Q: We have been noticing some memory loss in my mom for about the past year.
She denies any problem and will not bring up the issue with her physician, and we are not able to convince her that she needs to talk to her doctor or make any changes.
She lives alone, not far from family but she is alone in her apartment and we worry about what might happen.
My siblings and I have talked about LifeLine or some kind of emergency system, but with her memory loss I am not sure she would remember to wear the device or push the button if she needed assistance. Is there anything that might help? (From a son in Racine.)
A: Your concern is valid. Many individuals resist sharing information with their doctor because they don’t want to hear “bad news,” especially if they feel there is no treatment or it might mean they would no longer be able to live independently.
There are new ways to provide some reassurance for you and your siblings.
A newer version of home monitoring systems might be useful. Normally, when someone has something like LifeLine and they fall and cannot reach a phone, they must push a button to activate the emergency response system.
In newer versions, a special sensor is in the unit that is worn by the person which will sense if a fall has occurred, then if the button has not been pushed within a certain amount of time, it will activate the emergency response on its own.
This might work for your mother if you feel she would wear the device. If you think there would be problems with her remembering to put the device on, there are more sophisticated devices that can sense activities in the home.
For example, getting out of bed, opening the refrigerator, or using the bathroom are generally performed at similar times during the day. Deviations from or absence of these activities will activate the emergency response.
These are some small steps that you might be able to convince your mother to take to make you feel better about her safety. The bottom line is to try and persuade her to speak with her doctor and get some kind of diagnosis.
If she does have a type of dementia, there may be some medication that can slow the progression of the disease. That would allow her to remain living at home longer.
To obtain more information about the kind of emergency response systems mentioned above, you may contact the local senior center, a home health medical equipment supply store, or your local hospital.
Ask for information on home emergency response systems — sometimes if you say something like “LifeLine” they will better understand what you need.
Jean Mueller has been a registered nurse for over 30 years. Her experience includes working in home care settings, skilled nursing care, and training individuals to become certified nursing assistants. For the past 13 years she has worked in the Aging Services department of the Madison Diocese Catholic Charities.