Caregiver looking for some low-tech suggestions for a portable "call button"

cheeser

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 2, 2013
Messages
2,062
Purraise
1,814
Location
Texas
My sick elderly dad refuses to consider using fancy electronic doodads like a call button to alert us when he needs assistance, but would be willing to give a relatively inexpensive low-tech option a try. Unfortunately, the things we've used in the past such as a whistle or a bicycle horn won't work anymore because his heart and lungs are pretty much shot at this point, and he doesn't have much strength left in his hands to squeeze anything worth a darn.

So we're trying to think outside the box, and are looking for anything that makes a really loud and obnoxious noise that we can hear from anywhere in the house (even with all of the usual household noise), and preferably something that's small and portable so we can tie a string around it and hang it around his neck like a necklace when he's on the move. It's amazing how quiet he can be with his walker. Ack!

Any ideas? Maybe a toy or something obvious we're overlooking? Thanks much!
 

Mia6

Mother of one and numerous ferals
Top Cat
Joined
Jan 22, 2017
Messages
31,112
Purraise
34,063
Location
Ohio, USA
What about one of those things that sounds like a dog barking loudly? People use them to deter buglers..
 
Last edited:

Jem

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 6, 2018
Messages
5,573
Purraise
11,246
I'm not sure if he has the dexterity to use this, but you could also try a bicycle bell. It could be attached to his walker, as I'm assuming it's always near him.
Have you thought about putting baby monitors in the areas he hangs out in the most? Or you could simply attach one monitor to his walker and keep the other near you. He won't be sneaky silent with his walker anymore!! lol. That way you don't need something too loud, he can just call out and you'll hear him over the monitors. And although it's "hi-tech" he doesn't have to do anything for it to work. But I guess this would only be a good option if the rest of your house is relatively quiet as you don't want to hear everything around the house all the time.
 

susanm9006

Willow
Top Cat
Joined
Feb 20, 2011
Messages
13,152
Purraise
30,220
Location
Minnesota
Is pushing a button too high tech for him? If not then you could buy a battery operated doorbell system where he keeps the button near him, like on a bedside table, and the main ringer is centrally located in the house. They are loud enough you should be able to hear it.

Alternative two is to use a baby monitor but that might be hard for you to hear when moving around the house.

If not there is a high tech alternative that he might be willing to use and that is using a couple Alexa devices. I am installing one for my mom for its ”drop in” function. All they need to say is “Alexa, drop in on (name) and you would be able to hear him over your other Alexa.
 

Tobermory

“What greater gift than the love of a cat.”
Staff Member
Moderator
Joined
Dec 13, 2017
Messages
9,137
Purraise
25,925
Location
Pacific NW
Oh, boy. I know exactly what you’re going through. When she first needed the necklace alert button, my mom wouldn’t wear it because it was “ugly.” Then as her short-term memory loss progressed, she couldn’t remember to put it on so the aides tied it to her walker. But then we discovered she didn’t have enough finger strength to push the button. That’s when I installed the webcams and the aides started checking on her every two hours. Anyway...

What about something like this. It could hang around his neck, and you also could tie one to his walker. It shouldn’t make much noise unless he shakes it. Maybe.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #10

cheeser

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 2, 2013
Messages
2,062
Purraise
1,814
Location
Texas
What about one of those things that sounds like a dog barking loudly? People use them to deter buglers..
I don't know if that would work for us, since our neighbors have dogs that sound loud and scary (especially Cujo next door!), and I've learned to tune out those particular noises so I can get some sleep!

