and nowadays John couldnt and wouldn't want to wander. I'll let you know how it performs.
 

marionq

Registered User
Apr 24, 2013
6,449
0
Scotland
Now have the cam installed on my iPad and iPhone. The app I downloaded to do it didn't work properly and I wasted a lot of time. The seller sent me an update on a better app and it worked in minutes.

I am still trying to get John back to his daycentre but I need this as a backup as I must be able to get out shopping, dentist, haircut and if I leave him with his mags once he's been fed I can watch him on my phone and see he Is safe. I've only just realised how much power the daycentre has - to take him and give me breathing space or to refuse and throw me into turmoil.
 

marionq

Registered User
Apr 24, 2013
6,449
0
Scotland
@Chrissie B the camera is a couple of inches across and I have it stuck to the side of a shelf and focussed on where John sits for most of the day. I know nothing about this stuff so tend to go by the reviews I see on Amazon. The camera works via an app you download onto your iPhone. It works on other phones and tablets too.
 

marionq

Registered User
Apr 24, 2013
6,449
0
Scotland
This is the view I get as a live video.
 

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Toony Oony

Registered User
Jun 21, 2016
576
0
Hi @marionq - that's such a good bit of kit and I hope it will be really useful for you both.

Just to lower the tone a little and raise a laugh ..... my daughter has a similar gadget for her 2 very beautiful pedigree cats. Before Mum moved into a CH, we thought a similar gadget (although it would make sad viewing) might be useful.

Daughter and I discussed it, but felt the moving laser light feature would be redundant (could you imagine??) but the ability to flick treats into the room when desired, may have been a big hit?!!

X
 

Sirena

Registered User
Feb 27, 2018
2,324
0
There was another member on here (sorry I can't remember his name) who lived with his mum, who was bedbound. He used to use a similar camera/app so he could go out for an hour or two in the evening. As she was immobile she was not at great risk, and it seemed to work well, without it he would have ended up housebound.
 

Lynmax

Registered User
Nov 1, 2016
1,045
0
The cameras come in many shapes and sizes and are connected via wifi and often accessed via an app. There are some that are advertised to watch pets that will send an alert to your phone app if there is noise or movement which can be useful if your PWD wanders. Unfortunately our PWD has a thing about unplugging any equipment she sees so we have had to pay considerably more to get a hard wired cctv system which is proving very useful.

My mum also unplugs things, even moving the fridge freezer to get to the socket behind it! We have fitted a number of boxes that go over sockets and the plugs so that the TV, fridge, clock and call blocker are all hidden from her. She doesn't seem bothered by them, it's like out of sight, out of mind.

You might be able to plug in a camera behind one of these - my sister got them from Amazon.
 

Jo_

New member
Feb 19, 2019
7
0
@marionq if it's the same model as we used you can also talk to it by pressing the mic on the app on your phone or ipad and the sound will come out through the camera, for example if you see something is wrong, you can say you would be home in 5 minutes or whatever and John would hear it from the camera. We found it a useful function. The app we used was MIPC, but I think we had to use an older version if I recall.
 

marionq

Registered User
Apr 24, 2013
6,449
0
Scotland
@Jo_ can I ask you what distance your connection with the camera gives you. I have only tried a couple of times out with a couple of miles and got no connection even in eg Pret with a decent wifi system. Our local bus however has wifi and does connect. Does distance matter or is it just the strength of the wifi. I am using an iPhone 6 which has 4G.
 

AliceA

Registered User
May 27, 2016
2,911
0
It would be useful to have a fact sheet on this.
I think it is good for when you are in easy reach but if too far away it could be very stressful.
To see something and not get back could be traumatic.

I have not had real experience of these but my next door neighbour did set a baby monitor up between our two houses so I could listen to her toddler while she and her husband went out some evenings for a walk.
At the slightest stir I would send reassuring noises then go and check him out if needed. I did go in and I found a bewildered child saying the wall talks to me! Just a thought, do not want to cause more confusion!

I just had a letter from Spec Savers offering free eye tests to people who cannot get to opticians unaided.
Have any of you tried this?
 
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jugglingmum

Registered User
Jan 5, 2014
7,085
0
Chester
I have no knowledge of these but think it will be the strength of the wifi/4g signal you can access.

I do have a smart phone but a 'cheap' model and mine doesn't connect as well as daughter's iphone (which is I think a 6)

@nitram might have some thoughts although I don't think he is familiar with smartphones

@Sam Luvit might have some helpful thoughts as well


My only real comment is glad you are getting out of the house at times
 

Izzy

Volunteer Moderator
Aug 31, 2003
74,002
0
72
Dundee
@AliceA

I just had a letter from Shec Savers offering free eye tests to people who cannot get to opticians unaided.
Have any of you tried this?[

In the past I had free at home eye tests for both my mother and my husband. I think that Boots and Vision Express also offer this service. They brought all the test equipment with them and a range of frames to choose from.