It’s natural to worry about your parent’s safety as they get older. Whilst you know they would most likely wish to remain independent for as long as possible, you may have concerns about what they would do in the event of an accident or fall if no one was there to help them.
Whilst there are solutions such as personal alarms or in-home monitoring systems that could offer you both peace of mind that help is always available - bringing these solutions up with your parent can be a tricky topic of conversation.
Even if your parent is fiercely independent and is usually resistant to help, there are ways of broaching the topic for the most successful outcome.
We’ve put together a step-by-step guide to help you talk to your loved ones about the benefits of having a personal alarm and talking to elderly relatives about lifestyle changes.
1. Put yourself in their shoes
Before you go into the conversation, try to imagine what it would be like to have your own children coming to you and suggesting you should have a personal alarm. Knowing that they’re worried that you’re not safe alone at home might make you feel a little defensive or concerned about having your independence restricted.
Approach them with compassion and understanding at make it clear that your goal is the same as theirs – for them to remain safely independent at home for as long as possible.
2. Ask questions to reach understanding
Instead of going into the conversation simply telling you parent that you think they need an alarm, try asking questions about their needs and lifestyle first.
Coming to an understanding about what they value and what brings them quality of life can help in determining what activities they’d like to continue doing. It could also help you understand what kind of alarm could fit their current lifestyle.
Ask simple, open-ended questions like "What do you think might happen if you had a fall and couldn’t get to the phone?" or "Do you know anything about personal alarms?"
Remember to listen carefully to their answers and take them into consideration. It may be that resistance to getting a personal alarm is a simple to solve issue such as not being aware that there are devices that can be worn outside of the home.
3. Explore the options
One of the reasons your parent might be resistant to a personal alarm is because they associate them with old-fashioned, bulky alarms that are always depicted on old ladies lying at the foot of the stairs in adverts.
However, personal alarms have come along way and there is a wide range of options to choose from. Showing your loved one some of the more up-to-date devices with high-tech features such as GPS, reminders or heart rate monitors, might be enough to convince them.
Try ordering one of our product brochures and looking through it together so that your parent can see that there are discreet, stylish alarms out there to suit a range of lifestyles. You can also compare personal alarm features online.
4. Talk stats
According to guidance from Public Health England, people over 65 are at the greatest risk of falling. Falls and fractures are a serious health issue and extremely costly, both to the NHS and more importantly to the individual.
Some older people will never fully recover from a fall, suffering from distress, pain, long term injury and loss of confidence.
It may be worth talking about some of the statistics and facts about falls with your parent to drive home the importance of getting help quickly.
Is your Mum or Dad at risk of a fall?
Take our Falls Risk Assessmsent and download our free falls prevention guide.
It contains advice on avoiding falls and how to keep your loved ones safe at home.
Falls Risk Assessment Tool
5. Ask them to consider a trial
If your parent is still not convinced, you could ask them if they’d consider at least trialing a personal alarm to see if they get on with it.
All of our alarms come with a 30-day risk-free home trial and so they can get hands on experience with the peace of mind of having help available 24/7.
Personal alarms
Compare our range of in-home and out-and-about personal alarms.
If your parents are finding it difficult to maintain their independence at home, they may also benefit from home adaptations or independent living aids. We have several useful guides to rise and recline armchairs and walking aids.