But I'll definitely keep it mind. Thanks much! :)
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #11

cheeser

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 2, 2013
Messages
2,062
Purraise
1,814
Location
Texas
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #13

cheeser

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 2, 2013
Messages
2,062
Purraise
1,814
Location
Texas
I'm not sure if he has the dexterity to use this, but you could also try a bicycle bell. It could be attached to his walker, as I'm assuming it's always near him.
Have you thought about putting baby monitors in the areas he hangs out in the most? Or you could simply attach one monitor to his walker and keep the other near you. He won't be sneaky silent with his walker anymore!! lol. That way you don't need something too loud, he can just call out and you'll hear him over the monitors. And although it's "hi-tech" he doesn't have to do anything for it to work. But I guess this would only be a good option if the rest of your house is relatively quiet as you don't want to hear everything around the house all the time.
Unfortunately, Dad doesn't have the strength in his hands to use a bicycle bell or a horn, at least the ones I've seen in the stores. But I love the idea of some kind of bell for his walker! I've been looking at the Christmas decorations, hoping to find some jingle bells I could attach to his walker so I could know when he's on the move. However, thus far, the only ones I've seen don't make enough noise. Maybe a cowbell or two to hang from his walker, or maybe even around his neck? :lol:

We do the best we can to keep tabs on Dad 24/7, but sometimes he still manages to sneak past us, and then we find him sprawled out on the floor somewhere. I suppose we should consider ourselves blessed that he still has some fight left in him, and wants to do as much for himself as possible. But he sure runs us ragged sometimes!

We briefly considered getting a baby monitor or walkie-talkie type system like our neighbors have. However, there's so much background noise from medical equipment, fans, Dad's sound conditioner, the TV set, and the usual household activity, it wouldn't really work for us. But I know it works great for others, so I'm glad it helps someone. :)

Thanks bunches!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #14

cheeser

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 2, 2013
Messages
2,062
Purraise
1,814
Location
Texas
Is pushing a button too high tech for him? If not then you could buy a battery operated doorbell system where he keeps the button near him, like on a bedside table, and the main ringer is centrally located in the house. They are loud enough you should be able to hear it.

Alternative two is to use a baby monitor but that might be hard for you to hear when moving around the house.

If not there is a high tech alternative that he might be willing to use and that is using a couple Alexa devices. I am installing one for my mom for its ”drop in” function. All they need to say is “Alexa, drop in on (name) and you would be able to hear him over your other Alexa.
Actually, a doorbell type system was one of the first ideas I looked into. I was just advised to make sure it had a different sound than the one for the front door. :biggrin:

But Dad nixed that idea. He's a bit of a Luddite at heart, and doesn't want anything tech-y. If only I still had my son's old battery operated robot that someone gave him when he was little. Good grief, you could probably hear that thing in the next zip code! To be honest, I'm not sure if it died a natural death, or if it had some help. :tongue:
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #15

cheeser

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 2, 2013
Messages
2,062
Purraise
1,814
Location
Texas
Oh, boy. I know exactly what you’re going through. When she first needed the necklace alert button, my mom wouldn’t wear it because it was “ugly.” Then as her short-term memory loss progressed, she couldn’t remember to put it on so the aides tied it to her walker. But then we discovered she didn’t have enough finger strength to push the button. That’s when I installed the webcams and the aides started checking on her every two hours. Anyway...

What about something like this. It could hang around his neck, and you also could tie one to his walker. It shouldn’t make much noise unless he shakes it. Maybe.
Bless their hearts, elderly parents can be so challenging sometimes. Maybe it's karma for all the grief I caused them when I was growing up! ;)

Thanks for the links for the noisemakers. I think the cowbells will probably work best for Dad's walker. And come to think about it, maybe I could put some bells on his houseshoes. I mean, they have bells for toddlers' shoes, so why not the other end of the age spectrum? :wink:
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #16

cheeser

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 2, 2013
Messages
2,062
Purraise
1,814
Location
Texas
I just got one of these, and dang it's loud. And obnoxious. But it works! And he would just have to pull the strap.
Yes!!! I love, love, LOVE this idea. Thank you ever so much! :)

*hearts you with the fiery intensity of a thousand supernovas*
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #18

cheeser

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 2, 2013
Messages
2,062
Purraise
1,814
Location
Texas
My cats would hear those bells and trip him up trying to get to them.
Hee! I hadn't even thought of that. Kinda reminds me of that Temptations commercial a while back:


Fortunately, our cats don't much care for toys that make noise, so hopefully it would scare them off. But forewarned is forearmed, or something like that. ;)
 

Caspers Human

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Feb 23, 2016
Messages
2,693
Purraise
4,703
Location
Pennsylvania
He's a bit of a Luddite at heart, and doesn't want anything tech-y.
I'm sure that it plays a part but I don't think it's strictly because he's a Luddite.

