Questions for Safley Remaining At Home

Making the decision to start an elder care journey with your aging parent can be a life-changing choice. When you make this decision you are committing yourself to giving of your time, energy, and effort to ensure that your parent's needs are met in the way that is best for them. Your role as his family caregiver also means that you are going to focus on keeping them as safe, secure, and independent as possible in their home. This means that one of the first things that you should do when starting your care arrangement is performing a safety check throughout his home.

Doing a home safety check throughout your parent's home allows you to identify areas that might be risky for your senior, or that you can modify to improve safety and accessibility. Remember that the safety and accessibility needs of an elderly adult are different from those of a young adult, making it necessary for you to evaluate the safety of the space in the context of his particular needs.

Use these questions to guide you as you move from room to room throughout the home checking the safety of the space and coming up with ideas for meaningful modifications:

Outside
    Are the handrails secure and properly installed?
    Can your parent safely and comfortably get up and down any steps that lead into the home?
    Would a ramp help your parent access the home more easily?
    Can your parent safely and comfortably open the door?
    Is the lock system on the door secure and adequate, particularly if your parent has wandering tendencies?
    Is the walkway clear and safe without any obstacles, loose areas, or other problems that could increase fall risk?

Living Room
    Is the lighting sufficient for your parent's vision needs?
    Is the furniture arranged in such a way that it is safe and easy to get around the room?
    Are there no loose or unsteady pieces of furniture around that may cause a serious fall if your parent attempted to use it for balance?
    Are there electrical cords across walking areas that could create a tripping hazard?
    Are there loose floor coverings such as rugs that could create a tripping hazard?
    Is there a smoke detector close by?

Bathroom
    Are there grab bars in place to help with balance and mobility?
    Is the toilet paper close enough to the toilet so that he does not need to reach such that he might lose his balance and fall?
    Can your parent get into and out of the shower or bath safely and confidently?
    Might a walk-in tub make the bathroom safer and more accessible to promote greater independence for your loved one?
    Is the faucet properly marked to reduce scald risks?

Bedroom
    Can your parent get into and out of the bed safely?
    Are the windows properly locked, particularly if your parent has wandering tendencies?
    Is there a smoke detector nearby?
    Is there a carbon monoxide detector nearby?

Kitchen
    Are the appliances in good working condition?
    Are large or heavy items stored too high off the ground?
    Can your parent safely utilizes the small appliances such as the coffee maker?
    Are sharp implements stored safely and securely?
    Is there a fire extinguisher easily accessible?

Remember to approach this topic gently, and if there's is strong resentment, try spreading it out over time.

Senior Care Advice & Guidance.

A quick video on some of the advice & guidance we provide to our clients...

Purchasing a Medical Alert Unit - Part 4, Final Chapter

In the final installment of our series on Med Alert Systems, we'd like to offer a few quick tips on some of the items/features that are often overlooked in these systems.  Remember, the ultimate goal is to make an intelligent purchase!

One question we hear frequently is what is the difference in a "911 Dialer" and a full Medical Alert systems.  "911 Dialers" are typically available at drug stores, department stores, etc. They advertise a "One time fee", which is the purchase price, and no monthly fees.  While these may look similar to a Medical Alert unit, they differ in that they have one function: Dial 911.  On the surface, this may seem to meet the basic requirement.  However, there are drawbacks to this type of device, not the least of which is the ability to test it on a regular basis without contacting the 911 emergency center. If it's not tested regularly, how can you confirm it's function???  In addition, this type of unit does not provide health information to the responders, nor does it allow for "lesser needs" calls, such as having a neighbor or family member be contacted for some reason.

Before making your purchase, you should ask where the monitoring center is located. During a crisis clear communication is crucial, and adding an off-shore accent to deal with can slow things down.  Finally, on-going support & service are important.  When you're depending on a device for emergency events, it's comforting to know that, if there is a problem, it's easily resolved.  Local service is invaluable in this regard.

All of the units carried by our agency are installed & supported locally, our monitoring is provided by a CSAA 5-star U.S. center, and we're close by.  In addition, we have to ability to "tailor" your response needs to the unit.  IE: Call a neighbor first to have them come over.  Configuration changes and setup like this are free of charge with our products.  Feel free to view the most popular units we have on our web site.  If you have any questions,  give us a call.  We'll be glad to assist you in any way we can!

Bringing useful news to educate our clients is one more way that Home Helpers has been making life easier for over a decade.  Call us today at 704-909-7958.  And as always, you can find us on our website,  Facebook and Google+!

Purchasing A Medical Alert System - Part 3

What follows is Part-3 of a 4-part series that will explain the variations in medical alert products and what you should know before you buy...

 We continue our multi-part series on Med Alert systems with explanations of options and features that one should understand before making a purchase.  As you'll recall, we previously mentioned that our standard system has a button which is worn by the user, has a range of about 300' on average, and will contact our monitoring center when the button is pressed.  But what other options are available? In Part-3 we'll highlight a few of the most popular:

1) Critical Information Forwarding.  All of our Direct Link products have the option of forwarding critical information to the emergency responders. For instance, if someone is on a complex drug regimen, or under treatment for an illness, our units can provide that information to the responding agency.  In addition, if there is a hidden key outside of the home that will allow easy entry, the responders will be informed of where to find it!  This is a great feature when you consider that when emergency responders arrive at a locked home, they will typically break a window or door to gain access. Knowing that a key is available to enter the dwelling is invaluable. BTW, this is a free option on all Home Helpers Direct Link products!

