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I don’t think it will be useful to him or particularly helpful to you. I have one and it has a lot of complicated apps etc that I can’t use or figure out why I would want to. It is great for assisting with GPS when driving and telling the time. I would recommend getting a medical alert device that tracks his whereabouts and is easy to activate. There is two way communication with some - like Lively. My dad had one. Just couldn’t get him to wear it.
I agree that an AD patient should not be left alone for long periods of time. Your DH may not think he needs anyone to stay with him, but his judgement is affected by AD, especially if he suffers from anosognosia, the inability to recognize his own deficits.
Maybe sign up for a Life Alert service IF you know he'll wear the pendant. My mom refused to wear her call button in AL because she suffered from anosognosia, but at least she was in AL where caregivers were present constantly. She still managed to fall constantly though. It is particularly difficult to get thru to a loved one with dementia on any topic, I know. You get to call the shots now though, not DH. Decide how to proceed and it's unfortunate if DH is upset about your decision. His safety is #1.
"... I can leave him for 2-3 hours by himself and I am comfortable with that because I am nearby. As the holidays approach I want to be able to be away for longer periods of time by traveling to locations two hours away. He is adamant that he doesn’t need a caregiver while I am away. I was thinking that if he fell while I was gone the watch could help get someone to help him. I was wondering if there were others features where it would be helpful."
We don't have any context for how progressed his ALZ is. I live in MN and every winter there are seniors who wander outside and die of hyperthermia within 15 minutes (or faster since they have less body fat to protect them). It only takes one time for a tragedy. It may be the first time it ever happens. Also, if you drive 2 hours away, this means 2 hours back, so at least 4 hours in total, right?
If you can arrange for a buddy, or neighbor or acquaintance to take him out for "errands" on the days you need 2-3 hours, even if you had to hire a male caregiver, IMO this would be a better and safer option. You tell him the aid is *for you* to do light housework and food prep and to run errands with him. Nonetheless he doesn't get to drive the bus now. It doesn't matter that he is resisting this solution because you know it is irrational.
A way smaller investment would be to get some AirTags and the clips or leatherette straps and attach it to a pant loops. Use your iPhone to track him. The iwatch is going to be too challenging for him.
if you order AirTags as a group of 4 from Apple, in the past they did free engraving. If dad’s name is Tom, Don, Jim, type of short name, personally, I’d have his name engraved on it.
I think it's a great idea. Make sure you can track the device by GPS. It doesn't matter how many functions he understands how to use. It can't hurt. He may even enjoy it. You can track health metrics, which is a benefit whether he knows how to use all the features or not.
Since you live with him, I think it’ll be a good tool. You’ll be the one charging it up and placing it in his wrist each day. He can even wear it in the shower.
You'll be able to track his whereabouts and if he falls and doesn’t immediately get up, a countdown will begin that will initiate both an emergency phone call as well as an alert sent to you.
I’d recommend one with the cellular GPS. That way, it’s not necessary for him to have a smartphone on him. There will be a small monthly fee for the cellular GPS version.
I’d couple the watch with some cameras that can help you watch over him.
I doubt the watch will be helpful to him beyond seeing the time. But it’ll be helpful for YOU. And there may be other watches out there that’ll perform in a similar way.
We have Apple Watches. That includes my 89-yo dad. His wife had dementia. She wore an Apple Watch because she had a history of falling in the middle of the night. Her wearing the watch when she couldn’t be under his direct supervision was very helpful.
Why on Earth would you want to get some complicated technology that a person with Alzheimer's will forget or not understand how to use? In addition, they will take it off and forget where they put it. It will be lost, and now you have lost several hundred dollars.
A better investment would be an Alzheimers Clock. These clocks show the time, day, and date, and other messages, in large letters. And, you can use it to set multiple medication alarms.
