It sucks growing old

[June bug]

Jez, just

[Volkonski]

[Foggy]

Oh Jez, hugs and love and super hugs to you.

[Cyrus Breckenridge]

I’m 74. Things have started happening. I get out of the shower, start to get dressed, and find I’ve forgotten to dry off part of me. I go into another room for something, then forget what it was I went there for. I go to put on my trousers (pants for you people in the colonies), left leg goes in, right leg keeps getting tangled up. It’s weird…

[Tiredretiredlawyer]

[Tiredretiredlawyer]

Jez-

c84796c4e23c91648a605ba961c341ec--get-well-quotes-get-well-soon.jpg (104.06 KiB) Viewed 1993 times

[jez]

I am home. Everything has been cleared out, at least I think it has. Can't really see because it's on the patootie. But all good. Got the good drugs.

[AndyinPA]

Happy for you!

[p0rtia]

Whew. Thanks for checking in. You scared us!

[Uninformed]

[Dr. Caligari]

Does anyone have any experience with those "I fell and I can't get up" alarms? I have a family member who may need one. Looking for something that is (1) waterproof [most falls happen in the shower], (2) comfortable enough to sleep in [in case they fall when getting up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom], and (3) will work outside the house [in case they fall while outside walking the dog].

Thanks.

[qbawl]

Does anyone have any experience with those "I fell and I can't get up" alarms? I have a family member who may need one. Looking for something that is (1) waterproof [most falls happen in the shower], (2) comfortable enough to sleep in [in case they fall when getting up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom], and (3) will work outside the house [in case they fall while outside walking the dog].

Thanks.

Have you considered an Watch?

[Gene Kooper]

If the person is a veteran the VA will provide one to "senior" veterans without cost. If so, the choices are limited.

My Dad got one after he tumbled down the basement stairs last May. He has conveniently forgotten after he healed up that he has one. He also has acute hearing loss, in part because of his Navy service on a heavy cruiser. They are in a box somewhere because he said they made his ears itch so he watches TV with the volume at 99!! I mention this about my Dad because having one does not guarantee it will be used.

[AndyinPA]

The Apple Watch has a fall detection feature. I've had mine go off a few times, but I hadn't fallen, so I just tell it I didn't, and it doesn't report the fall. It wouldn't do for bedtime as I charge it overnight. Of course, you have to have the iPhone to go with it. But it would work all during the day, whether at home or out. Alexa works with an app you set up to alert someone if you fall. You have to set it up with the people you want notified. Only works in the house, but cheaper than Apple phone and watch together.

I've seen the original one (First Alert?) advertised as being useful for outdoors, which I don't think it did originally.

[Lani]

Have you considered an Watch?

What is a Watch? I can't find it on google b/c when I paste google Watch, a lot of Apple watches pop up, but none are "Watch."

[Gene Kooper]

The symbol  is Apple's emoji logo

[Lani]

The symbol  is Apple's emoji logo

OK. So which watch are you recommending? Also, Andy - what watch are you using? I think it would be wise for me to have something like that since I live alone. Well, except for Ted.

[qbawl]

Have you considered an Watch?

What is a Watch? I can't find it on google b/c when I paste google Watch, a lot of Apple watches pop up, but none are "Watch."

Watch is another name for Apple Watch. They are the same thing.

[AndyinPA]

The symbol  is Apple's emoji logo

OK. So which watch are you recommending? Also, Andy - what watch are you using? I think it would be wise for me to have something like that since I live alone. Well, except for Ted.

I have the Series 5. It's my second one. I think they are up to 7. I don't update very often, and they will have to make some considerable changes before I do again. I have a friend with a lot of medical issues, and she uses those features more than I do. But then, she buys a new phone every time one comes out, always the newest Pro. She buys that for the camera as she has quit using a regular camera.

