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My dad can’t get up by himself. Sometimes I’m tired and fall in a deep sleep so I can’t hear him moving in his bed. He is trying to raise but, can’t and only ends up on the floor. Will a baby monitor work? I don’t have kids so, don’t know if they are good for what I need.

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There are alarms that work off pressure.

Here is just one. Search bed alarms on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Smart-Caregiver-Wireless-Alarm-System/dp/B07RCYD69T/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=bed+alarm&qid=1642478740&s=hpc&sr=1-1-spons&psc=1&smid=A2TORNECBMNNW4&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFCNzhDWENWVDZRNzcmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA2OTkwNTczQVpRVVMzUldLMDRFJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA4MDkxNjQyQ1pNT0M2SUNMTzdXJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==
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We use a baby monitor for my dad to call out when he needs assistance. He has gotten in the habit of repeating my name in a fairly loud and distinct voice when he needs help in the middle of the night and I find that that does wake me up.

I just bought a basic baby monitor at Target.
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I used a baby monitor with my mother, but know that every little snuffle, snore, and rollover will come through loud and clear. (Don't put it right next to his bed.) You'll never go all the way to sleep, and you'll have your ear cocked all the time. I even got rid of baby monitors with my own babies because i wasn't getting any sleep.

I'd suggest getting him up on a schedole every couple of hours. You'll be a zombie, though, and you can't sustain that for long.
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SnoopyLove avatar
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SnoopyLove Jan 2022
I definitely have to agree that the caregiver’s sleep is negatively impacted!
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Yes, pressure alarm is definitely the answer. My dad has three! One in bed, one in wheelchair and one in recliner. You can hear the sound in the next county😁 if you ever wanted to.
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I slept on the floor (on an air mattress) next to my mother’s bed for months, and ultimately her fall risk was so constant and so severe that we placed her.

Even right beside her WITH a monitor, she was able to to maneuver from a low bed to an attempt to stand.

I would average a couple spotty hours of sleep a night.

Do whatever you can, but for some folks (my mom had a shattered hip and was post surgery, and it didn’t slow her down one bit) full time supervision was a long term need, and I couldn’t do it.
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With MJ with using a baby monitor. My Mom snored and so does DH. Him I push to roll over. I had to put the monitor out in the hallway of my bedroom. I could hear her get up but not all the other sounds. I am a light sleeper. I need sleep to function.
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There are bed and floor alarms that might help. Movement in the bed will cause the alarm to go off. If he is able to place feet on the floor a floor alarm would alert you to that.
A baby monitor would work if he is vocal enough to say something or if he makes enough noise to wake you if you hear the monitor. But if you are a sound sleeper you might not hear him if he is trying to be quiet.

