I've fallen and I can't get up

[susandennis]

I read a thing this morning where someone was asking about the latest/best emergency contact tech. Do we still have to wear a lifeline lanyard?

I then went through my own scenarios... fall in the bathroom. This is the one that Mom did a bunch. At the time I thought, what the fuck is she doing in the bathroom that she can't stay upright. That was 25 years ago.

Now, I have stumbled around in there enough to know that that is likely where I will go down. I put stair tread tape in front of the toilet after I slipped there a couple of times (works GREAT). But there's still the shower and sink area. And I could still miss the toilet and hit the wall there.

And what am I going to do when that happens? Well, turns out, I got options.

Chances of my having my phone handy are slim. Chances of having my watch or Alexa handy are WAY better. I just asked Alexa to call my brother and it asked me if I wanted to call his Echo device or his phone and I said phone and bam! there was ringing. And then it told me I had a contact list in my app and Bill had been added and I could add more. Sweet!

My current watch is a Fitbit Sense. It's supposed to work with Google Assistant or Alexa. I couldn't get the Google Assistant to work - it hates me and always has. But the Alexa set up was easy. Sadly, however, it does not support making calls.

Oh well. I'll just put an Echo in the bathroom. That will have the entire house covered in spades.

So now I can feel free to fall whenever and wherever I want!!

Comments

[bill_schubert]

I think your shower stall is still slippery. That first step. I should have said something when I was there and could have contributed to the solution.

But, yeah, Alexa everywhere. Good job.

[susandennis]

Interesting! I've not had any close calls there (yet) but I still have more of those non-slip treads I can add. Thanks! And thanks for the test calls. It was way easier than I imagined.

[bill_schubert]

I just fixed it for our Alexa too (for Dana to call me in a similar situation). I'll call Zoe.

[susandennis]

nice!

[kaishin108]

That really is a good feeling. Yes, I agree unless someone has stairs, it seems like the bathroom would be where a fall would happen.

[thestainlesssteelrat]

I had my iPhone on a tripod that got knocked over and it thought I'd had a fall and was about to call the emergency services. I was impressed. Apple Watch has fall detection and will call the emergency services if you're immobile. There must be a Google equivalent.

[susandennis]

There really isn't a Google equivalent yet. BUT the first google watch will be announced on 10/6 and I'm guessing it will have it.

My phone will detect a car crash. But, I think it's fine with my falling over :)

[spiffikins]

Alexas everywhere seems like a handy solution!

[finch]

We have an "echo flex" in the bathroom that plugs right into the wall outlet over the sink. It doesn't look like they sell them anymore but maybe you can find one secondhand? It works great because I didn't have to find somewhere for it to sit.

[vysila]

Sounds like you've come up with a good solution! I worry about falling sometimes as well, especially since I have so many stairs. Single floor living is really looking better and better to me all the time.

[halfmoon_mollie1]

You can, but please don't. Fall, I mean.

[sweetmeow]

Yes, the bathroom is a prime place to fall. 😒

A friend of mine died in a bathroom fall. So little is known about it because no one found her until a few weeks later. That's another sad story due to her isolation. But could she have done the Alexa thing, or was she knocked out? I don't use Alexa, but I think maybe I need to learn all about her! Good planning.

[susandennis]

honestly, I can't imagine what a PIA my life would be without Alexa. But, now that I've figured out this safety measure, I have no plans for finding out.

I don't mind dying in the bathroom (so sorry about your friend). Falling and not dying is my real fear.

for under $20 you can get a used one (full warranty) and try her out.

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01DFKC2SO/ref=twister_B01K8B8YA8?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Alexa, call Ray's cellphone. Alexa, what's the weather tomorrow. Alexa, how do you spell ....

There are a million uses.

[moonblossom]

Don't fall though Susan. :(

[adafrog]

Great ideas!

[arlie]

Now this is interesting to me. I'm not at that stage yet, and I don't live alone. But it never would have occurred to me to use Alexa for this purpose - my inclination would be to get a single-purpose call-for-help device, and either wear it at all times, or keep it in the dangerous location.

The disadvantage of that is that if I'm unconscious, or unable to move enough to reach it, I can't use it. The advantage is that it isn't going to be sitting there gathering data about me, and it won't be responding to scenes shown on television, or other irrelevant input.

Also, of course, as a non-user of voice command technology, I don't have the experience with Alexa that would enable me to make it understand me in an emergency. (This assumes it's as unreliable as the Android equivalent was I tried it out, perhaps a decade ago, or Siri was when I worked for Apple, up until this January.)

I wonder what will be available when I do reach that stage, and what its upsides and downsides will be.