I bought an Apple Watch in 2021 when I developed AFIB so I could track my Heart Rate. I can also check my Blood Oxygen level, etc. I set it up so it shows both the time AND my heart rate on the screen all the time. However - the HR display is very small, and can be hard to read - but it works for me. (I wear glasses, and can’t make out what it says without them on). The watch “thumps” my wrist when my heart rate increases above a normal level (that I set). If I suddenly stagger or make some sharp movement, it triggers a FALL alert SOS. I then have to answer the “Apple has detected a fall. Did you fall?” question (yes or no). If you don’t answer in time, it sends an automatic SOS to local rescue authorities and to my to Niece (who has recently retired 6 states away, but at least she will know). Thank God I have always answered “NO” so far. (Interestingly, my only actual hard fall occurred at night. I had fallen asleep in my recliner, woke up about 2am to go the bed. My watch had run down and needed charging. I preface this by saying I never just stand up and walk. I have had lots of orthopedic surgeries and walk with a cane, so I always get my bearings first. I stood up until I felt awake, turned off the tv and lamp, then headed toward the bedroom. I passed out and fell into my kitchen face first (at least I missed the stairs!). I came to later about 3 inches from the fridge. I had cleared the bookcase on my way down, so there were books, a clock, etc on the floor with me. I made sure I wasn’t hurt and got myself up, and went to the bathroom to check for damage. The side of my face was purple with a black eye for over a month. I had an evulsion tear to the skin on my elbow from the carpet-to-linoleum connector, and my leg and knee were bruised from landing on my cane. My watch was of no help. I saw my doctor same day. No broken bones, and he patched up my elbow). All my other less traumatic falls have occurred when I was not wearing the the watch, or I answered “No” to the “did you fall” questions.
The watch has to be put on a charger every day, or it ‘winds down’ and stops working. I always charge it fully overnight. Also, the watch’s useful life declines as it gets older (just like us). I get the “you have 10% battery life remaining” msg much more often than I used to, which can be frustrating. I now have a watch charger in my car, in my bedroom, and in my living room, and just plug it in several times throughout the day to ensure it keeps working and is ready to go if I decide to go out to grocery shop, go to church, out with friends, etc. Yes - I know I need to replace it, and I will, but they’re expensive. Maybe it will be my Christmas. Also, my watch is paired with my iPhone. I’m not even sure how they work without one(?). Oh, and they don’t like water. Your father would have to remember to take it off to shower or bathe, and then put it back on.
My point is that the watch is way too complicated and ‘needy’ for someone with mental decline of any type. You are concerned if he falls, and I get that. However, he would not be able to reply to the “Did you fall?” scenario. Local authorities could be called out for all the trips or other sudden movements that don’t result in a fall, simply because he can’t respond to the watch’s questions. That can add up financially.
I would think, if you want some kind of monitoring system for him, a simple fall alert mechanism that notifies a managed monitoring site - who then calls you and/or an ambulance - would be a better choice. They also make watches, lanyards, etc and may be easier for your father to use. They require a subscription service, but no charging required, and someone verbally asks your father if he fell. I think that would be easier on him, assuming he can reply yes/no to the operator who calls him over the device.
National Council on Aging has a recent article on this: https://www.ncoa.org/article/apple-watch-as-medical-alert-system-what-to-know/ I think it’s important to know what each device offers and what it doesn’t, how it needs to be managed, etc. I live alone and wanted something only for fall detection (eases my children’s minds too!), Since I already use an iPhone, Apple watch SE seemed the best choice for me. For a partner with dementia, there would be a lot more to consider. If he would keep it on, and if there was someone to make sure it got charged daily, that might be worth it to you.
I am not sure it is true that no call would be made if there is any movement after the initial alarm (stated by another commenter). My instructions say that if I don’t dismiss within 30 seconds, it will call EMS and notify my contacts.
Since he is living with you so you can charge the watch, and if he will wear it the watch could greatly benefit your freedom. It sounded like a good idea.
An Apple Watch for someone with Alzheimer's is not a good idea. His brain is broken and cannot learn how to use this technology. The watch requires daily recharging too, so without its working battery, the GPS will not work.
Happy to share our experience with our FIL. He would have been totally overwhelmed by the Apple Watch, but we were also concerned about him falling when nobody was around to help him. He would also not wear a medical alert pendant.