Would he use a urinal over night? If so place one by his bed and he can use that without having to get up or without having to disturb you.
Would he use an incontinent brief (pull-up disposable/ one brand is Depends) if he would use that over night it would not disturb you.
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I went to my local home improvement store and bought a wireless door bell set. I set the button next to her bed and put the Part that makes the ring in my room. Works like a charm.
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Ive been looking after my dad for 6 years & I bought a door bell. Dad has the doorbell button on a small table next to him. I have the plug in bit in my bedroom. It plugs into a socket & when he presses bell it rings in my bedroom. It has various chimes you can choose. Got it off eBay. You could also get him a urinal bottle so he can pee in it & then leave a bucket next to the bed where he can empty bottle into. Then you just empty bucket in the morning & spray with disinfectant & swill with water.
Hope this helps. Has been a godsend
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I bought a fall prevention monitor, which has been a lifesaver. It's a bed alarm pad that sets off an alarm monitor when my mother rises up from her bed. It does not have a camera - just an alarm. You can use one or two and place it under the shoulder area or the hip area depending on what your needs are. I take the alarm outside with me when I need a breath of fresh air while my mother is in the bed. In conjunction, I also use a baby monitor. Here's the link for the alarm: https://www.amazon.com/Smart-Caregiver-Wireless-Alarm-System/dp/B07RCYD69T?ref_=ast_sto_dp
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rosadelima Jan 2022
YES I agree, we have been using this alarm for a couple months, quite a lifesaver. Only issue is I have to readjust it nightly to make sure it's under her shoulders, otherwise, it slides down when she is getting out of bed or into bed. If it's too low in the bed, it goes off only when she stands up and by the time I'm there, she's already on her feet, tottering around. But under her shoulders allows me time to get there when she's just sitting up. Also we have to "hide" it under the sheet and the mattress cover, otherwise she might see it and pull it out.
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Omg I just bought a set of baby monitors they are amazing it works perfectly for me to hear my elderly mother and the dog, they are quite sensitive you can hear every noise. I bought them on Amazon for $50.00.
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Most baby alarms I am aware of operate by the parent hearing the baby being at the least awake and burbling away, at the most crying. Unless Dad is capable of calling your name I cannot imagine how this would work unless there was ALSO some sort of bed alarm on his leg (these work by the patient's leg moving off the flat bed and being dependent when he sits at the side of the bed) or an alarm that operates under the mattress. Some sort of combination like that might work.
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I used a baby monitor for my mom and it worked. Fortunately she was not a snorer! There are bed alarms you can use as well. Look on Amazon for bed alarms.
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By the time a bed alarm goes off, your dad will likely be on the FLOOR already!!! My mom has one on her bed in Memory Care and that's what happens; she forgets she can't walk, tries to get up and DOWN she goes.

Get a baby monitor & turn it up to the loudest setting. See if you can get dad to agree to call out your name when he wakes up & needs to use the toilet. I realize that may not be possible if dementia is at play, though you don't mention dementia as an issue in your profile. If not, you'll likely hear him moving about thru the monitor and get there in time to help him before he falls.

Or better yet, get dad one of these glow-in-the-dark urinals:
https://www.amazon.com/Male-Urinal-Glow-Dark-Bottles/dp/B081S999SP/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1QNXPJH5M07L&keywords=urinals+for+men&qid=1642625236&sprefix=urinal%2Caps%2C135&sr=8-5

It's a lot easier for him to use this urinal than it is to use the toilet in the middle of the night and run the risk of falling, waking you up, then figuring out how to pick him up (which I hope you are NOT doing!).

Best of luck!
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I have had success using a baby monitor for my mother. However, she WILL call out for help to go to the bathroom and won’t try to get out of bed on her own. I turn it up as loud as possible and I do wake up when she calls. I got mine on Amazon not very expensive maybe around $30. It comes with a base you put in the parents room and then two monitors so you can use them in any room you are in. They even have battery back up so you can take them outside on a porch etc. Best of luck to you!
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Forgot to add that I have a bedside commode for my mother to make it safer than going all the way to the bathroom in the middle of the night when we are both half asleep. This helps too!
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There are bed alarms and chair alarms - either pressure-sensitive mats or a clip attached to a tether that allows limited movement - that work well. We use similar devices in hospitals.

I am more concerned that you are so tired. Maybe it is time to get some extra helpers for your dad so you can get a full night's `sleep.
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Sandy3170: Imho, perhaps a baby monitor would work only if you're going to be able to hear it from a sound sleep. Set it at the highest setting. Is he able to use a urinal? That may suffice.
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I have a baby monitor with the sound turned down and also an alarm like they have in stores that ding when you walk in. They both work great together. Got them both from amazon.
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BeenThroughThis Jan 2022
@Angieszoo, I have searched everywhere for one of those alarms that ding when you walk in, and somehow I haven’t figured out what search terms to use in order to find such a thing on-line.

I have also phoned a few local hardware stores and none of them know what I’m talking about. They claim they carry nothing like it.

Please help me! What brand is the alarm you bought? Or what exact search term helped you find the alarm on Amazon? I don’t know why I can’t find such a product and I need it. Thank you in advance for your help.
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Motion sensor chime?
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