My mother is 84 and starting to have health issues. We are having to be overseas for 6 months and I am worried if something happens to her.
It would be nice if there was some easy non obtrusive way that is cost effective, for me to login and check if there has been activity in her apartment. I could install a basic camera system for instance,or connect a smarthub of some sort with a movement monitor on the fridge door or somewhere else. Something like this http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2016/05/this-smartwatch-for-the-el… would be perfect, but it appears that they have not proceeded with its manufacture. Does anyone have any creative ideas that is relatively cost effective, that would give me peace of mind while away?
Creative ways to monitor activity of Elderly parent while away
razorack999 on 16/01/2017 - 09:56
Comments
She has neighbours around her that do that, but I am worried that if she has a fall for instance , that it might take the neighbours a few days to realize that they havent seen her. That would be very distressing for her. I am basically trying to reinforce her security in addition to the neighbours thing. The idea is to give her peace of mind and peace of mind for me as well
but I am worried that if she has a fall for instance ,
But even if you she falls over, it could take you half a day before you could check up on her online.
My grandma used to wear a buzzer around her neck at all times that would alert…some local service I can't remember the name of.
If she ever fell she just had to push the button and someone would be there asap.
medic alert or something like that
they really can be a lifesaver. it's pretty sad to see people who have been on a cold tile floor in winter all night because they couldn't get up.
but of course you need to have an oldie that isn't too crazy and actually wears their alert necklace :P
Auto Clubs sell & provide service for Alert devices for oldies.
RAA says they have on-shore response unit who answer.
Shop around.
PS In small communities, an Internet-connected mobile running Zello
could BOTH let folks enjoy Ham Radio like "round-table chats" AND serve to get help (as long as the one who calls is Conscious).Each Zello channel supports Over 1,000 users. Make it a business for higher-functioning folks, who live alone. Maybe create a number of channels, for as many groups of oldies, who want to try / switch between 'em, across the day.
Or… Use Zello to call & check each Oldie, maybe give 'em a bit of fresh goss or news, ask if "all is well" & - of no one answers, send help.
Within a Gated Community, with enough subscribers, a DMR radio network might work, ie, where each radio can be called by Contact Name (no one else hears any of the calls (except scanners, so be careful what you talk about..)
UHF radio: $150
License a Private Freq (Cheaper in Outback / Low Pop./Sq.Meter), I think.PS Are there any Zello like WiFi based apps that DON'T require a central server?
Time to get her the wrist or neck chain with the buzzer. Just got it for my 87yo grandmother as she lives alone… it's not that expensive.
she has one of those, but it is a bit unreliable and of course I wont be able to respond if I am in europe
You expect your exotic sensor system to be more reliable than a buzzer she wears around her neck? Oh and let me point out you will still be in Europe and unable to respond no matter what the system is.
I think your best bet is to get a reliable buzzer and have it linked to a local monitoring service who can respond.
This.
It connects to a service. They handle going over there (they call the house first and if no response go over there) and call an ambulance if necessary and yourself (give them your number) also give them a trusted friend's number.
I have a client who uses http://www.mylively.com
There are sensors on the fridge, bathroom etc. I don't know if they still are operational… The company that is.
Many old age care services offer exactly what you are after, someone to go around and check she is ok. It's probably worth looking into a service like that. If you call everyday (day and night) to check in or teach her to do it. If you can't get onto her, then have someone to go around there.
Does she know how to use a iPad (or could she learn?) I would be buying her a iPad and teaching her how facetime works.
Set up the iPad so you get rid of the other apps except facetime and check in daily.
As below the wireless lock that detects the door being opened
Or you know… you could send a txt to her in the morning and at night every day.
So if something were to happen, you would know within the same half-day, and could get the neighbours to check in.If that's too long, you could just adjust the intervals of your messages.
Could be one every four hours? Or maybe one every 10 minutes?Or you know… you could send a txt to her in the morning and at night every day.
OP: "Hey ma, U OK?"
84 year old mother: "lol am OK thnx ttyl"
Hi,
You can look at a call service something like:
http://www.redcross.org.au/telecross.aspx
(A phone call each day to check you're ok)Also, consider getting one of those Pendant things, so she can push a button to summon help if required.
https://www2.health.vic.gov.au/ageing-and-aged-care/supporti…My mum volunteers for telecross. A great service. The oldies love a chat too…. :P
she does have an at home system. The pendant works inside the apartment, but not outside. And it has been unreliable. So I guess I have lost a bit of confidence in it. They keep saying that they will get someone to come and look at it, but this never happens.
You could get a wireless front door lock. I know someone that installed on his apartment front door as the property manager had a key and had a poor habit of not giving proper notice for things. e.g. strata required all aircon filters to be changed, property manager would just go in and do it, not give warning that he wanted to do it between X and Y date. It sent him an email every time the door was opened or shut. It would work on days that she checks the mail, I guess it leaves weekends vacant though.
