I am looking for an elder camera. Any suggestions?

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PsalmsTestimony Asked January 2023

I am looking for an elder camera. Any suggestions?

I want to purchase some type of camera system for monitoring my mom. She is currently in a nursing home.

Whenever we go out, sometimes she wants to stay and sit alone in say, a Chick-fil-A or similar place. Last time she wanted to do this, I was nervous because she is in a wheelchair and I don't like to leave her alone in public (she had a stroke last year so is immobile on her left side but is 'all there' cognitively), but I do want to give her that alone time she craves as being around all of the noise and people in the nursing home has been having an impact on her already low state of mental health.

Since she is relatively safe in a Chick-fil-A, I let her be during the last visit. She ended up staying there for 4 hours (!). As a result, I checked in on her 4 or 5 times, which means I basically ran errands very close to the Chick-Fil-A all day long but would keep going back to her to make sure she was ok and whether she wanted to leave or not.

So. That leads me to the topic at hand. I would like to get my mom some type of discreet, wearable camera. Something that I could look at 'live' (audio and video) that would show me what's going on in her surroundings at any given point in time. That way, if something happened to her in between my check ups on her whenever I take her out, I would be aware as I could check it every 2-5 minutes, etc.

Any ideas?

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score 1 · Answer 1

PsalmsTestimony, fast food restaurants have a quick turn over in customers. So in 4 hours many people could have walked past your Mom, some coughing/sneezing, especially children. Some small children will stand on the seats and within inches be breathing down the customer's neck. With the flu season here and with covid still lurking, shots/boosted or not, that creates a higher health risk for your Mom.

Helpful Answer (1)

All good points. On dialysis I have to be especially careful around people. The room I teach in is a large theater type classroom. It was approved because i'm not down close to students. I have my office hours in the same space because it is large, well ventilated.

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score 1 · Answer 2

What if she were to sit at one table in the restaurant, and you sit a discrete distance away (perhaps behind her) where you can see her but she feels she is alone. Just a thought!

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I have no idea why this made me laugh LOL. But I really and truly do appreciate the creative suggestion! She would laugh me out the restaurant if I suggested that honestly but oh well. Maybe some point in the future she’d be open to it..(?).

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score 3 · Answer 3

That's kinda odd FF.
I get that Psalm, I'm sure you're trying to make mom happy, it's just not safe IMO. Too many bad people in the world. Hire an aide for a few hours to keep an eye on her.

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score 1 · Answer 4

Maybe you can run errands before taking her out. Then you can spend time together instead of leaving her alone.

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I do that too but sometimes she just wants to sit somewhere for 4-5 hours and I’m not that patient. I’m just not. But I feel she deserves to have that time if she wants it. And you fail to realize that on many of those days she doesn’t even want me there sitting next to her for 5 hours anyway. LOL Like I said, sometimes she just wants to feel some sense of normalcy of being able to sit in a public place by herself a few times a month.

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score 3 · Answer 5

Your Mom is an at-risk senior. No way she should be left alone in a public place while you run errands for even 15 minutes, let alone four hours. And as previously stated a restaurant does not want to be the sitter for a disabled adult. She needs to adapt to her new situation. A body camera is not an adequate substitute for appropriate supervision.

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Ok. I did not say she was left alone for four hours. Regardless, I understand your point.

(0)

score 1 · Answer 6

First I would NOT be letting a vulnerable adult(especially in a wheelchair)hang out at any public place these days. Anyone could try and take advantage of her and yes even in a Chick-Fil-A.
And I'm sure Chick-Fil-A doesn't want to be responsible for a disabled person either as that is not their job. They are not there to babysit their clientele.
If you feel you must take your mom out of the nursing home, just bring her to your house and let her sit and relax there where she will be safe.
And you can buy some inexpensive Blink or the like security cameras that you can check on her with your phone if you have to run out to do some errands.
Otherwise you may just want to quit taking her out of the nursing facility, and only take her outside of the facility(weather permitting and on the grounds of)and let her sit outside and enjoy the day, until you have to leave.

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I guess I could just limit her visits to an hour then so I can stay there the whole time. This has been her favorite thing to do (spending hours and hours alone at a restaurant) since her mobility became limited. I guess it reminds her of what life was like pre stroke.

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score 0 · Answer 7

Yikes! I don't know if I could have done that! Anyway, I do believe that would not be legal unless you post a sign, stating that "you are being filmed". The stores, restaurants, etc. need to post a sign that people are being filmed when entering a business. If you can maybe call Visiting Angels to help you out. I believe the fee for them is reasonable and they could take your mom out and just be in a place with her.

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Actually, it's not illegal to film someone in public. In the US, anyway.

(2)

score 0 · Answer 8

PsalmsTestimony, did I read correctly on your profile that your Mom is 112 years old? That is amazing. Then I read you are 43 years old. Anyway.....

As for the camera, you would need to check with the nursing home to see if a wearable camera is allowed. I doubt it, as it would violate the privacy of the other residents in the facility, HIPAA Privacy Rule.

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Profile says mom is 65. Just an FYI

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I am looking for an elder camera. Any suggestions?

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