I think it also has a lot to do with his feeling of losing independence. He's a man. Men DO things. Men are supposed to be self-sufficient. Now that he's becoming elderly and infirm, he doesn't like the idea of depending on others. Using electrical gadgets only reminds him of how dependent he has become.

Part of the reason I thought of using a call bell is because it's something he would be familiar with. People of his generation grew up with call bells. He would have seen them at the post office, at hotels or at the auto parts store. He has likely used a call bell to summon assistance hundreds of times in his life.

Using a call bell like the one I linked to is an ASSERTIVE activity. It's something to do in order to SUMMON somebody for assistance.

Looking at it that way, I hoped that a call bell would be something he would readily accept.

It's about the symbolism behind the object as much as the object, itself.

I think the cowbells will probably work best for Dad's walker.
I had briefly thought about a cowbell but opted for the desk bell because of what I said above.

However, I think a cowbell is an awesome idea for his walker.

Not only is it a way to tell when he's on the move, you can tell if the walker falls over because it will make a different sound.
(If the walker falls over, it's likely that HE has fallen over too!)

If he is on the move and there is a cowbell on his walker he can shake, slap or kick the cowbell if he needs help.

A cowbell is also a familiar object that he would have seen and, possibly, used in his life.

Did he ever go to football games or other sporting events?
He might have had a cowbell or seen other people using them.

Symbolism is often important to elderly people because it's often the only thing that they feel like they still have.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #20

cheeser

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 2, 2013
Messages
2,062
Purraise
1,814
Location
Texas
I'm sure that it plays a part but I don't think it's strictly because he's a Luddite.

I think it also has a lot to do with his feeling of losing independence. He's a man. Men DO things. Men are supposed to be self-sufficient. Now that he's becoming elderly and infirm, he doesn't like the idea of depending on others. Using electrical gadgets only reminds him of how dependent he has become.

Part of the reason I thought of using a call bell is because it's something he would be familiar with. People of his generation grew up with call bells. He would have seen them at the post office, at hotels or at the auto parts store. He has likely used a call bell to summon assistance hundreds of times in his life.

Using a call bell like the one I linked to is an ASSERTIVE activity. It's something to do in order to SUMMON somebody for assistance.

Looking at it that way, I hoped that a call bell would be something he would readily accept.

It's about the symbolism behind the object as much as the object, itself.



I had briefly thought about a cowbell but opted for the desk bell because of what I said above.

However, I think a cowbell is an awesome idea for his walker.

Not only is it a way to tell when he's on the move, you can tell if the walker falls over because it will make a different sound.
(If the walker falls over, it's likely that HE has fallen over too!)

If he is on the move and there is a cowbell on his walker he can shake, slap or kick the cowbell if he needs help.

A cowbell is also a familiar object that he would have seen and, possibly, used in his life.

Did he ever go to football games or other sporting events?
He might have had a cowbell or seen other people using them.

Symbolism is often important to elderly people because it's often the only thing that they feel like they still have.
Thanks ever so much for your insight. It's greatly appreciated. Dad's health has been deteriorating for the past couple of years, so we've been trying to help him out as much as possible without him realizing what we were doing. But now that his condition has gotten a lot worse lately, it's much harder to be discreet, and a heck of a lot more exhausting!

The funny thing is that Dad is a tech geek by nature and by (former) profession, and the latest and greatest electronic gadgets were right up his alley. But about twenty years or so ago, he got fed up with his shiny new toys becoming obsolete so quickly, and became something of an anti-tech geek. His way of "sticking it to the man," or something like that I suppose. :wink:

On the bright side, Dad didn't put up a fuss at all when it was time to hand over his car keys. Hopefully he'll eventually come around about the other stuff.

I did find this cool floor pressure mat alarm that we're thinking about getting. That way we wouldn't have to wait until we hear cowbells to know that Dad is on the move. :)
 
Top