My 87 year old mom has dementia and lives alone. She refuses to leave or let caregivers besides me in her house. (I'm working on getting guardianship.) I need to replace her currently non-working smoke alarm but am concerned about what she will do if a new smoke alarm goes off by accident -- she has panic attacks, etc. I am also worried about her getting up on a chair or step stool to try to hush the alarm off if it sounds accidentally, but I know that a smoke alarm is necessary. She fell and broke her femur in September and I don't want her to fall again, obviously.
We don't have money to put in a regular alarm system and she wouldn't allow it anyway. I heard about smoke alarms that have remote hush features and ones that allow TV remotes to be used to hush an alarm, but I have done extensive internet research and cannot find one available that does either that I could buy and install myself.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks in advance.
When it comes to panic attacks they can transfer to a lot of different things... I know, I have panic attacks so I know what it is like.
Just thought if she moves to a continuing care facility [Medicaid will help with the cost], she wouldn't need to worry about things such as smoke alarms or climbing on a ladder to take the curtains down to wash, or to reach onto a top shelf of a closet.
She has panic attacks about things that confuse her -- she understands the door bell and the telephone, but I'm afraid the sound of the smoke alarm might confuse her and make her panic.
I really need practical suggestions. Thanks. :)