About Etta
At 85 years old, Etta has vascular dementia and limited mobility. She is cared for by her son and daughter, Elaine, who are part of a rising number of ‘unpaid’ family carers in the UK who look after an older relative.
While Elaine and her brother endeavour to spend as much time as possible with Etta, there are a few hours each day when she is on her own.
As with many older people, Etta wants to stay in her own home for as long as possible, which is why daughter Elaine sought to implement a way of fulfilling her wishes while ensuring she is safe from harm.
The challenge
Etta’s family were becoming increasingly concerned about her health and welfare while she was home alone. Vascular dementia and limited mobility put her at a greater risk of falling or sustaining injuries, while Etta’s cognitive impairment also had a detrimental impact on her eating habits. There were also situations where she had opened the door to strangers and let them enter the house. Although these callers have so far proved to be legitimate visits, Etta’s family were concerned that, one day, it could be somebody with ulterior motives.
The solution
Elaine was aware that her mother wanted to retain her independence, opting to avoid admission to residential care for as long as possible. In order to allow her mother to stay at home, Elaine decided to explore remote monitoring solutions that would enable her to keep an eye on Etta from a distance; allowing her to retain some independence. After researching the available options, Elaine decided to install a HomeMonitor camera from Y-Cam Solutions to monitor the living/dining space in Etta’s home.
The results
Installing a HomeMonitor camera in Etta’s home has given Elaine and her brother peace of mind, knowing that they can keep a close eye on their mother while allowing her to retain her independence.
On a couple of occasions, the technology has been invaluable in enabling Etta’s family to intervene in an emergency. In one such instance, Etta had fallen while in the garden and was unable to get up by herself.
Elaine said: “We knew something was wrong when we couldn’t see mum on the camera. After trying to contact her with little success, we went straight round to find her laid flat out in the garden. Without HomeMonitor, we would not have known anything was wrong.”
As well as checking for signs of difficulties, Elaine is also able to use the camera as a way of monitoring Etta’s eating habits, and is grateful for its non-intrusive quality. She said: “HomeMonitor has been a godsend to our family. We know mum is gradually deteriorating but at least, for now, she still feels that she has the independence to be left alone although, unbeknown to her, we can keep a close eye on her.”
