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I want to get my 92 year old grandfather an automatic fall detection device that you can wear on the wrist or as a pendent - should i ? My grandfather has fallen twice over winter and his last fall has resulted in him getting surgery for the brain. I am worried for him and thinking of getting getting him to wear an automatic fall detection device. Anyone has experience in this ? Is this effective? Also, another concern of mine is that he will not wear it ... he has mentioned that he thinks it's "stupid" several times and he is "strong" enough... He also is very resistant to having a full time caretaker employed as it messes with his freedom.. so we have resulted in employing part time care that comes to the house 3 times a day to oversee his food and medication since the rest of the family is working. However, there are blind spots when he is left alone.. I'm hoping to deal with that.. any feedback and experience is welcome!! Thank you!!

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He sounds like somebody who may be willing to trade or compromise in order to feel independent, are the caregivers negotiable? If he has an alert system could he get by with less personal supervision, perhaps with the help of a med reminder system?
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Thank you @cwillie- at this point we are going the route of convincing him that it would give us the peace of mind but he honestly doesn't really buy into that...for him 'just in case' isn't a good argument as he always plays the 'I have lived more than all of you and earned the right to do what I want on my own terms' card.
Don't get me wrong, he's an absolute champ in our eyes and all of us grandkids adore him and have been looking at ways to make things better for him. We all chip in but it's impossible to monitor this cowboy 24/7.
This is why I'm on this forum requesting advice and help from people who have experienced similar situations or have other suggestions..
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Thank you so much @jeannegibbs for your thoughtful reply. My grandfather currently does not suffer from dementia. However, after the surgery we noticed that he finds it difficult to concentrate on conversations. For example he could be talking to us on a current issue but suddenly he drifts into what happened in the 30s during world War 2 where he fought etc. This did not happen before his surgery. In fact he was extremely sharp, sharper than us, his grandkids.
Also during the 'blind spots' where he does not have anybody watching him - that's when he fell twice. This is why we are all concerned. We have spoken to him about the wearable device but he is absolutely against it. Further, he is persuading us to stop the part time caretakers from coming in and watching him as he finds it annoying and intrusive... He is a strong willed 92 year old and it's hard for us to convince him of the merits of such a device. This is an ongoing struggle!
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Some of the alert button systems also have fall detection, would he be more willing to wear an alert button so he could summon help "just in case", or to give you peace of mind?
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The fall detection device will only work if he wears it, of course. That would be the first obstacle to overcome. I wouldn't sign any long-term contracts until you know that.

Your profile doesn't mention any dementia. Aside from being a fall risk, does he have any impairments that require constant attention? Does he get along pretty well on his own during those "blind spots"?

There is no way to absolutely prevent falls. People fall two feet away from their caregiver, they fall in nursing homes, they fall in the doctor's office. Your dear grandfather is at risk of falling. You can't eliminate that, but try to reduce it. Have you "fall proofed" his home? You can also try to react quickly in response to a fall. That is what the detection device and/or the caregiver would provide. Unless he has been declared incompetent, Grandfather can decide whether he will accept these means of risk reduction. Your best bet is to persuade him to do that.

Assure him that you are not questioning his strength. Why, he is the strongest person in his 90s that you have ever seen! But if he hit his head and was unconscious, it wouldn't matter how strong he is -- he'd need help. Or if he falls and injures a leg, being strong might not be enough to get up. The detection device or the caregiver is for "just-in-case" and might never be needed. Better safe than sorry. Etc.

If someone he knows has a fall detection device, that person's story might help him understand why people decide to get one.
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