My mom has been diagnosed with early Alzheimer's, her memory is fading, and she gets disoriented and confused, but she still has periods when she's fine. Because she lives alone, I was thinking of getting her one of those personal emergency response buttons, where she can quickly summon help. Is this a good idea?
Expert Answer by Margaret Calkins
No, I'm afraid not. Personal emergency response systems, often called PERS, really aren't suited for someone with Alzheimer's or dementia. Given your mom's condition, PERS can't give you the reassurance you need.
To make the system work, your mom must push a button that's worn either around her neck or wrist, or on a console in her house. She has to know how to do this, and when to do this. She needs to be mentally alert enough to make a quick decision and take action.
Even though your mom is still early in her illness and has lucid times, it's too risky to depend on this kind of system for her safety. What if she fell during one of her confused periods and didn't even realize she had the option of pushing a button for help? If an elderly person can't figure out how or when to push a PERS button, it's a pretty clear sign that she shouldn't be living alone and that an alternative living situation is needed.
Answer
Having an emergency response button has not been helpful for my mother-in-law, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease and who is still living alone. Because she cannot see it when it is hanging around her neck, she forgets that she has it on. Several times, she has fallen and could not get up, and she did not remember that the button was available to her, so she stayed on the floor until a family member dropped by. The last time she fell, she was not even wearing it. She took it off because she didn't like wearing it. (This is not the first time she has taken it off. Once she even cut the cord with scissors to remove it!) Her family insists that staying at home is my mother-in-law's best option, and this call button makes them feel better about their decision, but honestly, the call button is not an effective option at all.
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I disagree. I got a PERS system for my mom in the early diagnosis stage and found it to be very helpful. Once a week, I had her test the system. The call center at Guardian Medical Monitoring would address her by name and remind her that they were there if she ever needed any help.
By testing the system each week, my mom had an understanding and consistant reminder - three years later, she still is testing the system once a week and understands what the button is for.
In addition, we got the medication dispensing unit from Guardian. We would be lost without it. I can put a full months worth of medication into the machine for my mom. When it's time for her medication, it makes a loud, clear announcement and she presses a button to receive the pre-filled cup of meds. If she fails to press the button, the machine calls me to let me know. This is a great safety back-up.
The cost of the PERS and Medication Dispenser combined is $80 from Guardian Medical Monitoring. Very affordable for the peace of mind it offers.
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