A BIG caveat regarding the Apple Watch that nobody seems to talk about: If a wearer falls and is not entirely immobile for an entire minute, the auto fall detection activation to 911 is disabled. That really concerned us - we could envision him falling and being dazed and spasming and then the Apple Watch would do nothing.
What did we do, we got him a medical alert watch. After a bunch of research, including on Wirecutter, we chose the Kanega Watch. Fall detection has worked multiple times as advertised and, equally important, he doesn't have to take it off to recharge (the watch tells him when he needs to swap out the rechargeable batteries).
All in all, this product has given us a ton of peace of mind. That said, do your own research (the Kanega Watch seems like the best in the industry, but it is not cheap) and I hope you find a solution that gives you similar peace of mind when you are away.
Yes, an Apple watch is too complicated for a person with Alzheimer's and will be a spectacular waste of good money getting them one.
Instead of cameras and an Apple watch to elder-sit your LO, hire an actual human caregiver/companion to do it. You'll get resistance and complaining no doubt, but do it anyway. Tell your LO that you've hired someone (at your expense because seniors will complain endlessly about having to pay for anything) to come in and clean for you during the holidays while you get other stuff done. Also, so your LO can go shopping or to appointments, etc... Allow no discussion on it.
When the caregiver/companion comes to work their hours, you be there the first shift and the three of you get to know each other. Then you go. I did this kind of work for 25 years and am now in the business of it. Trust me, the right caregiver/companion will become a friend in time if they're good at their job and if they are the personality type that can keep a situation well in hand. You'll see.
If your LO is getting to the point where they cannot be left alone at all, you should probably start looking at memory care facilities and get them on some waiting lists.
I’d say no. I have had one for maybe 6 years now? I’m tech saavy and don’t find it as easy to use as I think it should be. I use it to tell time and to occasionally track a work out or get an alert about a message that goes to my phone. Is that worth the cost? Probably not. It’s heavy and bulky enough that I don’t wear it unless I have a reason to. My parents (dad had dementia, mom has helplessness) weren’t able to figure out the jitterbug smart phone with a lot of hands on training by me. My dad used a computer before dementia. I still have some of his emails …. It seems easy enough, there’s just one button after all, but if it were good for this purpose I think Apple would be marketing it as such and we’d all be buying them for our elderly parents! Save your money. If you have one of your own, put it on your person and see how they react to it / if they’re curious about it. There is also the matter of it needing to be charged pretty much every night.
Hello kartyjb..From my experience w dementia parents, I would suggest putting momentum cameras around the house, then you can view him on your phone..
I tried phones, land lines, med alert, all to no avail..Mom would take off med alert, then could not find it..Dad managed a flip phone for a couple of months then lost his ability to use it..
I do hope this helps..I would do Momentum for myself, when my time comes, & tell my kids to go have fun-live their Life! 🙏🏼 to you & all..
I am curious for safety sake. I can leave him for 2-3 hours by himself and I am comfortable with that because I am nearby. As the holidays approach I want to be able to be away for longer periods of time by traveling to locations two hours away. He is adamant that he doesn’t need a caregiver while I am away. I was thinking that if he fell while I was gone the watch could help get someone to help him. I was wondering if there were others features where it would be helpful.
There are reasons you might want an Apple smartwatch, but don't expect someone with dementia to be able to use it.
My DH, who has dementia, had hearing aids that were adjusted through an app on his Apple phone. Pairing an Apple watch with his phone provided another way of monitoring his hearing aids, but he couldn't do it. I had to,
The smartwatch also had features that checked his blood oxygen, heartbeat, and recorded an ECG. We used those, but he couldn't learn how. It was also a tracker, so when he wandered I was able to find him. When he fell, the watch asked him if he was okay, and it notified me that he'd fallen. That was very helpful. If he hadn't been okay, the watch would have called 911 to come to his location.
I have the exact same model smartwatch, so I could communicate with him through our watches. All in all, it's a wonderful tool, but I'm the one who had to respond to it, set it, turn it off when there was a false alarm, etc. He never could learn how to operate any part of it but enjoyed the pretty pictures on its face.
