...being a reverse of the usual.
Seaspray wrote a very long, caring comment about my falls and inadequate provision or use of alarm systems.
I really appreciated all that she wrote. She is also absolutely correct.
However here she comes across the patient, who being a retired nurse and health visitor, knows perfectly well what she ought to be doing but who is too stubborn or proud or both to do it!
All is not quite as bad as it seems.
In each room in my flat and in the residents lounge, the laundry room and every corridor there is a pull cord or push button. The one in my bedroom hangs in reach at the top of the bed. The one in my bathroom is recessed into the vanity unit and is reachable from ground level. All this, plus a pendant alarm.
So, really unless I was knocked unconscious, I am perfectly well covered as regards calling for help.
As long as I am conscious, I refuse to call for help until I am sure that I cannot resolve things myself.
Told you I was too proud and/or too stubborn (or in this case, both).
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3 comments:
Hi Elaine- you do have a lot of call buttons there...which is terrific. And they do afford some peace of mind for you and your loved ones.
My mother has Lifeline and I know I feel better about her being alone since she has it. She spent 33 hours on the floor s/p fall because she didn't have that pendant and the good out of the bad is that she was then willing to get it. Then she told all the people in her building about it. :)
You know as a health care worker that with some illnesses/injuries...time is of the essence or with the heart they say "time is tissue".
If you sustain a broken hip fx from falling...dragging yourself could cause MORE damage.
It is important to have that emergency pendant on at all times because it won't help if it is not accessible in an emergency.
So, we always said to wear it in bed. Even if it went off accidentally the responders will just be glad to know that you are alright and that is preventable now. Wear it in the shower -water proof. Some people take it off when they go out and I said fine but make sure you grab it right inside the door and put it on if you are back inside alone. It just has to be an automatic established habit.
I know how you feel Elaine. We healthcare workers can be the worst. I had sepsis, hydronephrosis and pyelonephritis and refused to let my husband take me to the ER and I work with them and knew better! I thought I had a UTI and got meds from the doc when I was working. i kept telling my husband the Meds just needed time to work.
It took me a day of progressively getting worse until that night I actually thought I was dying and caved and let him take me. I will never do THAT again...says me. :)
You stubborn old donkey you :-)
Independence is a valuable commodity which the younger of us just take for granted much of the time.
Love and hugs from us both.. and please... try not to a) fall over b) get squashed in your car b) anything else that makes your loving familes hair go white/r :-)
Thank you, Seaspray. I do, of course put the pendant alarm on first thing in the morning and remove it last thing at night.
The cord round my neck perplexed my hairdresser, but I always leave it on all day as otherwise I might forget to put it on on my return home.
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