2) Fall sensing. This should be a consideration for any person that is a fall hazard. In this case, the button has a small sensor in it that will detect when a client falls.  It will then automatically activate an emergency alert request without additional intervention from the user.  Fall sensing will typically add a small cost to the monthly rate, but for someone who is unsteady, it is well worth the expense.

3) 2-Way Pendants.  With a standard alert system, after sending an alert, the user will speak to the call center through the base unit. If they are too far from the base to converse, the next action would typically be to dispatch emergency responders. 2-Way Pendants allow the user to speak through the pendant! Also, these units typically have more range than a standard pendant, continuing to function up to about 600 feet from the base.  This is a good choice for someone who likes to be out of the home, but is still in the neighborhood.

4) Mobile Units. A mobile medical alert uses a cellular network to communicate with the monitoring center, and incorporates a built in GPS receiver. This allows the user to travel anywhere there is cellular coverage, and if help is needed, the GPS will identify where they are located. Assistance can then be dispatched to that location!

With the exception of #1 above, adding options tends to increase cost. If the option is not really needed or provides some value, then the buyer should consider saving that money! Besides, upgrades can be made at any time.

Bringing useful news to educate our clients is one more way that Home Helpers has been making life easier for over a decade.  Call us today at 704-909-7958.  And as always, you can find us on our website,  Facebook and Google+!

Purchasing A Medical Alert Life Line System - Part II

In Part 1 of our series on Emergency Alert Units Explained (also know as life lines, life alerts, etc.), we covered the basics of what the units consist of, and what each piece does. In this part, we'll cover a few of the variations to the basics.

In most cases, when a user presses the 'Help' button on an alert unit, the device calls a monitoring office that will proceed to determine what the true need is. This historically took place over a telephone line.  However, with the popularity of cell phones, not all users still have a traditional home phone.  Alternatives are 1) Voice Over IP (VOIP) which travels over an internet connection. Providers such as Vonage, AT&T U-verse, Time-Warner Cable, Magic-Jack, or Comcast are examples of VOIP phone providers. For an alert unit to function properly with these requires a special digital unit. The second option is 2) a Cell Based unit which will make the call to the monitoring office over a cell network. By the way, the Cell Based unit operates completely independently of any cell phones or plans that you may have.

It's important that you choose properly here!  If a regular phone line is available, then a standard phone emergency alert unit will provide the best reliability at the lowest cost.  VOIP compatible devices will be slightly more expensive, and a Cell Based unit typically has the highest cost.  However, if there's no home phone of any type, the cell based unit is obviously a good choice. Make certain that there is good cell coverage for the carrier that supports the unit where it will be used.  Some rural areas that have sparse cell coverage can be problematic.

Prior to installing a cell unit for any client, our office always performs a search to determine how close the nearest cell tower is to the planned location of use.  This assures our customers that a good signal is available and they will receive reliable service.  We also test all of our units with the clients during the install to confirm proper operation, regardless of the type, and instruct them to repeat this test on a monthly basis.  This will let them confirm ongoing proper operation so that in the event of an emergency, they can be confident that the unit will work!

In Part 3 of this series, we'll discuss features & options that are available with all of our Direct Link emergency alert devices.  Many of these features set us apart from all of our competitors! In the meantime, you can view our most popular units by clicking here.

Bringing useful news to educate our clients is one more way that Home Helpers has been making life easier for over a decade.  Call us today at 704-909-7958.  And as always, you can find us on our website,  Facebook and Google+!

Life line medical alert systems, what you should know. - Part I

What follows is Part-1 of a 4-part series that will explain the variations in medical alert products and what you should know...

No one wants to lose their independence. The freedom to live comfortably where one chooses is something that no one wants to forfeit.  However, it can be difficult to maintain independence and retain the peace-of-mind of knowing you're safe. So how do we remain independent and protected at the same time?

The best solution to this problem is a life line Medical Alert unit from Home Helpers. This is a device that allows people to live independently in their own homes while still remaining protected from the various hazards that can arise when living alone or when living with various mental or physical impairments. Choosing the right medical alert system can be a difficult and stressful decision. What features do you really need? What should I look for? How does it work?  What is the cost?  It can be daunting to get started, but don’t worry, we can guide you to the best decision.

First, the basics.  A medical alert system consists of two fundamental components.  They are

1) A pendant which is worn around the neck or wrist, and

2) A base unit that receives the signal from the pendant when the pendant's button is pressed. 

When the pendant is activated, the base unit will contact a monitoring location, and trained personnel will speak with you to determine if you have an emergency.  Since the pendant can be activated accidentally, this allows the emergency personnel an opportunity to determine if there is a real problem. Also, we encourage our clients to press the button on a regular basis so that they are familiar with how it works, and to confirm that it is operating normally.

There are lots of variations to the above mentioned fundamentals, and despite what some vendors advertise, one size does not fit all!  We'll cover some of those differences in our next posting.  In the meantime, if you would like to know more about these products, feel free to give us a call.  We'll be glad to explain more and assist you.

Bringing useful news to educate our clients is one more way that Home Helpers has been making life easier for over a decade.  Call us today at 704-909-7958.  And as always, you can find us on our website,  Facebook and Google+!