I found it helpful for both of us to have one. It was an important part of my caregiver's kit at a time when his dementia was developing fast and I needed all the help I could get.
I completely agree with this post. If you are familiar with Apple products it is a great help. If they are comfortable with apple products even the better. My 85 year old mother uses her Apple Watch to answer the phone and see who is texting her and if it is important. She then reads the text on her phone. The biggest thing is she likes to walk in her garden and has fallen. You can’t see her from the road. When she fell the watch asked her if she was ok. We had it set up to call me and she let it. I was able to contact a neighbor to help her. She has also used the Hey Siri on the watch to text and call me. She wears it all the time and charges it while she is in the shower. I have it set up with the find my app so that I can locate her even if she forgets her cell phone. It is very dependent on your ability with apple items and the seniors ability. Could be great but might be frustrating. My in-laws are also mid eighties and have the watches but only wear them for falls and location. They are not as good at integrating it into their use of their phones. Being in a different state than them I am appreciative of the location and fall alerts and feel that is worth every penny. All 3 are rather independent. My father with Alzheimer’s would not be a candidate for using an Apple Watch as it would just frustrate him.
Chances are they will forget why they have it on in the first place and will either remove and misplace it or just not remember to put it on.
A person with cognitive decline can't even remember how to work appliances that they've used for decades. They won't be able to learn something new, especially technological.
I got my Aunt one of those medical alert pendants to wear around her neck and it usually wound up in the basket of her walker or she'd take it off before shower so it wouldn't get wet. I cancelled the service. She didn't even have dementia.
What is your goal with the Apple Watch? To tell time? There are other less complicated watches. To make a phone call? Can they use a regular cell phone? A "smartphone"? How good is the eye sight? I sometimes have problems seeing my phone if the font mysteriously gets smaller (after an "update") the watch is much more difficult to see. Has this person used Apple products before? I have to tell you I have tried. I am an Android, I have never been able to use Apple.
If it is for tracking them there are other ways to track someone.
I am used to my Apple phone and when I tried an Apple Watch with the intention of giving it to my mother and I found it confusing! To top it off it is small enough that if she tried to do pretty much anything on it she would have problems even seeing the buttons or keys, let alone being able to use the keyboard. I ended up buying my mother a RAZ phone which is made for people with disabilities.
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For discerning morning from evening, we tried a 7day, AM/PM, 24hour clock which didn't work out very well for us.
Maybe sign up for a Life Alert service IF you know he'll wear the pendant. My mom refused to wear her call button in AL because she suffered from anosognosia, but at least she was in AL where caregivers were present constantly. She still managed to fall constantly though. It is particularly difficult to get thru to a loved one with dementia on any topic, I know. You get to call the shots now though, not DH. Decide how to proceed and it's unfortunate if DH is upset about your decision. His safety is #1.
Best of luck to you.
Below you wrote,
"... I can leave him for 2-3 hours by himself and I am comfortable with that because I am nearby. As the holidays approach I want to be able to be away for longer periods of time by traveling to locations two hours away. He is adamant that he doesn’t need a caregiver while I am away. I was thinking that if he fell while I was gone the watch could help get someone to help him. I was wondering if there were others features where it would be helpful."
We don't have any context for how progressed his ALZ is. I live in MN and every winter there are seniors who wander outside and die of hyperthermia within 15 minutes (or faster since they have less body fat to protect them). It only takes one time for a tragedy. It may be the first time it ever happens. Also, if you drive 2 hours away, this means 2 hours back, so at least 4 hours in total, right?
If you can arrange for a buddy, or neighbor or acquaintance to take him out for "errands" on the days you need 2-3 hours, even if you had to hire a male caregiver, IMO this would be a better and safer option. You tell him the aid is *for you* to do light housework and food prep and to run errands with him. Nonetheless he doesn't get to drive the bus now. It doesn't matter that he is resisting this solution because you know it is irrational.
I wish you success in working something out.
if you order AirTags as a group of 4 from Apple, in the past they did free engraving. If dad’s name is Tom, Don, Jim, type of short name, personally, I’d have his name engraved on it.
