quote:

Originally posted by irreverent:
Apple Watches sound like good ideas for my folks. What model detects falls and calls help?

Got one for my 87 year old dad, he was falling a few times, and the model we purchased has AFIB and heart rate monitoring.

A few weeks back he fell in the driveway, got his foot caught in a power cord and went down face first, we got him up and the watch was asking him if he fell and if he wanted to contact 911. It works, but it's designed for hard falls, a soft fall like where you just go down slowly, maybe a bit dizzy may not trigger a call.

Both those helped save his life as his AFIB numbers suddenly increased and his heart rate was dropping into the 40's. Got him to get an ambulance and into the hospital where they found a 90%+ blocked widow maker artery.

You can get refurbished watches from Apple or on Woot, Costco sells them and has sale prices from time to time I believe Apple Watch 4 and up has fall detection, but the later models have AFIB, Heart Monitoring, EKG and you can setup how it works in the Apple Health app.

NCOAA has a good article Link on not only the Apple watch but other devices for fall detection you can buy, most with a monthly fee but it includes call center connections where a human will/can be contacted for assistance. These do cost less up front but have monthly fees, but, you don't have to buy an Apple Phone to go with any of them to work.

You can get a Watch with both GPS and Cellular, for $10 a month you can add the watch to a cell plan and then it will have direct access to call out.

Several years ago, I had a series of strokes, and my wife required back surgery. While in the hospital I had a relative arrange for the install of a large walk in shower with ADA compliant grab bars. We opted for a removable shower chair. Both of us fully recovered, but I'm diabetic and sometimes low blood glucose sneaks up on me. We're both quite pleased with our choice. I'm sure we'll appreciate them even more as we get older.

quote:

Originally posted by irreverent:
Apple Watches sound like good ideas for my folks. What model detects falls and calls help?

Series 4 and newer.

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:

You can get a Watch with both GPS and Cellular, for $10 a month you can add the watch to a cell plan and then it will have direct access to call out.

I'm not 100% sure, but I THINK that an Apple Watch with cellular capability will handle 911 calls, even if it's not on a service plan. Same thing with iPhones.

quote:

Originally posted by arfmel:

they’ll need an iPhone to use with it. An “X” or later

Actually, for the latest version of WatchOS, you need an iPhone Xr or Xs. The iPhone X does not support the most current version of WatchOS.

I found this out when we tried, unsuccessfully, to update my wife's Watch; she had an iPhone X and after conferring with Apple support, it was determined that she needed an iPhone Xr / Xs or newer.

Bought some large suction cup grab handles for a plastic shower for a family member. Felt supper strong and simple to attach.
Might not hold to a 300lb man going down. But for balance and supporting someone less than 200lb going down I thing they are the ticket.

quote:

Originally posted by old rugged cross:
Bought some large suction cup grab handles for a plastic shower for a family member. Felt supper strong and simple to attach.
Might not hold to a 300lb man going down. But for balance and supporting someone less than 200lb going down I thing they are the ticket.

Just be sure you are not touching a Grout line, Anywhere.

quote:

Originally posted by old rugged cross:
Bought some large suction cup grab handles for a plastic shower for a family member. Felt supper strong and simple to attach.
Might not hold to a 300lb man going down. But for balance and supporting someone less than 200lb going down I thing they are the ticket.

I'm 87 with crappy balance, and I have had some experience with the suction cup types. Do NOT depend on these! They will pop loose at the drop of a hat. I have checked them in the evening, nice and tight, only to be awakened in the middle of the night by the grab bar crashing to the floor of the shower. THEY ARE NOT SAFE!

I replaced them with hard-mount bars.

I am not saying these are a 100% reliable but so far they seem gtg. The have locking levers on them. Not sure if that is a gimmick or helps. But I would not hesitate to recommend to family or friends at this point. Ymmv.


https://www.walmart.com/ip/Sho...ar-12-inch/748480334

I can still walk 18 holes carrying a light bag but... last time I was in Maui the wife and I went to the beach where I had a hard time standing up after sitting in sand. Very disconcerting to me but I did wake up to a few facts. I'm going to need walk in showers instead of a bath tub. Not now but soon. We're taking bid$ on having the tub$ pulled out of our two bathroom$ and replaced with $hower$.

We had a grab bar put in for our handicapped daughter. It makes it easier for her to get up the one step to our house.

Now it is installed, my wife and I use it often also.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:

You can get a Watch with both GPS and Cellular, for $10 a month you can add the watch to a cell plan and then it will have direct access to call out.

I'm not 100% sure, but I THINK that an Apple Watch with cellular capability will handle 911 calls, even if it's not on a service plan. Same thing with iPhones.

All cell phones that can connect to a cellular network can make an emergency call to 911 even without an active service.

Last week when seeing my dentist for my semi-annual teeth cleaning, I almost face planted when trying to negotiate stepping up on a curb to the entrance sidewalk. My cane was all but useless.

My sister back east said I needed a rollator. After doing a lot of research I ordered one (all terrain with 10" wheels, etc.) Will be here next Tuesday. Found the https://www.youtube.com/@yourPTguy/videos to be helpful.

There are numerous vids on Y.t. about rolater safety.

Basically smoothe floors like Costco, malls and supermarkets are great.
But

Cracked concrete or asphalt, grass or gravel are very precarious.

Two stores have stopped offering the stand up,
Elbow type because of too many accidents.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

And that's why I ordered one with 10" wheels all around and a pedal lift to raise the front wheels over obstacles.

Covid and ischial stroke in 2020. I have many handholds installed by son-in-law and several walkers and wheelchairs.
I can still shoot handguns at a range, but mobility is certainly limited. Good luck to you, and protect yourself against falls as deemed necessary in your case. I have fallen often, had one brain-bleed which would have been fatal without wife who called 911 right away.
Pushing 86 really hard.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Thanks and best wishes to you as well!

quote:

Originally posted by bald1:
And that's why I ordered one with 10" wheels all around and a pedal lift to raise the front wheels over obstacles.

I really like my rollator. Mine looks very similar to yours, except 8" wheels. I found the "lifting pedal" to be almost useless. Just a knee under the bar that supports the seat is quicker and easier, but I only have to negotiate 4" or lower risers. The main house is on a continuous slab, and going out any door (to the front or back porch, or the garage) is a 4" step down to another slab.
 
I used a cane for 7 years for my weak leg, but that finally got to be too destructive to my back, with the twisting. Rollator FTW.
 
My local Safeway has electric carts, so I bear down and use the cane just to get from my truck to inside the store.

The neighbor Annie fell in her garden and re broke her leg, anof course
Her phone was in the kitchen, on the counter.

She's 79 y.o.

She did have her Fall alert pendant on and they called 3 neighbors and eventually
9 1 1.

All the windows and doors are closed because of the heat and Midwest humidity.

Even if she had the wind to holler out for help, it may have been hours before someone heard her.

Two neighbors were out of town , the third is to old to do anything.

This one suits me. Yes there are manufacturers more well known like Drive but 10" wheels, 25" width to easily negotiate doorways, 19" seat opening with a 17" PU cushion, 23 lb weight easily foldable units supportive of up to 300lbs are not all that common. Assembly was easy and straightforward.