Overview

As our loved ones’ age, balancing independence and safety becomes increasingly important. Jess, an elderly woman living with mixed dementia, is no exception. She values her independence and prefers to live alone, but her condition is steadily impacting her memory and cognition. She has a daughter, Mary, who lives some distance away but visits her mother twice weekly.

Concerned about her mother’s health and safety, Mary had previously chosen a package for her that had a pendant alarm. However, due to Jess’s condition, she often forgot to press it. One day, after a fall on her porch, Jess waited for someone to find her, not remembering the alarm she was wearing. For Mary, the incident was a clear signal that more support was needed. Yet, she found traditional systems like wired alarms or cameras intrusive and intolerable, keeping in mind her mother’s condition and had concerns about her privacy.

Solution

A social prescriber from the East Riding of Yorkshire Council recommended Beanbag Care system to monitor Jess’s wellbeing. Known for its flexibility and discreet nature, the Beanbag Care system can be customised to suit individual needs. This customisation allowed Mary to specifically choose fall detection, sleep monitoring and comfort services for her mother.

Fortunately, Jess did not fall after the service was installed in her house, but Mary was assured that in case Jess fell again, she would receive an alert, allowing her to reach her mother in time. However, Mary did receive some good insights into her mother’s life and was able to address potential issues before they became serious health concerns.

Recognising distress via sleep analysis: With the sleep monitoring service, Mary could easily track her mother’s sleeping pattern. On one occasion, when Jess’s cat had passed away, she had a sleepless night. It was clear that she was very distressed. The next morning, Mary checked the sleep analysis through the responder app and saw that Jess had left her bed multiple times throughout the night. The pattern revealed more than just a restless night—it was a sign of deep distress.

Understanding how much the loss had affected her mother, Mary knew this was a time when Jess needed extra support. She decided to visit her mother and support her during this emotional time.

Providing warmth and comfort remotely: Mary was alerted to a very low temperature in Jess’s house one night by the system. It was possibly lowered by Jess. The app showed Mary that her mother was already in bed. Fortunately, the app indicated that Jess was sleeping soundly and hadn’t yet become uncomfortable.

Even though Jess seemed fine, Mary didn’t want to take any chances. Using the app, she remotely adjusted the temperature to a safer level, ensuring her mother stayed warm and comfortable throughout the night.

Outcome

Mary is happy with our assisted living system. She feels reassured knowing that her mother is safe, and if she falls, the system will alert Mary to take quick action.

The ability to monitor her mother remotely has been invaluable, especially with features like temperature alerts that help prevent potential health issues. Mary appreciates how the system’s proactive approach supports Jess’s wellbeing and ensures she remains safe and comfortable, even from afar.

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