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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

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I know that there are systems out there like that but I can't recommend any specifically.
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?
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Warriorforthem May 2020
Thank you for your reply. I appreciate your concern, I can assure you that the patient is never left alone. The spouse has 2 outings a week, 4 hours each time and the caregiver arrives before the spouse leaves. We are wanting the pendant SHOULD something ever happen to the spouse, As I said, the spouse is in good health but we just want to make certain that the spouse with PSP would have a way to get help should something ever happen...just to be on the safe side. Thank you for your reply and God Bless..
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Yes, why can't the spouse call? Pendants are usually used for people who are alone. If the Spouse cares for this person "wonderfully" I don't see why a pendant is needed. As Willie said, a person like this should not be left alone anyway. Maybe what is needed, is to have someone with her when husband can't be.

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.
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Warriorforthem May 2020
Thank you for your reply. We will check into the Phillips one that you used for your Mom. There is never a moment when the patients is alone. There is so much love shared between this couple and so much care about the well being of the patient. We are looking for the pendant to take extra precautions in the event IF something were to happen to the spouse. We would have one of our care team in the home within 1-10 mins, which would be quicker than 911 would be able to arrive. Thank you for your reply and God Bless...
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I contacted a number of suppliers when I got a medical pendant for my father, asking specific questions of each. Those who wanted to send a brochure were crossed off the list, as was the one that didn't even call back the same day.

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.
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The one I got for my mom does just that. https://www.assistivetechnologyservices.com/falldetectionfallalertmandownalert.html

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.
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Karsten May 2020
The other problem. It does have fall detection which I wanted. but it detects a fall if the pendant is at a less than 30 degree angle. So on one of the few times my mom did wear it, she leaned back into a recliner and it kept going off.

I programmed it to remove the fall detection, which is not good, but still better than nothing if she would decide to wear it.
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