Dad fell last night and nothing happened, these fall detection watches are a joke?
My 82 year old dad took a bad fall in the kitchen yesterday evening. I live close by but wasn't there, and he managed to call me after about 20 minutes lying on the floor. No broken bones, thankfully, but it really shook both of us.
What's bothering me isn't just the fall itself, but how hard it seems to balance safety with independence as people get older. He’s sharp, lives on his own, and is very resistant to anything bulky, intrusive, or that makes him feel "monitored." I started looking into fall detection watches and medical alert devices, and the experiences seem mixed.. some people say they help, others mention false alarms, battery issues, or devices that just end up sitting in a drawer. That made me wonder whether the problem is the technology, or how it fits into everyday life as we age. For those here who are older themselves, or who’ve dealt with falls personally, how do you approach fall safety in a way that preserves dignity and independence?
I'm less interested in specific brands and more in what has realistically worked (or not worked) for people day to day.