It doesn't matter how many functions he understands how to use. It can't hurt.
He may even enjoy it. You can track health metrics, which is a benefit whether he knows how to use all the features or not.
You'll be able to track his whereabouts and if he falls and doesn’t immediately get up, a countdown will begin that will initiate both an emergency phone call as well as an alert sent to you.
I’d recommend one with the cellular GPS. That way, it’s not necessary for him to have a smartphone on him. There will be a small monthly fee for the cellular GPS version.
I’d couple the watch with some cameras that can help you watch over him.
I doubt the watch will be helpful to him beyond seeing the time. But it’ll be helpful for YOU. And there may be other watches out there that’ll perform in a similar way.
We have Apple Watches. That includes my 89-yo dad. His wife had dementia. She wore an Apple Watch because she had a history of falling in the middle of the night. Her wearing the watch when she couldn’t be under his direct supervision was very helpful.
In addition, they will take it off and forget where they put it. It will be lost, and now you have lost several hundred dollars.
A better investment would be an Alzheimers Clock. These clocks show the time, day, and date, and other messages, in large letters. And, you can use it to set multiple medication alarms.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01B6VE408/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_plhdr=t&aaxitk=2adf79f42af6b50ad16aefcb3fc61dfa&hsa_cr_id=5275018030001&qid=1761516560&sr=1-3-9e67e56a-6f64-441f-a281-df67fc737124&ref_=sbx_be_s_sparkle_dlcd_asin_2_img&pd_rd_w=o3DMb&content-id=amzn1.sym.9f2b2b9e-47e9-4764-a4dc-2be2f6fca36d%3Aamzn1.sym.9f2b2b9e-47e9-4764-a4dc-2be2f6fca36d&pf_rd_p=9f2b2b9e-47e9-4764-a4dc-2be2f6fca36d&pf_rd_r=V65X5KW2K5384SGA44XK&pd_rd_wg=zyzJO&pd_rd_r=15114217-0c74-49fc-8f8b-1d920cd973ff&th=1
The watch has to be put on a charger every day, or it ‘winds down’ and stops working. I always charge it fully overnight. Also, the watch’s useful life declines as it gets older (just like us). I get the “you have 10% battery life remaining” msg much more often than I used to, which can be frustrating. I now have a watch charger in my car, in my bedroom, and in my living room, and just plug it in several times throughout the day to ensure it keeps working and is ready to go if I decide to go out to grocery shop, go to church, out with friends, etc. Yes - I know I need to replace it, and I will, but they’re expensive. Maybe it will be my Christmas. Also, my watch is paired with my iPhone. I’m not even sure how they work without one(?). Oh, and they don’t like water. Your father would have to remember to take it off to shower or bathe, and then put it back on.
My point is that the watch is way too complicated and ‘needy’ for someone with mental decline of any type. You are concerned if he falls, and I get that. However, he would not be able to reply to the “Did you fall?” scenario. Local authorities could be called out for all the trips or other sudden movements that don’t result in a fall, simply because he can’t respond to the watch’s questions. That can add up financially.
I would think, if you want some kind of monitoring system for him, a simple fall alert mechanism that notifies a managed monitoring site - who then calls you and/or an ambulance - would be a better choice. They also make watches, lanyards, etc and may be easier for your father to use. They require a subscription service, but no charging required, and someone verbally asks your father if he fell. I think that would be easier on him, assuming he can reply yes/no to the operator who calls him over the device.
i wish you luck on your quest.
I think it’s important to know what each device offers and what it doesn’t, how it needs to be managed, etc. I live alone and wanted something only for fall detection (eases my children’s minds too!), Since I already use an iPhone, Apple watch SE seemed the best choice for me. For a partner with dementia, there would be a lot more to consider. If he would keep it on, and if there was someone to make sure it got charged daily, that might be worth it to you.
I am not sure it is true that no call would be made if there is any movement after the initial alarm (stated by another commenter). My instructions say that if I don’t dismiss within 30 seconds, it will call EMS and notify my contacts.
