My mom keeps bumping the button on her lifelife apparatus that hangs around her neck on a lanyard. Any other options?

My mom had the same problem so she switched to a bracelet provided by the monitoring company. No more accidental calls.

If she is at home most of the time, it might be better to get one of those voice-activated "assistants" - SIRI, Alexis, Cortana... - that tie to the WIFI. They should be able to call 911 as long as she is able to ask for assistance.

Also, you can set up a daily call-in with you and/or other people of the family. This call-in time is just to make sure your mom is doing ok when she answers her phone. If she doesn't answer the phone, then somebody should go check on her in her home.

If the pendant is not working for her, then that the county provides it at little or no charge doesn't matter; she needs something that works, even at a charge!

My mom prevented her pendent from banging on the dining room table by wearing/inserting the pendent inside her bra area.

smfromkc: Try a wristlet. My mother had one as well as her pendant.

I like the idea of a button on the wrist. My mom found it better to wear it with button on inside part of her arm, so it does not get pushed or banged if she knocked into something.

Aalso you can clip them to clothing wherever it's most convenient.

Admins

Hey, maybe I can help? I own a boutique home healthcare agency in Boca Raton, Florida. I always recommend that my clients get rid of the necklace in favor of a waterproof wristwatch-style button for a number of reasons:

First, the client is likely to take it off when they are sleeping or in the shower, but those are the two most important times they need access to it. They can wear the wristband style in the shower or even the pool, and it's more comfortable to sleep with.

Second, the wristwatch becomes a piece of jewelry, not a "medical device". Compliance is usually much easier. And, if you get one that has a replaceable (not rechargeable) battery that will last several years, you can "crazy glue" it to the client's wrist (not literally, but you can glue the straps together so it's not removable) if they are non-compliant. Ensure it's comfortable and loose, providing a sense of ease and comfort.

Third, the wristband style is easier to access if the client needs to push it. I once had a client fall out of bed, and his pendant ended up (still around his neck) but against his back. He did not have the agility and mobility to reposition it so he could push the button, so he lay on the floor all night.

Fourth, it can be easier for a Caregiver to access. If the client is flat on their stomach, it may be impossible for a Caregiver to get to the button if they are lying on it.

The downside is that most wristband-style buttons need to be close to the base station, so if you have a client who leaves the house unattended, it may not be a good solution or only a partial solution.

Even if the pendant does not knock into things, it may go off by itself. I had two different brands some time ago after surgery that permanently increased my fall risk, and both occasionally went off when they were not touched at all. At that time it was a big nuisance because the device was tied to a landline, and I had to go to where the landline was located and wait for the monitor to call me so I could tell them it was not an emergency. One of them did have an adjustable lanyard--many do not--so I could adjust it so it was unlikely to hit things in my environment. I don't think I could have managed one of these devices satisfactorily if I had dementia!

Is this the kind with fall detection? Because that option is often more of a p*i*t*a than helpful.

DI'd you try shortening the lanyard or find a way to clip it to a piece of clothing?

If it is activated by just bumping it I am wondering if it can be "recalibrated" so it is not quite as sensitive.
Or can it be turned around so that the button is facing to her a chest so that is less likely to be bumped.
Also..is she actually "bumping" it or does she fiddle with it and press the button by accident?
Or is it available as a watch that can be worn on the wrist. That would probably not be as easy to activate by bumping it

I'm gonna try to describe this as best as possible:
can you put a bumper pad on each side of the button, making the button lower so when it is hit against something the button does not get pushed in. This making the sides higher on each side of the button and it is not laying flat yet still able to press the button when assistance is needed.

My MIL kept throwing away the fall pendants b/c she thought she was being 'surveilled' for some reason. She also couldn't hear a thing, so towards the end, she was setting off the alarm twice a day--or more.

She finally got the watch, which in her case, didn't 'feel' the falling, but rather, she had to push the button to let the calling tree know she was OK. It didn't work real well for her, but for a Sr who has their marbles still--I think the watch is a real improvement over the pendant.

So many elderly are walking with walkers and when you're bent in a 90 degree angle--the pendant falls into everything.

And-BOTH my mom and my MIL would take that pendant OFF when they showered. The watch? Not so much.

I think they have watch type things. My Mom had problems because it was long. Kept banging against things. My Mom's, the operator came over the speaker and asked if she was alright and she would just answer. No picking up the phone. My Mom also put it inside her top and took it off when she showered. Told her the whole purpose was to have it hit the floor. She had a motion sensored one.