Sue P. sent along this note she recently received from a friend. “I fell in my office when my chair tipped over. Could I reach my cell phone? No. Was I wearing my safety pendant? No. What could I do? I told Alexa to call the concierge and ask for help. It worked.”
Ed note: I’ve tried this and it works, but your Alexa device needs to be within shouting range and set up properly to make this work. And some folks have privacy concerns about Alexa (it always seems to be listening to you)!
Alternatively, an Apple watch, when programed properly, can detect your fall, ask you to respond–and if you don’t call 911 (or other programmed number). This of course can work away from home because of its cellular connection.
Best of all, talk to Lisa and her fitness crew. Engage in fall prevention. Enjoy life!
But there’s some things you just can’t anticipate. A few years ago a friend called me from his hospital bed in Pittsburgh. He was a hiker, in good shape, and had been exploring a graveyard in western Pennsylvania to find his ancestor’s tombstone. The parking lot was empty. It was a rainy cool day and when climbing a hill, he slipped and fell resulting in a leg fracture.
The cellphone was in the car at least 100 yards away. With no other choice, he dragged himself to the car and managed to call 911. The dispatcher asked, “Just where are you sir.”
He replied, “I’m in Mountain View Cemetery.”
Through his pain he had to smile when she replied, “Gosh, we don’t get many calls from there.”