Medical Alert System

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Esbaker3

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Joined
Dec 6, 2020
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Loved one DX
Diagnosis
11/2020
Country
US
State
CA
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Carpinteria
What is the best medical alert system for someone having difficulty speaking on the phone? My mom has ALS and has had a few concerning incidents at home and we would love to set her up with a medical alert system but people can’t always understand her on the phone. Any suggestions would be great! Thanks!
 
Welcome -- sorry to hear about your mom.

Is she alone? Can she text? Hit buttons? What are her abilities and what devices can she use? Who/what does she need to reach?
 
Yes she can text/ hit buttons etc. She does live alone, although she has many close neighbors. She has an Apple Watch that has the fall detection on it. The main concern right now is if she chokes on something and she’s alone what the best plan of action is for her.
 
If she keeps her phone/watch on her person, you can set up a dialing shortcut on the homescreen or watch that dials a neighbor, next to each other so she can dial three at once. She doesn't need to talk if they are aware that a missed, silent or hung up call from her means that she needs help. There are also neck pendants that do that in sequence or three at a time, including 911 if desired, like the Freedom Alert. And of course you can program a 911 shortcut.

If her neighbors are close by, potentially she could have a push to talk system/walkie or intercom type thing? Not sure about everyone's proximity.

Assuming she is being monitored as regards a feeding tube if eating/drinking is the problem, choking probability can be reduced with a zero tolerance policy on tough foods like corn, nuts, beans, rice, lettuce, raw produce...sometimes thin liquids.

Or is the problem mucus/saliva? We have a variety of suggestions for those.

Or maybe this is a "just in case" scenario...?
 
I live alone and I'm alone most nights. I at one point considered an apple watch but I can't move my wrists or speak to activate it. I have used two medical alert companies and I'm very happy with Bay Alarm Medical. they are nationwide.. For one thing, in addition to the standard neck and wrist pendants, which became too hard to press, Bay Alarm offers a sticky button that can be mounted on a wall or other surface. Surprisingly not all companies have this option. I have one stuck to my wheelchair that I can activate with my foot and one stuck to a paper plate that is put next to my feet at night. The button is larger and more sensitive so easy to activate.

I have it set up to notify four nearby friends and caregivers . If the first person doesn't answer it will ring the second. If none of the four answer it will call ems. I can't speak so this happens automatically, though their dispatch center calls on the base station every time and quickly runs through a series of questions that I ignore. . If someone is here they can say "call ems" or that the button was pushed in error and they cancel the sequence. Any errors have been on our end, not theirs.

Edited to add that I don't have a landline. Most companies use AT&T cellular service, so check reception if you go this route. Service limited where I could put the base station.
 
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