Motion-sensor care alarms?

[Nimmo Nim]

My mum, who is 87 and has had her dementia diagnosis since 2016, has reached the stage where I don't believe she is safe or happy living independently at home any more. This is for a host of reasons, one of which is a stream of night-time falls recently, involving paramedic attendance to get her up again. Though she wears an emergency call pendant, with the dementia she doesn't remember to use it when she falls (paramedics are often called after the event by my brother, visiting, or by the morning carer who helps her take her meds, etc). So... Social Services have offered to fund a MOTION-SENSOR FALL ALARM. But I've had it from a couple of sources that these are not that reliable or appropriate in an 'own home' environment. That they work better in care homes. DOES ANYONE HAVE EXPERIENCE OF THESE IN HOME USE? IF SO, WHICH ONES? WHAT DO YOU THINK? WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS? Sorry for 'shouting' my questions! Look forward to hearing from someone...

 

[Jessbow]

What is going to alert YOU to the fact that she has fallen? Are you in the same house overnight?

You can have a pressure mat, that would indicate that she had got out of bed, but it wouldnt tell you anything more. ( Ie trod on it on the way to the loo, or has fallen & is sat on the floor)

they work in care homes because there is someone to respond to the alarm


if she lives alone you'd need a camera system I think

 

[Rosettastone57]

My mum, who is 87 and has had her dementia diagnosis since 2016, has reached the stage where I don't believe she is safe or happy living independently at home any more. This is for a host of reasons, one of which is a stream of night-time falls recently, involving paramedic attendance to get her up again. Though she wears an emergency call pendant, with the dementia she doesn't remember to use it when she falls (paramedics are often called after the event by my brother, visiting, or by the morning carer who helps her take her meds, etc). So... Social Services have offered to fund a MOTION-SENSOR FALL ALARM. But I've had it from a couple of sources that these are not that reliable or appropriate in an 'own home' environment. That they work better in care homes. DOES ANYONE HAVE EXPERIENCE OF THESE IN HOME USE? IF SO, WHICH ONES? WHAT DO YOU THINK? WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS? Sorry for 'shouting' my questions! Look forward to hearing from someone...

My mum, who is 87 and has had her dementia diagnosis since 2016, has reached the stage where I don't believe she is safe or happy living independently at home any more. This is for a host of reasons, one of which is a stream of night-time falls recently, involving paramedic attendance to get her up again. Though she wears an emergency call pendant, with the dementia she doesn't remember to use it when she falls (paramedics are often called after the event by my brother, visiting, or by the morning carer who helps her take her meds, etc). So... Social Services have offered to fund a MOTION-SENSOR FALL ALARM. But I've had it from a couple of sources that these are not that reliable or appropriate in an 'own home' environment. That they work better in care homes. DOES ANYONE HAVE EXPERIENCE OF THESE IN HOME USE? IF SO, WHICH ONES? WHAT DO YOU THINK? WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS? Sorry for 'shouting' my questions! Look forward to hearing from someone...

I agree with @Jessbow . It's alright having a sensor mat, but who's going to respond? My mother-in-law had these but in her care home where there was supervision. My mother-in-law was like this in her own home with frequent falls. This was one of the tipping points for my mother-in-law to go into full time care, I'm afraid. She lived alone and just couldn't be left on her own

 

[Sirena]

So your mum lives on her own, with visits from carers and family? And you're talking about a wearable device that will sense she has fallen, and automatically alert a call centre, who will then... what? Call paramedics?

I have no idea how reliable these monitors are, but if she is having so many falls, do you think it is safe for her to live at home any more? Social services will probably try to keep her at home beyond the point where it is feasible simply because it is cheaper than moving her to a care home, so if you think she is no longer safe you will need to be very firm with them about it.

 

[Agzy]

My OH has a ‘wrist watch’ motion detector and if a fall is detected in the house or garden then call centre contacts us through supplied speaker alarm and if no answer or help is required they make calls to certain family members and may send out staff to access the house via key safe. Only downside is that a knock can, incertain situations, give a false reading and so wrong alerts. Call centre staff all ok with the incidents.

 

[Nimmo Nim]

So your mum lives on her own, with visits from carers and family? And you're talking about a wearable device that will sense she has fallen, and automatically alert a call centre, who will then... what? Call paramedics?

I have no idea how reliable these monitors are, but if she is having so many falls, do you think it is safe for her to live at home any more? Social services will probably try to keep her at home beyond the point where it is feasible simply because it is cheaper than moving her to a care home, so if you think she is no longer safe you will need to be very firm with them about it.

Thanks Sirena, My mum definitely needs to move into residential care, and the doctor has written a letter to social services to say that living independently is no longer a safe option and recommending the move. Despite receipt of this letter social services STILL want to 'check her for resi-care funding qualification against their own criteria'. We're going to have to be very clear and very firm with them about it. You're dead right.

 

[Nimmo Nim]

What is going to alert YOU to the fact that she has fallen? Are you in the same house overnight?

You can have a pressure mat, that would indicate that she had got out of bed, but it wouldnt tell you anything more. ( Ie trod on it on the way to the loo, or has fallen & is sat on the floor)

they work in care homes because there is someone to respond to the alarm


if she lives alone you'd need a camera system I think

Thanks Jessbow, Yeah, my understanding is that motion-sensor systems are more appropriate in care homes because real and false alarm alerts can be easily distinguished between by staff who can respond appropriately and immediately Problem for us is that my sibling who provides most of the family based care support and emergency response stuff is moving out of the area. So any alarm would now have to go through to a call centre who'd alert paramedics without whom, I might say, she can't be got up anyway. I'm concerned about dangerous delays in paramedic responses because motion-sensor alarms don't give any info about the nature of the problem and so they may not be graded 'urgent' by the ambulance service even if they are. Mum has waited hours for a paramedic before, in some distress.

 

[Jessbow]

Despite receipt of this letter social services STILL want to 'check her for resi-care funding qualification against their own criteria'. We're going to have to be very clear and very firm with them about it. You're dead right.

I expect it will be a financial assesment. Just because the GP suggests it,they may still want to try 4 carers a day , which may or may not be costly, depending on finances.

If yoiur mother would be self funding, you can get on and do it, if she consents.
if you are hoping she will be council funded, she'll have to undergo their assesments

 

[Weasell]

I have a YI camera. Very cheap from Amazon. You download the app on your phone and get free alerts.
The newer model than mine has a ‘ baby crying’ feature.
So it contacts you if it hears a ‘baby crying’
Would she remember to cry out if she fell?
I have the camera trained on the kettle, so if a lot of time has gone by and she hasn’t put the kettle on I’m thinking ‘what’s going on’?