Emergency situations

[NorthernCalif]

Since my husband has had Bulbar ALS he is basically not able to speak.... any ideas to help if something happens to him when I’m not right there with him. Yesterday he was upstairs at our cabin and was stung by a bee but I didn’t have any clue until he came downstairs, he wasn’t able to communicate with me. Granted, this time it was a bee sting but next time he could be injured. Sometimes i can’t find him right away and worry that he may have fallen. Any ideas would be helpful!

 

[lgelb]

If he can still use his hands, Fortuna, he can text you or there are apps he can download, where a single tap will summon you or a tree of other people. He can wear an alert pendant, some of which can detect falls even if he can't push a button, or you could set up a system where you get an alert if he doesn't push the button to check in every X minutes. You could also install a monitor with a single button call system, with units upstairs and down.

A sad welcome here to you.

Best,
Laurie

 

[affected]

Sorry to see you here - how does he communicate with you at the moment with no speech? Maybe we can build on that.

 

[Dee Dee 0617]

So I have a sick sense of humor. I know I shouldn't in this case, because the real depth of fear is evident in your writing. I was diagnosed November 7,2016. I don't know what kind of sense of humor he had, but I would go off that. The things they have on the market now are great, but they say you are your sickness. If he was a musician maybe a tambourine, if he was loud an air horn, if you called him babe, shoe lace bells. We are all still so much more than our disease. Prayers and virtual hugs

 

[affected]

Dee Dee we had a very loud doorbell with a 100 metre range, so I could take it outside to the garden and Chris had the button with him (while he could press buttons) - it had a range of ring tones and we chose a circus tune. Sometimes humour can actually help to accept things.
We also made a picture chart, particularly for use with the staff and spent a lot of time making silly photos for it. The photo for 'get Katrina' was one of me hiding behind a door! However, this was the way I finally was able to get Chris to start using a communication chart as he resisted even a simple aid like this so long stating people were just lazy and not trying to understand him. He got so involved in thinking up silly photos that he accepted using it really well.

 

[nona]

I have the doorbell button that Tillie described, as well as a push button for medical alert.