Thanks Ken. I got the no numbers part, but the short range is an issue. The neighbor I was referring to lives across the street and one house to the left. My truck odometer measures the distance as 9/10 of a mile, so 600' is kind of short.

I'm worried about him driving his 30 yr old truck (chevy) through the fields and it stalling or not re-starting and it being too far for him to walk if the weather is bad (Texas summer heat).

 

Yeah, I certainly understand...FL is brutal in the summer... i can't imagine TX being any better...probably worse. Not sure any medical alert type device would address that distance.
There you go...maybe ya can invent the "next big thing" in medical alerts...

 

Talk to your cellular telephone provider. Or if you're not hooked up with a specific one already, talk to all of them.

There are a number of cell phones that are made for kids or elderly adults that have just a few large buttons that can be pre-programmed to dial numbers. They should work just about anywhere. I don't know this for sure, but I imagine any of the major carriers will sell them. They just don't usually advertise them, you have to ask.

For example, this one appears to work with Verizon, but I'm sure there are others...

Amazon.com: LG Migo Verizon VX1000 Mobile Child Phone: Electronics

 

Thanks Dave...I'll check it out!!!

 

The " Jitterbug " is a cell phone made specifically for adults, with large buttons and the availability of programming numbers into the phone for speed dialing.

 

Just remember that when you dial 911 from a cell... it does NOT give dispatch your address. And this is not NICS...and 911 can NOT triangulate your position...ect.
This is local government...and the best thing to do is put the address in large print on the cell phone that your giving to your family member. Dispatch will ask them where they are calling from...they can read it off of the phone this way.
Just a heads up.

 

We are in NE Pennsylvania, where 911 can triangulate your address via GPS from your cell phone. In fact, Saturday a hiker got lost in the woods, called 911 for help at about 8:30PM, and was out of the woods within an hour.

 

This leads me into my next "big thing" and a common problem out there today...medical history...medications, and patient information.

Let's face it...we go out in this world as we came into it... in a diaper...and with a memory that last's 3 minutes.

Do your family member a favor...and put together an information sheet with all the pertinent information for responding Emergency personnel.
recently (here) the new protocol states "bring patient medications to the emergency room".
why...usually because there is poor documentation of medicines that the patient is on...and usually the elderly hang on to everything they have been prescribed over the past 10 years....so trying to get an adequate history from "Mrs Smith" is marginal at best.

I would be lying if I said that medications never get lost...tossed...or the like...when they are taken from the home to the emergency department....it happens.

SO...the best alternative is to put together a medical data sheet for each person in the home...and then this information would be put on the refrigerator...back of the front door...ect.

The information sheet should look something like this.... keep it on your PC...and when completed...print off plenty of them...and update any time there is a change.


Name:

Age:

DOB:

medical history:

Past medical history:

Medications:

Allergies:

Primary Doctor:

Emergency contact information:

Primary contact (home)
(cell)

Secondary contact (home)
(cell)

Hospital of choice:

DNR: y/n
(provide valid DNR)

Power of attorney y/n
(provide "POT" info/paperwork)

Living will y/n
(provide info regarding)

Do not put SS# on this...or insurance information on this.... my rationale is...
Most likely the family member this is for...has been to the local hospital before...when and if your family member has been transported to the hospital...let the EMS people get it there.
This avoids "Joe the plumber" getting any identity information from your family member.

 

This is a great point...I spoke with a local EMS Dispatcher..she confirmed that...at this time...they are not able to triangulate a location for a cell phone easily. It can be done...but it takes upwards of 20 minutes...no good in an emergency. She did indicate that they will...in the not too distant future...have upgraded capabilities. No idea of when however.

 

Yep...and believe me...when it can be done... this system here would be one of the first to do it. we compete with Seattle for the most sophisticated emergency system in the country...also one of the most expensive.
It will be nice when the software is available...but with the economy...local and State Gov't budget's... I would not look for it to happen any time soon.

 

Ken your Guardian went out today via USPS.

 

Ken...got the package today...I'll let you know how it works out...thanks!!!

 

Good to know it made it safe and sound...like I said...if you want to give me a shout to run through some live testing...you have my cell number....call me if you want...anytime.