Our 41st (time flies when you're having fun!) was last month.

Ever since getting slammed with Guillain Barré Syndrome, I have had to be really careful about my balance. I have had a few close calls, but I have only taken a dive once, a few weeks ago in our driveway when I did not notice an obstruction and tripped.

My wife was concerned and we discussed maybe one of the medic-alert type devices, but the investigation that I did, indicated that these things require a monitoring contract. I saw three-year contracts ranging from around $30 / month for in-home monitoring, which requires a land line (we don't have one), to around $90 / month for monitoring outside of the home using GPS technology for location and cellular for communication.

That's a lot of bucks for a monitoring service.

Then we realized that the newer generation Apple watches, Series 4 and later (to replace my Series 2 watch), have the "help, I have fallen and I can't get up" feature. No cost to make an automatic call to 911 after fall detection, and also to any phone numbers that you want to put on your emergency call list.

So, my anniversary gift was a shiny new Apple watch, Series 5.

To date, it has been a total waste of money -- I have not fallen since I've had the watch.

Let's celebrate! Have another martini!

My Jitterbug flip phone has a "help" button, too. I know it works, because I accidentally hit it one day.

flashguy

Very nice and thoughtful gift with a heck of a lot more uses than a medical alert bracelet.

That’s how it goes, eh V-Tail. Get something to forestall an emergency, you know, get prepared and the emergency doesn’t happen. But your bride had the best for you. We hope ya never need it!

And to Hayes Greener I say, thank you! Vodka, “shaken not stirred”, please.

I spent 36 hours on the floor, until I was found. Your watch is a good investment.

Sounds like a pretty good insurance policy. Let us hope that it pays off in full if and when needed. .........drill sgt.

Mazel Tov! Hope you never need to use it.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:

I spent 36 hours on the floor, until I was found. Your watch is a good investment.

36 hours? That is a horrible thought!

The idea to get some sort of auto-notification device for me was the result of two incidents, one, as mentioned, was me tripping and falling in the driveway. Fortunately my wife was home at the time and was there to help me up, within a matter of minutes.

The other, one of my wife's patients who had a couple of falls, one in her kitchen where she was unable to get up for eight or ten hours, and the same woman fell in her driveway and was there for twenty hours.

In light of those, it was decided that I should have some sort of device with fall detection and auto-calling. After looking at the cost and usefulness, it was decided that the Apple watch was the better choice.

Here's the description of this feature, from the support page on the Apple website:

quote:

If Apple Watch Series 4 or later detects a hard fall while you're wearing your watch, it taps you on the wrist, sounds an alarm, and displays an alert. You can choose to contact emergency services or dismiss the alert by pressing the Digital Crown, tapping Close in the upper-left corner, or tapping "I'm OK." 

If your Apple Watch detects that you're moving, it waits for you to respond to the alert and won't automatically call emergency services. If your watch detects that you have been immobile for about a minute, it will make the call automatically.

After the call ends, your watch sends a message to your emergency contacts with your location letting them know that your watch detected a hard fall and dialed emergency services.

V, it is a very thoughtful gift, and Happy Anniversary to the both.

quote:

Originally posted by HayesGreener:
Let's celebrate! Have another martini!

I'm in!

I have the Apple watch as well, it really works to, I tripped on Friday but caught myself before I hit the ground and the watch did exactly what it was supposed to do. I cancelled it before it called my wife or 911 so no har not foul.

Let's hope it's a complete waste of money!

quote:

Originally posted by downtownv:
Let's hope it's a complete waste of money!

Respectfully I hope it IS a complete waste of money!

How do you go about testing it?

Four seniors in our lunch once a month club,
Got those phobs that dangle around your neck,
Two of them
Did not notify any one and the third
One
Got a "please hold "recording.

Some of you may recall but my Series 3 Apple watch called 911 when they did a cardioversion on me in the ER. Freaked all the medicos out.

quote:

How do you go about testing it?

Four seniors in our lunch once a month club,
Got those phobs that dangle around your neck,
Two of them
Did not notify any one and the third
One
Got a "please hold "recording.

^^^^^^^
That was very comforting bendable. Thanks. The Apple Watch does work very well.

Just got my own series 5. A very nice anniversary gift. Congratulations and here’s hoping you never need that function!

I just read a news story the other day about how an Apple watch saved some guys life who fell and it alerted. Pretty cool stuff, and I've really liked my Gen4 watch since I got it!

Congratulations on the anniversary and the new watch (and safety device)!

I'm hoping to upgrade my Series 1, Gen. 2 Apple Watch to a Series 4 or Series 5 later this year. Now I've another reason, as I'm no longer quite as stable on the ol' pegs as I used to be, either.