Dear Denise,
I wish there was a way of getting something which would let us know when my grandmother gets up from a nap or in the morning. For instance this morning, she got up before any of us were up, and tried to go outside on her own. My brother leaves very early in the morning, and I don’t want the alarm to go off and wake everyone else up. Do you happen to know if there’s something that would just alert us with her? We were thinking of getting a baby monitor.
Hello,
A few suggestions for you:
–I helped some friends care for a stroke patient (Evie). We used a baby monitor to monitor her while she was sleeping. And, to make sure we heard her when she got up from bed, we tied small bells to her slippers. This worked because she always put her slippers on before getting out of bed. This a low-tech option. 
–Alzheimer’s Store has a motion detector with an alarm; you can learn more here. The store has other products you might find helpful, including a bed pad wireless remote alarms. Look under “Safety” at http://www.alzstore.com
–AMeds also has a floor mat alarm system. They also sell one for chairs.
–If you haven’t already, you can register her with the Alzheimer’s Association Safe Return program; click here for details.
You also can check with your local durable medical supply companies to see if they carry these products. If they do, you can visit the store to see. Medicare has a directory to find stores near you here.
Hi – I just this week found an inexpensive solution to this very problem. My mother has end-stage liver disease and we are waiting on a liver/kidney transplant for her. Her condition makes it such that she is unstable and fall risk, thus I need to know when she gets up in the night. There are products to order: bed alarms, personal alarms, etc., but I needed something in the short term. I bought a wireless door alarm and a baby monitor for under $20.
Blessings.
-Derek
Hi Derek–Perfect! Radio Shack can be a good source for these products. Hope you and your mom are having a good day today.
As mentioned above, a baby monitor is an absolute for any caregiver. I also keey a couple of tools handy for my Father to get to if he needs me.
Another invaluable tool has been a pressure sensitive pad that I keep both on his mattress as well as the recliner that he site it. Anytime he goes to get up, a “BEEP” sounds to let me know. I know I will always hear it because the baby monitor amplifies it. I also use a mechanism similar to one that is used in retail stores. It’s a sensor that emits a laser light to a receiver. If the light is broken (by him crossing it) an alarm sounds. This is a great back up.
Finally, since my Dad would never try to walk without his walker, I never keep it within reach. I always keep his walker in the closet or in his bathroom, out of sight and reach. This way, he must call me in order to get up.
If I relied on just one of these things, I would be let down. But since I have multiple backup, everything works perectly.
Please take this advice. You must assume that your loved one thinks just as clearly and creatively as you do. Apply your ability to think to her. Whenever I develop a plan, I simply ask myself “if I were lying in that bed, how would I make it impossible for me to get up without someone knowing about it?”