DIY Medical Alarm

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MikeB4

MikeB4
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#2146924 18-Dec-2018 09:47

I believe that medical alarms should be funded just like wheel chairs, ramps,rails etc. They help allow the disabled, sick or elderly to stay in their own home which is considerably cheaper for the Government than institution subsidies and provides a way better quality of life.

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

networkn

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#2146936 18-Dec-2018 09:57

MikeB4:

I believe that medical alarms should be funded just like wheel chairs, ramps,rails etc. They help allow the disabled, sick or elderly to stay in their own home which is considerably cheaper for the Government than institution subsidies and provides a way better quality of life.

Agreed.

jonathan18

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#2146940 18-Dec-2018 10:03

I guess, by including it as an allowable cost for the Disability Allowance, the govt's acknowledging it's an appropriate cost to cover, but only for those who they consider require the financial help to do so.

I've found this is very much the case with support offered to the elderly to encourage them to 'age in place' (as that awful term goes) - my 83 year old mother's not eligible for a DA due to her modest super (Government and NZ) so she's paid the cost of a self-managed alarm (an earlier thread on this is here on GZ).

Equally, she's not entitled to much direct help from the district health board - it amounts to someone checking her take her meds once a day (and a complete waste of time, if you ask me), whereas others of lower income may get paid home help to assist with cleaning, cooking etc. So we've arranged for, and my mother pays form a carer to manage such tasks for an hour or two per day.

frankv

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#2147076 18-Dec-2018 13:15

networkn:

I wouldn't ever consider doing this. If something goes wrong, and you don't know it's going wrong, the consequences could be terrible. Just not worth the risk in my opinion.

As opposed to a paid-for solution, where, if something goes wrong, you won't know it's gone wrong, the consequences could be terrible. Just not worth the risk in my opinion.

kingdragonfly

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#2148154 20-Dec-2018 07:46

Let me rephrase your question into two parts.

"I know that emergency services are the most important system in New Zealand, or any country.

I know that that my parents are the most important people in the world to me, because they literally brought me life.

If it's cheap and convenient for me, I want the emergency system opened up so potentially millions of robots can create false calls.

Also I can't be really bothered with monitoring my parents if a robot can do my duties for me."

Is this the gist of your questions?

davidcole

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#2148162 20-Dec-2018 08:18

jonathan18:

I guess, by including it as an allowable cost for the Disability Allowance, the govt's acknowledging it's an appropriate cost to cover, but only for those who they consider require the financial help to do so.

I've found this is very much the case with support offered to the elderly to encourage them to 'age in place' (as that awful term goes) - my 83 year old mother's not eligible for a DA due to her modest super (Government and NZ) so she's paid the cost of a self-managed alarm (an earlier thread on this is here on GZ).

Equally, she's not entitled to much direct help from the district health board - it amounts to someone checking her take her meds once a day (and a complete waste of time, if you ask me), whereas others of lower income may get paid home help to assist with cleaning, cooking etc. So we've arranged for, and my mother pays form a carer to manage such tasks for an hour or two per day.

Hi, so I asked mum how hers is funded, and it was put in by her doctor as she lives alone, and had a surgical procedure. So it is paid for by Winz, and the installation was free.

So while it is possible, ymmv depending on circumstances.

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itxtme

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#2148355 20-Dec-2018 13:14

I think I have spoken about medical alarms previously. Frankly it is an industry that is somewhat of the wild west. Users who pay for an alarm are paying for a device that when pressed will alert a call centre. The rep from the centre calls back, if no answer they will then call an ambulance on your behalf. Pricing of devices is similar, and this in no way pays for an ambulance. With that being said if you get an alarm from St John, or Freedom (Wellington Free Ambulance) your device is connected to the 111 call centres, so rather than transferring you they just generate an ambulance job immediately. The 3rd party call centre (BUPA, ADT, Chubb etc.) will just call 111 and order the ambulance.

What this means is that accidental alarm activations, or technical issues (happened more with POTS based ones rather than newer generation mobile based ones) result in an ambulance being called. At least when a customer of St John or Freedom do this portions of those alarm companies profit go back to the ambulance services, but the rest are free loading and letting the ambulance check on the person.

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