I know what you mean that you want it to be unobtrusive. A pendant, or even a text message when it becomes very repetitive is a constant reminder that things might go wrong. I had a very stubborn grandmother who refused similar things because she was a firm believer in if you think about bad things, it means they will happen.
Good suggestion about the wireless front door lock. I did think of something like this. She does go out quite a bit and still drives. I guess the daily emails would be a reassurance.
Does your Mother have Meals on Wheels call with Lunch on weekdays?
Look into it at: http://www.mealsvictoria.org.au/No she still cooks for herself and is desperately trying to stay as active as she can. This is a great thing. But 18 months ago she got a bad gastro bug and was bedridden for 2 weeks. Her health deteriorated rapidly which really frightened us all. So we are aware how quickly her health can change at that age, and as we are going to be away for 6 months , on the other side of the world and in a different time zone, we are trying to be as proactive as we can in monitoring her ourselves- as well as having to rely on neighbours and monitoring services etc
I think Meals on Wheels serves two purposes.
Obviously a nice Meal each Weekday, but also someone bright that comes to the door each weekday. I know it is only five minutes, but it gives people a lift.
Take her with you
Purchase a motion sensor perhaps a Wemo Motion or D-Link Motion Sensor. You can then set up an IFTTT to notify you if there has been no motion for X amount of time. Also suggest you get a cheap IP camera which you can stream to your phone.
Check Gumtree, people often sell Wemo sensors - http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/ivanhoe/other-electronics-com…
good suggestion. Although I know what IFTTT is , I have never programmed anything. Would the Wemo present a challenge?
It requires no programming, you just set up a bunch of a rules using a straight forward interface. Actually come to think of it, you should just purchase an IP camera with a sensor built in. Just make sure it allows notification if there is NO motion.
"you should just purchase an IP camera with a sensor built in. Just make sure it allows notification if there is NO motion."
Do they even exist? I would think that a camera sending out notifications when there was no motion would be working overtime
Try Alfred which is a free app coupled with old smart phones/tables. However shouldn't be the only option you go for!
What does she want you to do? This is all sounding a bit 1984. My suggestion is to get her a mobile phone and/or a tablet and do something like facetime on a daily basis; even if it is only a couple of minutes check in. (You will need internet access as well). If she falls, and she has the phone, she can ring the ambulance. She also might have other friends she can facetime as well. If you are worried she isn't looking after herself then get meals delivered and organise for a cleaner to come in once a week and clean the house. The cleaner can report back if she thinks your mum might not be coping. I realise you are concerned, I would be as well, but your need for reassurance doesn't negate her right to privacy.
"your need for reassurance doesn't negate her right to privacy." LOL! have you spoken to her? She is totally on board with anything that I suggest as she wants and needs the reassurance that I know if something major goes wrong. It is Me that doesnt want to intrude on her privacy , that would include daily facetime. We see her regularly at least once a week for a meal and that is all she wants. but when I am going to be OS for 6 months she feels insecure.
No probs, it was just some of these things looked a little "by stealth" as you weren't talking about what she wanted to do. I still think the best thing is a phone and a regular facetime schedule and then have a neighbour on call if you need them to pop in and see her. This way she can control what is going on and, given the facetime is over the internet, it shouldn't cost big bucks to maintain.
Depending on your budget, there are a few smart watches out there for seniors with fall detection, an emergency button and they have a sim and can take falls. Or you can set up an apple watch to do something similar.
I have been looking at a few. Most seem to be either kickstarter/indiegogo and still in concept or development, Or are US centric and wont work in australia. happy to be proved wrong!
This is one from a Brisbane supplier and is available locally.
good find. But uit doesnt seem to be supported in melbourne
Try Tunstall Healthcare listed in QLD, they service all states in Australia AFAIK. I have some clients using their products in other states as well.
Are you good with technology?
There are some good tutorials around which would help you make your own secure, monitored camera for around $100. You could use a Raspberry Pi as the brains of the operation, Motion (free) to run the webcam and OpenVPN (free) to setup the secure tunnel so that you, and only you can access the feed(s).
Thanks for the suggestion. I could do it i guess, but I am hoping for something that might be a bit easier to troubleshoot if something goes wrong. Its a bit hard to fix any issues if I am on the other side of the world
put up an ISIS flag out front of her unit.
and register a charity using her address. The charity should be called something like "Death to the Christian Infidels - Allahu Akbar".ASIO will look out for your mum.
best suggestion yet!
السلام معك
LOL. But they may have Interpol pursuing OP, thinking he is on the run, instead of on vacation!
Avoid the blue and light purple countries and ooh, Pakistan in case they ratify a deal.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extradition_law_in_Australia#E…
@altomic
put up an ISIS flag out front of her unit.What happens if you inadvertently fly ISIS flag upside down?
Does that signal “It's on (like Donkey Kong)" or does it mean you disagree with what their flag represents?
