My FIL - RANT!!
- Thread starter Jim
- Start date
Gemstone
Here for the Journey
Just Checking System
This is a system that you can get into any time of day or night from any computer as long as you have the password.
They put sensors in key positions throughout the house/flat and when activity is detected it appears as a bar in a timescale. It will detect any movement and if you log in and there has been no movement, you know that they haven't moved anywhere. If however the non-movement is in an unusual place e.g. too long in kitchen, bathroom, hallway, you can contact to find out if anything is wrong.
Mum lived in an elderly peoples' complex and there was a "Good Morning" over the speaker every day. It was expected that the person would speak back. By that same system there was a way that the company who operated the cord pulls could call to see if the person was OK if alerted to a problem.
Just Checking was separate to this but if we found anything worrying we could always ring the company.
My girls called the system "Nan Cam" as they both had the password and would check periodically, especially if I was not able to get online and they were. I also used to check at work if I had time. It just let you know whether the activity was "normal" for that person.
Ask the social worker about it - if he does have to go back home it's a little bit of extra security x
Gemstone
Here for the Journey
I think Jack has gone past that stage too Quak. There were limitations too as you could only guess what Mum was actually up to. It was, however, a way of checking up without invading privicy and it did actually flag up quite a few things that were wrong, including the fall which could have been much more distressing than it was x
Gemstone
Here for the Journey
It certainly gave me a degree of peace of mind. There were many other issues but at least there was some chance of identifying a possible problem. If anything looked odd on "Nan cam" I would first phone her and then if no reply I would phone the alarm people who would call her. If we both got no reply I would get there if I could or if really worried, call the emergency services.
There was a warden at the complex but like so many other things the service had been depleted and she was part-time, mornings only and not at all at weekends and bank holidays.
It did help that 3 of us had the password and could check up on the site from time to time. From the site I discovered that she rarely moved from the lounge (something I suspected anyway) and that she wasn't often about at night once she had gone to bed (just the odd trip to the loo). I also found that she rarely went into the kitchen so I was able to alert the carers to the fact that she needed to be encouraged to have a drink while they were there. She often had a cup of cold tea on the coffee table when I arrived.
I couldn't get in every day to check on things as home, work and mums was a hopeless triangle entangled with traffic. Work and home 17 miles apart, home and mums 12 miles apart, work and mums 8 miles apart. All journeys involved going across the city and its spine roads which were always choc-a-bloc with traffic. I tended to visit her on Sunday, when I took in her shopping for the week and stayed for a long chat. My mate used to come with me and we would make her laugh.
Another good move was getting Mum and Dad a cleaner - only an hour a week (as it was a one bedroom flat) but she would come in and "spruce up" the place. She still comes to mother-in-law and she looks forward to her visits on a Monday as did my mum. This little treasure didn't charge a lot at she had a lot of oldies on her book and went from one to to the other. She was on the approved list from social care so we had something to go on before she came. Mum looked on the cleaner as a friend and sometimes forgot to pay her (good move mum) so I had to keep in touch to make sure that she was being paid as she was far too nice to ask. The money was left in the flat and there was very little else to pay for as I did the shopping and paid the papers.
I guess, the more trusted people coming into the house/flat the better. Mum had a hairdresser once a week who had my phone number and would call me if she was worried. It was all a help and helped to cut the boredom for Mum too.
This year for Christmas we have bought MIL a new TV - one of those large flat ones with a super clear picture. Her eyesight is not very good but with the new clear picture she is "over the moon" with the new viewing experience. It is often the simple pleasures that make a big difference to our oldies. MIL has loved the fresh food I cooked for her on Christmas day (with enough leftovers for 2 days). Then we were heading her way yesterday to sort out a pill box problem with the pharmacy so I took her a stuffed Portabello mushroom which she had never tasted before and loved.
You do well Quak to think ahead for your inlaws. Hopefully they will be well enough to look after themselves but none of us know what the future will bring.
I hope the "powers that be" sort themselves out where Jack is concerned as he needs to be catered for sooner rather than later for his own sake and for Jim and Colleen. It doesn't even make sound economic sense either, faffing around with people and putting them at risk.
Sorry for the lenthy post.
Have a good day Jim x
There was a warden at the complex but like so many other things the service had been depleted and she was part-time, mornings only and not at all at weekends and bank holidays.
It did help that 3 of us had the password and could check up on the site from time to time. From the site I discovered that she rarely moved from the lounge (something I suspected anyway) and that she wasn't often about at night once she had gone to bed (just the odd trip to the loo). I also found that she rarely went into the kitchen so I was able to alert the carers to the fact that she needed to be encouraged to have a drink while they were there. She often had a cup of cold tea on the coffee table when I arrived.
I couldn't get in every day to check on things as home, work and mums was a hopeless triangle entangled with traffic. Work and home 17 miles apart, home and mums 12 miles apart, work and mums 8 miles apart. All journeys involved going across the city and its spine roads which were always choc-a-bloc with traffic. I tended to visit her on Sunday, when I took in her shopping for the week and stayed for a long chat. My mate used to come with me and we would make her laugh.
Another good move was getting Mum and Dad a cleaner - only an hour a week (as it was a one bedroom flat) but she would come in and "spruce up" the place. She still comes to mother-in-law and she looks forward to her visits on a Monday as did my mum. This little treasure didn't charge a lot at she had a lot of oldies on her book and went from one to to the other. She was on the approved list from social care so we had something to go on before she came. Mum looked on the cleaner as a friend and sometimes forgot to pay her (good move mum) so I had to keep in touch to make sure that she was being paid as she was far too nice to ask. The money was left in the flat and there was very little else to pay for as I did the shopping and paid the papers.
I guess, the more trusted people coming into the house/flat the better. Mum had a hairdresser once a week who had my phone number and would call me if she was worried. It was all a help and helped to cut the boredom for Mum too.
This year for Christmas we have bought MIL a new TV - one of those large flat ones with a super clear picture. Her eyesight is not very good but with the new clear picture she is "over the moon" with the new viewing experience. It is often the simple pleasures that make a big difference to our oldies. MIL has loved the fresh food I cooked for her on Christmas day (with enough leftovers for 2 days). Then we were heading her way yesterday to sort out a pill box problem with the pharmacy so I took her a stuffed Portabello mushroom which she had never tasted before and loved.
You do well Quak to think ahead for your inlaws. Hopefully they will be well enough to look after themselves but none of us know what the future will bring.
I hope the "powers that be" sort themselves out where Jack is concerned as he needs to be catered for sooner rather than later for his own sake and for Jim and Colleen. It doesn't even make sound economic sense either, faffing around with people and putting them at risk.
Sorry for the lenthy post.
Have a good day Jim x
ditzeeblonde
Call me Linzi...
Crazy to have such conflicting advice. x
ditzeeblonde
Call me Linzi...
Dreadful Jim.... you guys sound like you'll be to-ing & fro-ing for a while yet trying to get decisions made. x
