My dad lives about 4 hours from me. For now, he wants to stay in his home. He has a caregiver 3XS a week come check on him. Has anyone put in video cameras. I think this is becoming a necessity. Lots of times, I can't reach my dad by phone. I would like something I can view on my phone whenever I need too. Thank you!
You can also use it to talk remotely through the speaker, though the quality is not that good.
Also there is a setting to record just on movement so you don't want to record the whole time. I had them in every room except bathroom (privacy for caregivers). It did ease my mind a lot.
The kitchen one we can see her bedroom door and the bathroom door. We will not put one in her room. I think that's too intrusive.
We also have one in the entrance door of the house. We can see if she exits the house. The door also has an alarm that alerts us via smart phones, if the door opens.
They have been valuable to see what care takers we're doing or should I say, not doing.
We can check on mom when we are out of the house. Giving us piece of mind. I think it's a great idea.
Best Wishes
BSuz.
Can you share the brand you installed? We've reviewed Simplisafe and a few others available through Amazon. We're hoping for wireless since MIL and DILs area of the home is further away from ours. I'm stuck at the too many choices stage.... Knowing someone else who has done pretty much the exact same thing we're looking to do would help me jump to the "just order the darn things" stage. ;)
Marcia22, thank you for asking this question!!
The cameras saved my Dad’s life last year as we could tell he was in distress..just not acting right…not eating or drinking all day and not walking well, although on the phone he said he was ‘just fine’….turned out he was in kidney failure and spent one week in the hospital.
We live 30 min away and have hide a keys outside at his place for emergency personnel if he needs immediate assistance and can’t get to the door.
These cameras are the only way we can keep him living ‘independently’ in his apartment home where he’s lived over 65 years. We took his car so no more driving ( he got lost coming to my home of 20 years) and We’re lucky he doesn’t wander. I did put life 360 on his cell phone but he doesn’t usually remember to take it with him when he takes a short walk so I also put a tile in his wallet, cane and keychain.
I know there will come a time he’ll have to be moved but honestly I dread it as I feel he will decline even more rapidly in an unfamiliar place. These cameras not only are keeping him in the place he loves but also give me a little freedom and peace of mind since his mind isn’t as reliable as it used to be.
WYZE is easy to set up, has an easy to use App and is small and unobtrusive.
No cameras were placed in the bathroom for privacy.
All caregivers were told about the cameras but we did not sign a notification.
We purchased inexpensive ones from Amazon but I am sure they are everywhere. My aunt's are "Nest". Sorry I cannot remember mom's brand.
It was wonderful. Not only cameras, but also sensors. So I would get an alert on my phone when the front door opened, or when someone went through the kitchen, etc. It logged all these events so you could review them. Also you could set up camera events to record when things happened. For example, I had a camera that showed the living room and front door. If the front door opened, not only did I get an alert, but it also recorded 30 seconds of video. The videos were kept for about 2 weeks in the system. So you could go back and review who was coming/going out the front door. It also had an alert, so in addition to the thing she wore around her neck, I could also initiate an alert from my phone that would call the ambulance. I used it a couple of times. Once when she fell, I got a phone alert, checked the video, saw she was down and initiated an ambulance call to her place directly from my phone.
Since I live about a thousand miles away and my Mom didn't have full time round the clock caregivers, it was a terrific system. I used it for about 2 years until my Mom finally got worse and I had to put her in a nursing home.
The system we had was $50/month, so not the cheapest thing. But well worth it and many more features and options than a ring or something similar.
Initially one was set up on her entryway, and another in upstairs hallway so that her privacy would not be compromised. We did see her, and authorized people entering, so we knew it was working.
Later we relocated the one camera in the living room, so we could see the front door. That's when we actually saw her fall when getting up from the sofa and difficulty getting up, which she completely denied ever happened. She had fallen other times previously and had broken bones or had facial bruising, but there was always a rational explanation from her.
Now she's in a community system that prohibits the use of cameras explicitly in their contract. Sometimes we wish we could view what's been happening because we can only learn what they say, and possibly not the entire story of what happens in the day to day in her room.
