Wrist cuff is probably the best in my opinion. The BP cuff I have now is too big for my mothers arm. I bought a automatic one with arm cuff but do not like it at all. I have to put it in the exact spot to get a reading, otherwise it does not work. The next one will be a wrist BP device.
Pasa - In my opinion if you think she is in pain then you should just go ahead and give her something, as long as you follow the prescribed dosages I can't see any downside.
I suggest an Omrom Wrist Cuff. I got one for my Mom when she got out of the hospital over a year ago and started taking BP meds. It's very accurate and she said it gets a little tight but does not squeeze as hard as the doctor's one. Ironically it's not the most expensive one for home use but it's the most accurate, at least for the year of tracking it compared to one that the hospitals & doctors offices use.
Omron are well regarded for medical devices of all types and are often found in medical facilities, I would certainly back up your suggestion of this make for reliability. We have an Omron which the Dr calibrated against their inhouse arm cuff machine and whilst the wrist tends to read a few points lower than the upper arm they found the machine to be reliably constant and the few points difference are simply noted and allowed for when they look at patterns of BP level.
I had to purchase the kind that wraps around your wrist for my husband, as he had a picc line in his good arm, and was paralyzed in the other. It worked great, and his hospice nurses always asked to use it when they came to get his vitals. It's called an automatic digital blood pressure wrist monitor.
How accurate do you need to be? Too often we worry about exact figures rather than trends. If the device always measures 5 point low or high it in all prob ability doesn’t matter, but if her measurements are erratic or show a constantly raised or reduced level then maybe it does. Also BP in old people is not the same as in younger ones so make sure your Dr is aiming for something sensible or falls can easily become a problem. Having said that I have used both wrist measurement devices and even watches that measure BP and both give pretty good repetitive results. My Dr has even calibrated the wrist one against their arm one because I personally cannot use an arm one and he is satisfied with the accuracy. Arm bands can be very painful to use on a larger person, or someone with loose skin for any reason, so may themselves not be that accurate if the stress and pain raises the patients BP anyway.
I have one of the automatic devices you can buy at the drugstore and I've noticed that the cuff inflates considerably tighter if my BP is elevated, otherwise it isn't really uncomfortable at all. But I have to ask - is there really a need to monitor the BP at this point?
True, it hasn't been monitored in sometime. She is currently on palliative care. I read somewhere if BP is elevated (beyond the norm), this could indicate pain. My mother doesn't complain at this point but she appears to have pain. This is my current concern.
You are perhaps pumping this cuff up higher than need be. Listen with the stethoscope while you pump and only pump up to to 20 above where you hear the "beat". You don't need to go up really high. Reassure her that while it may feel tight for a few moments it will not hard her. I wish you good luck with this. I think that Omron makes the best and most reliable but the cuff and scope are much better over all than the "automatic wrist and other measurements, often inaccurate. Do check any new machine first opportunity with the nurse in your Doc's office to measure for accurancy.
But I have to ask - is there really a need to monitor the BP at this point?