Hi,
Thank you in advance for any input to help in my search. Looking for a call/fall button/pendant that patient with PSP can wear, one that will call 3 programmed phone #s before 911 if none of the 3 #s answer. The patient has aphasia, trouble with vision, hand eye coordination and mobility. This is why the pendant needs to have one easy to use button that will contact our care team. There are 3 ppl on our care team, one next door, one 5 mins away, & a caregiver 10 mins away. They all know the drill and are able to communicate with the patient. The spouse lives with and cares for the patient wonderfully, is in great health physically and mentally. However, accidents can happen & we need to first have one of our care team contacted, to enter home, call and speak to 911 for caregiver spouse (if needed) and to assist and help patient with PSP. We live in USA, Arizona if that helps.
Thank you
The thing I liked about it as well is that you just pay for it to begin with, roughly 300 bucks, but never have a monthly fee. It just goes through your phone than you program 3 numbers (in my case me, my brother Daryl, then my other brother Daryl) then 911 if no one answers. It basically serves as a telephone as well. My mom could push the button, I would answer, and she could talk over it
It does have one design flaw. You have to wear it. My mom refuses to wear it. But if she did wear it it would be good. I have emailed the company to see if they have a model for people who don't want to wear them, but they don't.
I programmed it to remove the fall detection, which is not good, but still better than nothing if she would decide to wear it.
The company I chose provided home security service and had for years, but also had a medical department handling pendant alert calls. We had the option to choose which 3 people who would be called I was the first, EMS the second.
This was some years ago; I don't know if there's a similar service available in your area, but you might want to contact companies already providing home security, as they typically would already have procedures set up for emergencies. They might, however, only provide security through an Internet connection.
What I'm not sure can be accomplished is for a service to provide that calls immediately go to an individual, as opposed to through their system, which has a more extensive and immediate, 24/7 response function. Dad would bend over to put his shoes on and they would call; the pendant monitored that kind of bending over activity.
If Dad couldn't be reached, I would be called. But the signal went to the company directly; I don't know if signals can be programmed to go directly to individuals and not through the provider.
I think I would widen the parameters and try to find a company that first calls the 3 of you, in the order you select. I honestly don't think, or know for sure, if a company would rent a pendant and provide support if it wasn't the first line responder, but I would obviously raise that issue in contacting potential suppliers.
And if there is an immediate emergency, it may be that EMS should be called before any of the 3 of you. That's not to denigrate your involvement, but just to be aware that crises can require immediate attention w/o an intervening call from either of the 3 of you.
It also infers that any of you are always available, 24/7, just like EMS. I don't know how realistic that is. And frankly, if there was an emergency, I myself would prefer that EMS triage and evaluate before any individual makes a decision.
Another thing I would suggest is getting a lockbox, and have it installed by a carpenter or handyman into the studs adjacent to the front door. Then EMS or other first responders can get in w/o having to wait for any of the 3 of you.
If you do get one, don't get the kind with a latch that pulls up, like the kind used on school lockers years ago; the latch can be sawed through. I tested the one I bought and while I didn't saw through it, I could easily get a saw between the sides of the latch.
I used Phillips for my Mom. I paid extra to have the fall sensor. I had it set up with dispatcher to call me first. Mom lived around the corner so I could be there in minutes. That gave me the choice to call 911 or not.
From what you describe this person is very vulnerable and should never be left alone for more than a very brief amount of time, certainly no more than an hour if that. So, if the spouse is there why can't they call for help?