We’re 20m away and have cameras for safety monitoring through her home security system (Vivant - but there are others). She had the system already since Dad passed and she was living alone. We added cameras as dementia progressed. System alerts to doors open / closed, and activity at door bell (like ring) as well as through stand alone plug in cameras. We place in strategic locations - very wide angle lenses - Living room, stairwell, kitchen and den. We get notifications based on what is needed for safety monitoring - to back up 24/7 personal care / companion and can view convos as needed. Comes in handy for her safety, my peace of mind and is helpful to know :
- when she was left alone on the stoop, (can save specific clips as needed)
- if she brought the newspaper / mail in the house
- when we had a brief gap at switch time between weekday and weekend caregiver
- when she has visitors to prompt convo later
- when she said aid was being mean and wasn’t
- when she doesn’t hear the door bell (I call her to answer)
- when she left the phone off the hook - (can speak remotely through camera speaker)
Helps keep an eye on entering and exiting. Also have new hearing aids with geolocation so they can be found via iPhone app when misplaced.
We also use Life 360 (free phone app) for family geolocation by cell phone and have tiles for keeping track of items. Yes, my phone bleeps - but its all adjustable to meet family needs.
In some states you need both persons consent to record audio. Check your State.
If this is not going to record there is no problem.
There are some where you can have 2 way communication.
There are now many options for cameras.
And I found out that if there is "Alexa" you can "drop in" and monitor. It is a 2 way intercom so you could communicate with the other person.
I have a camera faced towards the door. Should my mother leave, which so far, so good, Mom hasn't wandered, when the door opens a text goes off and I can see any activity on my phone.
I don't leave mother that often but I expect the best but plan for the worst.
Your internet/phone carrier can install this. I pay about $20 per month plus the initial cost of the camera.
For me, it is piece of mind. If I go to the pool on the premises and I hear a bing on my phone, I check it. One time maintenance came to fix something, the bing went off and I phoned mother. She felt secure.
It's a small investment but necessary.
Also, mother has a button (necklace) that she can push, not necessarily just for an ambulance but the speaker in the dwelling will come on and say to do you need help, mother can say please call my daughter on her cell.
Mother has Lewy Body Dementia and everyday is different. But, I have to have these things in place, for example, locked pill boxes, just in case.
You need to protect your loved one's. There's all kinds of stuff out there these days. Probably other people on the forum have some good advice too.
Also if your dad has a reliable neighbor, I would kiss up and ask for their assistance. Now and then a grocery card, Christmas gift, you get it. Someone right next door. The Church people are good at this.
One of my friends had her dad go to a day respite and loves it. He is picked up in the morning and he calls it the Club. He fell at home and couldn't be left alone.
You need someone next door that can check in and do a wellness check on a daily basis.
they really give peace of mind when you are far away( 6.5-7 hours away)
we also use a baby monitor as her caregiver is in the apartment downstairs.
falls, telemarketers or is she eating, and lately she waits for her caregiver to leave gets dressed and goes for a walk. I am all for the exercise but we worry the day will come she will get lost. Mother is in denial, cannot reason with her at all, refuses to tell anyone where or when she leaves. This is only one of the struggles we are dealing with but the cameras have helped to keep her safe and certainly gives me comfort that I am doing all I can . Pills, bills, meals and wheels. Allowing them to age in place as long as possible safely. Good luck
One blink camera in her living room, one covering the floor towards her bedroom and master bathroom without invading her privacy.
She was grateful for the technology because it made her feel safe and connected to the world. She knew that if she would fall we’d knew and would rush to help her/check on her of course.
She had a wonderful caregiver, but only for 5 hours a day and 4 days a week. The cams were set up with privacy areas as well (you can do that in the motion detector settings) and for us 3 it was a great tool to help my old mom.
They worked great as I could just pull them up on my phone and check on him. Mine are the older ones that only had one way voice, but they now make them with 2 way voice so you can talk to him and he can talk to you as well.
They are fairly inexpensive, and you can order them online.