[qbawl]

The Apple Watch has a fall detection feature. I've had mine go off a few times, but I hadn't fallen, so I just tell it I didn't, and it doesn't report the fall. It wouldn't do for bedtime as I charge it overnight. Of course, you have to have the iPhone to go with it. But it would work all during the day, whether at home or out. Alexa works with an app you set up to alert someone if you fall. You have to set it up with the people you want notified. Only works in the house, but cheaper than Apple phone and watch together.

I've seen the original one (First Alert?) advertised as being useful for outdoors, which I don't think it did originally.

The newer ones can charge to 80% in about an hour so a quick charge at breakfast or while showering will top the battery up. A single 100% charge will last me over 1½ days.

The Watch does not require the iPhone to make the call. But that does require a higher end Watch and a bump to your service provider plan. I don't think you even need the iPhone to configure the watch anymore but I may very likely be wrong about that.

As an aside the iPhone itself does provide fall detection and alert service standalone iirc.

[Gene Kooper]

I don't have a recommendation for a watch. My only experience is the VA provided medical alert button that my Dad won't use.

I looked at the VA button's features and it is only water resistant. The LifeAlert button is waterproof and a better choice because of that.

[AndyinPA]

The Apple Watch has a fall detection feature. I've had mine go off a few times, but I hadn't fallen, so I just tell it I didn't, and it doesn't report the fall. It wouldn't do for bedtime as I charge it overnight. Of course, you have to have the iPhone to go with it. But it would work all during the day, whether at home or out. Alexa works with an app you set up to alert someone if you fall. You have to set it up with the people you want notified. Only works in the house, but cheaper than Apple phone and watch together.

I've seen the original one (First Alert?) advertised as being useful for outdoors, which I don't think it did originally.

The newer ones can charge to 80% in about an hour so a quick charge at breakfast or while showering will top the battery up. A single 100% charge will last me over 1½ days.

The Watch does not require the iPhone to make the call. But that does require a higher end Watch and a bump to your service provider plan. I don't think you even need the iPhone to configure the watch anymore but I may very likely be wrong about that.

As an aside the iPhone itself does provide fall detection and alert service standalone iirc.

My Series 5 actually charges quickly, doesn't take overnight, but I don't like wearing it to bed. But I can't get more than a day out of it. I miss the Fitbit for that. I only had to charge it every five days. Mine also doesn't require the phone to configure it, but I prefer the size of the phone for that.

I also think you are right about the iPhone fall detection. I have the 12.

[Tiredretiredlawyer]

I am home. Everything has been cleared out, at least I think it has. Can't really see because it's on the patootie. But all good. Got the good drugs.

[MN-Skeptic]

I'm going to add my 2 cents here on getting an Apple watch for the safety features.

My husband passed away four years ago this month. A week after his death, while I was carrying a heavy, unwieldy desk chair up from the basement, I realized how vulnerable I was now living by myself with no one regularly checking on me. If I fell down the steps and broke my leg, what would I do? My solution - I bought an Apple watch. I have an iPhone but it mostly sits in the living room while I'm going chores. The Apple watch allows me to set up emergency contacts which I can easily call from my watch in case of emergencies.

My watch will also tell me if my heart rate goes over 120 beats per minute. I don't think that's happened since the first year I got my watch, but it was interesting back then when it did detect it. It happened twice, each time when I had to do something on my own that I used to rely on my husband to do. I still hate having to do things on my own, but I'm getting better.

My Seattle sister-in-law got an Apple watch for her birthday last October when I was visiting. The watch detected her heart's A-fib, which she knew about. A few months later, when a procedure got her heat back into normal rhythm, she enjoyed calling that up on her watch and seeing that everything was now fine!

I don't think my current version of the Apple watch does the fall detection, but I'll update my watch this fall. At age 69 I want to stay independent as long as I can, and I'll do what ever is necessary to facilitate that.

[AndyinPA]

The heartbeat detector went off on mine once when we went to Santa Fe. My system adjusted, and it only went off once or twice again. That was the first time I realized I was having problems at a lower high altitude than I had previously. I use CoQ10 when I am at high altitudes. I used to use it if I was above 10,000 feet. I realized then that I needed it at maybe above 6-7,000 feet.