I remember in Japan they have a few gadgets for this sort of purpose. One was a kettle that sent an alert when it wasn't turned on by a certain time.
thats a great idea
One was a kettle that sent an alert when it wasn't turned on by a certain time
I think we should all get these for our girlfriends.
If the tea is not made, she's not getting a diamond ring lol
I'm lucky, my boyfriend has hands and can therefore make his own :)
Can also buy my own diamond ring due to savings from Ozbargain!
Yikes, didn't realise you were female lol
At least you're cool with the joke :P :D
One was a kettle that sent an alert when it wasn't turned on by a certain time
I think we should all get these for our girlfriends.Get an alert if your girlfriend wasn't turned on by a certain time?
Looks like you'll just have to stay home to look after her, or take her with you.
My grandmother used to raise her kitchen blind every morning. Her neighbour would keep an eye out for it every day. If my grandmother wasn't to raise it, her neighbour knew to come over and make sure she was ok.
It was a simple system which was a comfort for both my grandmother and our family.
http://wirelesstags.net/ offer a number of small (40mm square by about 7mm thick) sensor tags that you can attach wherever you like. They can sense temperature, humidity, light levels or movement, depending on what you buy. They report back to a micro-usb powered hub that you connect to your mother's broadband router and the wireless range is incredibly far (700 feet line of sight). You can then integrate it with IFTTT or using the available library of "KumoApps" you can do things like "Call a URL when no motion detected for x seconds". Base station's about USD49 and the sensor tiles vary from about USD39 up to mid-40s. Data visible from the net or smartphone apps.
Not quite as intrusive as cameras, plus you get to look back at past activity to see if there are any changing trends. eg. the light level and motion sensing in the bedroom might, over time, help indicate if she's having sleeping problems.
Thanks zambuck. These tags could be very useful. Attach one to the fridge and if she doesnt open it for a day , it could send me an alert for example.
Fitbit Zip and you just log on each day to see her activity. This is assuming she has a smartphone or something to sync the Fitbit to.
My Nan is with this. Wears the pendant. Has a buzzer in her room. Has to hit it in the mornings and of a night prior to bed. if not, they call the first person on the list which is me. They are extremely good and my Nan has had multiple falls living on her own and without the service, we would never have known.
You'll need someone close by though to check on her should she not hit the buzzer. if her neighbours already are, I'm sure they wouldn't mind being part of this.
A great service and we would be lost without it even living only 5kms away!
Aged care facility if you are not there to care for her and you're genuinely worried about her health you need to accept the fact she needs to go into care
Help her find a boyfriend.
'easy non obtrusive way that is cost effective, for me to login and check if there has been activity in her apartment.'
Pass on most criteria
Fall Buddy - http://ilcaustralia.org.au/products/18998
Something like this may also be an option - PIR sensors around the house, if no movement is detected for x amount of time (you can adjust it yourself), she will be prompted to go and press a button on the base station. If there's no response from her, it will alert you. (It comes with a button to deactivate the system when she's out and about).
Also, it may be a good idea to talk to the Independent Living Centres in different states, they are a not-for-profit that provides advice from Occupational Therapists regarding these items. Their phone number is 1300 885 886 (local call).
Thanks for the info
Get a wireless camera which are quite inexpensive such as https://www.dlink.com.au/home-solutions/wireless-n-cloud-net… for $59.95. For a bit more you can get night vision.
Very easy to set up and can view any time through the dlink free phone app. You can check in as many times a day as you want.
Thought I'll share this since it is interesting … although, not going to help OP, since it is probably not yet available.
In today's article, at BBC, Radar sensor for the home which can 'see' through walls.
At end of clip, reporter demonstrates the sensor in detecting subtle movements/breathing. And it's potential for elder monitoring.May also raise privacy concerns, e.g deploying it in a way to see through walls etc.
What about that Cammy service that's advertising on TV. Remote camera you check on a mobile device.
Telstra, I think, has a similar device and service.
If she does fall, what if you are not watching at the time she does? What if you are watching and while you're able to call the ambulance from where you are, see something horrible and be powerless to help?
I think the personal alarm suggestion is a very good one, especially if you're not watching the cameras at the time, as well as organising a neighbour to check in on her, even if it's just a phone call daily. If there's any other layers of security you can add, like organising a weekly activity, telling the owner of her favourite coffee shop (if she does that), or any other regular thing so that they will also notice if she's not there and can call you. Also let her GP know too.
Get your neighbours to check on her more often instead of every few days. Roster them so that she is visited daily.
With cheap international calls these days you could simply call her once or even twice a day to check on her well being. If international call is too expensive get a relative/friend/neighbour to give her a call each day.
Maybe put her in the nursing home so that there would be proper care.
What about the old-fashioned way, ask one of her neighbours to keep an eye on her? Just go over and check if they haven't seen her out. That's what my family does. Works even if the power is out, and means they don't feel "spied" on.