For Those Seniors Living Alone

JonSR77 said:
I will say this...it really is amazing what we can survive. After my doctor said that, I really thought I only had a couple of years left. Still here after 10 years. Go figure. It is just kind of crazy how it all works.
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I'm so happy that your doctor was wrong, and you're still able to have life, Jon.
You have definitely been and going through your battles.
Hoping you can maintain having more life to enjoy.
You are very cared for from everyone here as well.
Keep taking care. 🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻
 

In MY opinion, getting one of those alert devices is akin to getting a device that tells you when you turned your lights on. I've had to call EMS several times. With a phone, you are talking directly with EMS, and not being routed through some far away center. Like I said, that's my opinion, and it's what you want to do.
 

fuzzybuddy said:
In MY opinion, getting one of those alert devices is akin to getting a device that tells you when you turned your lights on. I've had to call EMS several times. With a phone, you are talking directly with EMS, and not being routed through some far away center. Like I said, that's my opinion, and it's what you want to do.
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well I had the service. And there definitely is a reason for it. And it definitely helps much much much more than a phone. I mean, it depends on your medical problems. I am sure that there are a wide range of medical problems that do not necessitate it.


For my problems, it was a very good device. Very expensive. We don't have much money. I had to cancel it because of the expense...but it definitely helped.

Many reasons.

One quick one...if you are interacting with EMS, fire or police...you can get a good person, devoted to the work and job...who will do a good job. You can also get a person with next to no devotion to the work, who is really doing a very poor job. Now that might have to do with New Jersey. Because people here can be real jerks. Maybe in the Mid-West these folks don't act that way. But here? They often do.

So, if you have the service and these people know that, in a sense, their work is being double checked by an outside agency...they have to be on the ball.

One quick anecdote re that. I was in a New Jersey deli, in line to get a sandwich. Two EMS guys came in, in uniform. You could see their truck in the parking lot. They were waiting in line, when a call came in.

This was not the movies. They ignored the call, waited to order and get their sandwiches...and only then responded to dispatch.

I used to do deliveries, worked in area restaurants. One was a Mafia hang out. There was a police officer I knew from town. I caught him in there one day, laughing and joking with the Mob guys. Can't make this stuff up. He saw I noticed him there and got embarrassed. Maybe he thought he was only telling a few jokes..but those Mob guys...they were trying to groom him for some evil deed in the future. If you get an officer like that, responding to a call? You can forget about good or even appropriate service.


Like I said, I would not doubt that all these kinds of shenanigans are more common here in New Jersey...but again, that is where I got the device...
 
--- it's what we call..."Welcome to New Jersey"

Other places the same or worse. Brooklyn, parts of Chicago, other cities and areas..
 
Ruthanne, do you see your doctor regularly? If so, be sure to explain your symptoms and your situation of being alone, with pets, and no support nearby. I'm sure someone in the doctor's office might be aware of resources available to you for your safety. You will never know unless you ask.
If you feel you have Hepatic Encephalopathy, your doctor can confirm it, and assess your short or long term risks.

I was so surprised several years ago when a friend's neighbor suddenly became very ill and needed to be hospitalized. An organization arrived, with the police, to take care of the 2 large dogs. They emerged from the apartment with the dogs, dog food, toys and beds. It was arranged by the social service department of the hospital he was in. After a little over a month, he was back home with his dogs. The dogs were fostered in private homes. I'm sure other states have the same, but no one knows about it until the need arises.
 
Kika said:
Ruthanne, do you see your doctor regularly? If so, be sure to explain your symptoms and your situation of being alone, with pets, and no support nearby. I'm sure someone in the doctor's office might be aware of resources available to you for your safety. You will never know unless you ask.
If you feel you have Hepatic Encephalopathy, your doctor can confirm it, and assess your short or long term risks.

I was so surprised several years ago when a friend's neighbor suddenly became very ill and needed to be hospitalized. An organization arrived, with the police, to take care of the 2 large dogs. They emerged from the apartment with the dogs, dog food, toys and beds. It was arranged by the social service department of the hospital he was in. After a little over a month, he was back home with his dogs. The dogs were fostered in private homes. I'm sure other states have the same, but no one knows about it until the need arises.
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I completely agree with Kika. Best to err on the side of caution, have the doctor review things.
 
My daughter calls me each morning on her way to work. She even calls on weekends to be sure I am okay. If she gets no answer she waits a few minutes and calls again. The maintenance man at the complex brings me a breakfast sandwich each morning when he gets his. A few times I have overslept and he calls my daughter t be sure I am okay.
 
terry123 said:
My daughter calls me each morning on her way to work. She even calls on weekends to be sure I am okay. If she gets no answer she waits a few minutes and calls again. The maintenance man at the complex brings me a breakfast sandwich each morning when he gets his. A few times I have overslept and he calls my daughter t be sure I am okay.
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wonderful! you certainly raised your daughter right! My wife calls her mom every day. It's nice to see the connection they have.
 
Ruthanne said:
I recently have been sleeping a lot more than usual and am extremely tired much of the time. Coffee puts me to sleep. I am wondering if this could be Hepatic Encephalopathy.
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I too sleep a lot more than I used too and am extremely tired much of the time and coffee makes me sleepy. In addition I have 3 heart conditions and a damaged hip. Since I am over 80 years old I attribute all this to old age. I have accepted that we are all going to die and I feel dying at home in my sleep is preferable to long drawn out and painful medical procedures that would add a few more months to my life. Nevertheless I keep my cell phone on my body during the day and right by my bed at night and will decide when and if I want to call 911. I'm not sure what others could do in an emergency that 911 couldn't.
 
I have one of those life alert gizmos that I wear as a necklace when I am alone in the house. Fortunately haven't had to use it as yet, but you never know. Mainly I feel need it in the shower, where I put it in a waterproof bag.

In addition, I figured, why not use the technology we use all the time anyway? So every morning, my phone is set to ring a little alarm to remind me to contact two of my children. We text all the time anyway, so it's no biggie. I just send them a message, usually saying Hi, so they know everything is OK. If they don't hear from me at the usual time, they send me a text asking if everything is OK. Our plan is that if I don't answer that, they try a phone call, and if they still get no answer, my son has the phone number of my next door neighbor to call and ask her to check on me. (She has a key.) And if that still doesn't work, he'll come over. He lives about 20 minutes away.

I have much more peace of mind with these two systems in place
 
Hi Ruthanne, Sparty60 here, coming in little late on your post, having a medical background, looking at your concerns, very valid, of course, I’m 85. Depending on your health insurance and Medicare, there should be coverage to have home health nurse come in to do
an assessment and evaluate your current status.
Looks like. You are Indiana, have you explored this option?
 
I would go with life alert because you never know. If you fall and don't have your phone within reach or break it in the fall....

Hope you are doing alright.
 

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