Several years ago I returned to my family home to assist my mother with managing her home and business. As her health situation has gradually declined, I took over the business, and then the role of primary caregiver for this remarkable 99-year old lady. Over time, I realized that I needed to provide a better way for her to summon me when help was needed.
Meeting the daily needs of an elderly parent brings with it a lot of responsibility, and finding workable solutions for what should be simple issues can be challenging. Although we are separated by less than a hundred feet at any point in the house, my mother’s ability to communicate an immediate need was a big problem. Her vocal calls for assistance could not be heard over the normal household noises, and the use of her ever-present mobile phone was no longer a viable tool as her ability to manage technology continued to diminish.
So what to do? I checked the Internet repeatedly and found all sorts of mobile phone app solutions and expensive monthly monitoring services. Nope. We didn’t need to reach anyone outside of the home. In the daytime, when I’m absent, we have in-home services for Mother. Someone is always with her. All we needed was the ability for her to reach me between two floors and at opposite ends of the house. That’s all.
