This isn't my story but I thought it well worth sharing. I am elderly and sometimes very simple things can get out of control. .
My neighbor was telling me about his parents who are both 89. They live in their own house but have four children here who can look after them.
His mother fell in the den and couldn't get up. She called her husband. Husband was not wearing his hearing aides and watching television. He had the volume turned up so that he could hear the TV. Mother called but she didn't get an answer. She called many times and husband couldn't hear her.
So Mother decided to press the call button on her lifeline. The life line people called and of course the husband answered the phone. He doesn't know his wife is in trouble so he says everything is fine and goes back to watching TV.
It's a good thing there was somebody on life line who was pretty sharp and thought something was wrong.
The life line people came about five minutes after the phone call and got things sorted out.
So with us elderly people things can get out of control in a hurry.
I imagine Dad got told to always wear his hearing aids.
Oh what a misadventure. Life Alert kinds of buttons are a good for a situation like this. (The necklace fob type is better than one on your wrist: if you ever have a stroke, you won't know which hand could reach the other hand's wrist to call them with a watch-type one.) Hope the wifey wasn't hurt too bad. Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeletethere are good devices out there but they're not 100%. The family took this in good humor.
DeleteI imagine he would!!
ReplyDeletethis guy was a very caring minister all his life.
DeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteMy hubby wears hearing aids, without them he can not hear anything.
I hope your neighbor is OK. Take care, have a great day!
The neighbors are fine. It's a lesson that has to be learned once in a while.
DeleteSure you didn't change the facts Red? Was it Jean lying on the floor and you in front of the TV?
ReplyDeleteNope! If it had been me , I would never have been able to write this post!
DeleteGosh. It's so easy for things to go awry.
ReplyDeleteGoing awry at any time is easy but more serious for seniors.
DeleteWe have tested it, and I can’t hear my wife calling from the room across the hall if I have my hearing aids out, but her watch and phone are always close by.
ReplyDeleteThere are good devices out there but not always fool proof.
DeleteOops!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I imagine she had a few sharp words for him!
ReplyDeleteThey took it in good humor.
DeleteThat is definitely a story I will remember. If/when we need hearing aids to always wear them.Truth be told, I need a hearing aid already and haven't gotten it. (NewRobin13)
ReplyDeleteHearing aids are okay but they have their limitations. They are almost useless in a noisy crowd.
DeleteThis is definitely a salutary story. I'm surprised that he didn't check on his wife when they called though.
ReplyDeleteHe was completely oblivious to the situation.
DeleteI always have my cell phone near me so I can call for help if needed. I have heard many positive things about the lifeline buttons and may look into one when I am a bit older.
ReplyDeleteThe life line around the neck is best. It's close enough to reach.
DeleteAn important lesson to remember and learn from.
ReplyDeleteWe all get life lessons. Sometimes we don't learn very well.
DeleteWe have Alexa set up with emergency messages if either of us needs help in another part of the house. It really helped after my bike accident!
ReplyDeleteNew technology is always making n appearance.
DeleteThat's a sobering story, Red. Deafness is a real problem not just for the person who is deaf but for those who depend on them. The life line person should really have asked the husband to physically go and check on the wife. When I fell on the stairs and hurt my back a few years ago, my hard-of-hearing husband didn't hear a thing. After that, I behaved as though I lived alone, was extra careful, and carried my phone around a lot. I knew I had to be responsible for my own safety. In a way, it prepared me for living alone after his death.
ReplyDeleteAdaptations have to be made whether we like it or not.
DeleteOh boy! I imagine that is what we would call a learning experience for that household.
ReplyDeleteThey took it in good humor but learned the lesson.
DeleteA cautionary tale for sure, Red, but what seemed curious to me was that is the husband wasn’t wearing the hearing aids and had the TV sound louder, then how could he hear and answer the phone?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the Thanksgiving comment on my post today. Sorry that I don’t comment on all posts, many times I just read them.
I'm so glad that person was paying attention. And I do hope they figured a way to keep things from happening again. Happy Thanksgiving!
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh! What a story! Reminds me of the time that my mother called my daughter. She had a scanner and heard that firetrucks were being sent to our house. My daughter was just getting out of the shower, but stopped to answer the phone. "No, everything is fine here," she assured her grandmother. My mother insisted that the fire trucks were at our house. "Look out the window, Cara!!!" and there was a long shocked pause. "Grandma, I gotta go!" My husband's truck had burst into flames in our driveway.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad she got the help she needed. Sounds like the people at the lifeline are really sharp!
ReplyDeleteWow, I wonder if the husband didn't think to check to see if his wife was all right before telling Lifeline she was? In my mom's last few years living in her home I purchased her that service for her. I thought it was good though of course having someone nearby is much better.
ReplyDeleteSounds horrible dear Red .Reminds me of a move that could never skip out of my mind in which mute and deaf parents could not save their baby from terrible accident. Thank God lifeline used their mind and resolved matter before thing could go wrong
ReplyDeletePoor husband. He must have been so embarrassed. My aunt tried using that alert thing, but it wouldn't work. She finally called us and I called 911. I also called my cousin who had just reached LA. He called a neighbor who went over until the ambulance came. Sadly, she passed away on the way to the hospital. My cousin complained to the alert people (I don't remember the company). They said he was supposed to check the battery every month. That was awful. These are things everybody needs to be told or find out carefully.
ReplyDelete