Phone holder for Elderly

ZXSpectrum · Tuesday at 11:36

Can anyone recommend something for my mum to have her phone in and kept on her person while she is about the house?

Context: My 75Yr old mum has just had a knee operation and the family (Mainly my younger sister that lives with her and had been wfh a couple of days a week) have been looking after her. My sister has to go back into the office so she can only work from home 1 day a week. My sister had asked me to get her something that she can keep her phone in on herself just for safety incase, unlikely but god forbid, she has a fall she has her phone at hand. She was thinking about a bum bag i was thinking of a lanyard type of thing. Any help would be appreciated if someone has had similar issue.

Thanks

Hagar · Tuesday at 11:42

I have a leather case with a pocket clip for my folding doro dumb phone.

Quartz · Tuesday at 11:47

KISS applies: get an emergency button. My mother has one. After a fall your mother may have a broken wrist or arm or concussion so absolute simplicity is a must.

Diddums · Tuesday at 11:55

Quartz said:
KISS applies: get an emergency button. My mother has one. After a fall your mother may have a broken wrist or arm or concussion so absolute simplicity is a must.

This absolutely 100%. You can get them with basic "man down" functions too so if she has a fall, it'll detect it automatically and you'll be notified.

SimonRigga · Tuesday at 11:55

Quartz said:
KISS applies: get an emergency button. My mother has one. After a fall your mother may have a broken wrist or arm or concussion so absolute simplicity is a must.

This ^^^ 500%..

Mysterae_ · Tuesday at 12:01

An Apple watch with it's fall detection might be a good idea. If you have to use a phone then a pouch with a strap to wear it over the neck might be a good idea, but with most things and the elderly they have to remember and or be bothered to put it on.

Hagar · Tuesday at 12:37

Mysterae_ said:
but with most things and the elderly they have to remember and or be bothered to put it on.

A good point and as i am still mobile and steady on my feet, i am hardly ever in contact with my phone. However the emergency button is an excellent solution and i agree. I am 74 in October

Werewolf · Tuesday at 13:22

Quartz said:
KISS applies: get an emergency button. My mother has one. After a fall your mother may have a broken wrist or arm or concussion so absolute simplicity is a must.

Yup

There are some that are quite cheap and work via wifi around the home, then connect to an app you can have on multiple phones, or slightly more expensive that have full GSM capability so use the mobile phone network and can give GPS location as well if out of the house but needs a cheap sim obviously (but is still far cheaper than any of the "monitored" options).

If really worried and the old dear is ok with it, a couple of cheap wifi cameras in the lounge/hall that can be turned on/checked on the phone can also be useful if you can't get someone to check on a pushed alarm quickly without involving the emergency services.
We got my dad a simple pendent button (battery lasts months) a while back, and on the rare occasions there is no one in the house to keep an eye on him over night we'll turn on a camera that covers the hall (and kitchen and downstairs loo door), and another that covers inside the lounge, that way when he triggers the alarm by mistake we can check the camera and see where he is/where his walking frame is. It's saved having to call one of the neighbours or my brother in law to pop in and check on him several times (he has a habit of knocking it hard enough to push the button when pulling a heavy cardigan on or off)..

ZXSpectrum · Tuesday at 13:24

She is still very independent so i can see her not being happy with a button. My sister got her a fitbit for xmas and apparently she can set that up as a fall detection to phone her emergency contact incase of a fall. She normally has her phone on her (for her knitting patterns) unless its on charge so will get her a bum bag for her to keep it in when she is moving about the house and see if thats a good compromise. Oh and they have a couple of blink indoor cameras round the house as well.

Quartz · Tuesday at 13:53

ZXSpectrum said:
She is still very independent so i can see her not being happy with a button.

This is one case where you really should press her.

Finners · Tuesday at 17:35

ZXSpectrum said:
She is still very independent so i can see her not being happy with a button. My sister got her a fitbit for xmas and apparently she can set that up as a fall detection to phone her emergency contact incase of a fall. She normally has her phone on her (for her knitting patterns) unless its on charge so will get her a bum bag for her to keep it in when she is moving about the house and see if thats a good compromise. Oh and they have a couple of blink indoor cameras round the house as well.

Sure there are companies you can rent them from short term so could try and sell it to her it's just until she gets over her operation.

A phone case lanyard round the neck would work to