A BIG caveat regarding the Apple Watch that nobody seems to talk about: If a wearer falls and is not entirely immobile for an entire minute, the auto fall detection activation to 911 is disabled. That really concerned us - we could envision him falling and being dazed and spasming and then the Apple Watch would do nothing.
What did we do, we got him a medical alert watch. After a bunch of research, including on Wirecutter, we chose the Kanega Watch. Fall detection has worked multiple times as advertised and, equally important, he doesn't have to take it off to recharge (the watch tells him when he needs to swap out the rechargeable batteries).
All in all, this product has given us a ton of peace of mind. That said, do your own research (the Kanega Watch seems like the best in the industry, but it is not cheap) and I hope you find a solution that gives you similar peace of mind when you are away.
Instead of cameras and an Apple watch to elder-sit your LO, hire an actual human caregiver/companion to do it. You'll get resistance and complaining no doubt, but do it anyway. Tell your LO that you've hired someone (at your expense because seniors will complain endlessly about having to pay for anything) to come in and clean for you during the holidays while you get other stuff done. Also, so your LO can go shopping or to appointments, etc... Allow no discussion on it.
When the caregiver/companion comes to work their hours, you be there the first shift and the three of you get to know each other. Then you go. I did this kind of work for 25 years and am now in the business of it. Trust me, the right caregiver/companion will become a friend in time if they're good at their job and if they are the personality type that can keep a situation well in hand. You'll see.
If your LO is getting to the point where they cannot be left alone at all, you should probably start looking at memory care facilities and get them on some waiting lists.
I tried phones, land lines, med alert, all to no avail..Mom would take off med alert, then could not find it..Dad managed a flip phone for a couple of months then lost his ability to use it..
I do hope this helps..I would do Momentum for myself, when my time comes, & tell my kids to go have fun-live their Life! 🙏🏼 to you & all..
My DH, who has dementia, had hearing aids that were adjusted through an app on his Apple phone. Pairing an Apple watch with his phone provided another way of monitoring his hearing aids, but he couldn't do it. I had to,
The smartwatch also had features that checked his blood oxygen, heartbeat, and recorded an ECG. We used those, but he couldn't learn how. It was also a tracker, so when he wandered I was able to find him. When he fell, the watch asked him if he was okay, and it notified me that he'd fallen. That was very helpful. If he hadn't been okay, the watch would have called 911 to come to his location.
I have the exact same model smartwatch, so I could communicate with him through our watches. All in all, it's a wonderful tool, but I'm the one who had to respond to it, set it, turn it off when there was a false alarm, etc. He never could learn how to operate any part of it but enjoyed the pretty pictures on its face.
I found it helpful for both of us to have one. It was an important part of my caregiver's kit at a time when his dementia was developing fast and I needed all the help I could get.
It is very dependent on your ability with apple items and the seniors ability. Could be great but might be frustrating.
My in-laws are also mid eighties and have the watches but only wear them for falls and location. They are not as good at integrating it into their use of their phones. Being in a different state than them I am appreciative of the location and fall alerts and feel that is worth every penny.
All 3 are rather independent. My father with Alzheimer’s would not be a candidate for using an Apple Watch as it would just frustrate him.
Chances are they will forget why they have it on in the first place and will either remove and misplace it or just not remember to put it on.
A person with cognitive decline can't even remember how to work appliances that they've used for decades. They won't be able to learn something new, especially technological.
I got my Aunt one of those medical alert pendants to wear around her neck and it usually wound up in the basket of her walker or she'd take it off before shower so it wouldn't get wet. I cancelled the service. She didn't even have dementia.
To tell time? There are other less complicated watches.
To make a phone call? Can they use a regular cell phone? A "smartphone"?
How good is the eye sight? I sometimes have problems seeing my phone if the font mysteriously gets smaller (after an "update") the watch is much more difficult to see.
Has this person used Apple products before? I have to tell you I have tried. I am an Android, I have never been able to use Apple.
If it is for tracking them there are other ways to track someone.
I ended up buying my mother a RAZ phone which is made for people with disabilities.