Ask Slashdot: Panic Button a Very Young Child Can Use 327
First time accepted submitter Zotonian writes My wife is epileptic. Her seizures have been well controlled by medication until recently. My concern is that we have a toddler and infant at home. I've set up cameras so I can monitor the house, but I'm looking for a solution that my 2 year old daughter can hit a button to tell me to look at them if necessary. Most of the options I'm finding off the shelf notify first responders and I'm concerned of the number of false positives a toddler might initiate. Other solutions like cellphones or wearables for kids are too overloaded with unnecessary options like GPS, phone, games, etc. I'd rather have a simple 'push button' solution I can wire into my router that would send me a text or chat message that alerts me to check the cameras. Then if there is an actually emergency I can take the steps from there. I'm looking for cheap and simple. Any suggestions from the Slashdot community?
wearable for the wife? (Score:3, Interesting)
How about a smartwatch for the wife. Make a little app the detects erratic arm movements and sends you a text message from her phone when that happens. Then you check in on the camera .
Re:wearable for the wife? (Score:5, Informative)
Go to eBay and type "wireless panic button". There are plenty of options for under $100. Here is a panic button + watch [ebay.com] that sends an SMS message to up to 5 numbers.
Re:wait, what the hell? (Score:5, Insightful)
Your epileptic wife is having attacks, and you want a TWO year old to be not only alone in that situation, but responsible for a panic button? Dude, you are sick and need to get a frickin clue. Fast! Someone should seriously turn you in for child endangerment bordering on abuse!
Yeah, I honestly had to consider whether or not this was an early April fools gag...
You seem to have misread his situation, it's not that he *wants* that situation, it's a situation he wants to avoid. Yet, he also wants to prepare for it.
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I think it is you that have misread the summary. I think the "until recently" is the real deal
breaker for me. If his wife was epileptic but had things under control then having a panic button
for the kid and/or a sensor for the wife makes sense but only in the same way it makes sense to
teach a kid to dial 911 in a fire. If she is having frequent episodes then there probably needs to be
someone else present in the house.
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I read that as: there was probably a recent event that now causes him to doubt or worry that the condition might not be fully under control.
So it could be a useful thing to have a panic button available to the child, but surely there should be a panic button available to the wife as well.
Also, my greatest concern would be that the panic button fail, so it should be quite reliable and not solely dependent on an internet connection.
I'm not sure why the author thinks it should not contact first responders
Re:wait, what the hell? (Score:4, Informative)
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Clearly OP has a less than ideal situation, but additional data vectors (child or not) are always good. 24x7 at home nursing care is prohibitively expensive to all but the five richest kings on earth. Do you have a constructive solution?
Mod parent troll or flame bait.
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I'm sure a local church would have people that may volunteer,
No there aren't. Most churches are stretched thin as it is. Very few could provide in home personnel for 40+ hours a week to someone who's dying. Even fewer even offer daycare facilities, much less in-home daycare.
I'm sure there are foundations he could apply for assistance with
Even the poor and seriously ill have trouble finding anyone to provide them care in this country. The few non-profits that offer this kind of assistance are already overwhelmed. They can't provide enough care for the seriously ill poor, much less for a middle-class guy whose wife has occasional ep
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SmartThings has a panic button (Score:2)
It's a bit heavyweight, but SmartThings has a panic button and via an IFTT integration can SMS you when it's pushed.
The bttn (Score:3, Informative)
This product may be what you are looking for
http://bt.tn/
A big red button connected to the net that can do whatever you want
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This product may be what you are looking for
http://bt.tn/
A big red button connected to the net that can do whatever you want
This. I was thinking a Raspberry Pi stuffed inside a Staples "Easy Button".
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Yeah.. I'm thinking use the GPIO on the Pi to kick off a script that takes a picture (either from one of the existing cameras, or the camera module on the PI) and sends you an image of the button getting pressed... and maybe some others as well..
There's a lot of info on programming the Pi with GPIO, and a handy little python library waiting to go..
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you know what's funny? raspberry pi is cheaper...
bt.tn is a nice plastic design if you like '80s design and colors though. but for being a connected button it really is expensive.
Arduino Panic Button (Score:5, Interesting)
http://www.instructables.com/id/Desk-Panic-Button/?ALLSTEPS
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Name one!
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If you worked a bit harder than a cursory glance you would find things like this: The Epilepsy Foundation of Northern California is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization leading the fight to stop seizures, find a cure and overcome the challenges created by epilepsy.
We direct information, resources and support toward the over 140,000 Northern Californians living with epilepsy.
infant and 2 year old != "small children" by any rational definition.
Do they provide in home assistance? I don't know, GP asked me
Re:Arduino Panic Button (Score:5, Insightful)
Or, he could, you know ... BE A FUCKING PARENT.
I'm thinking dad is working (so he can earn, you know, a fucking paycheck to buy fucking food and keep a fucking roof over their fucking heads) while mom is at home being a parent (unless she can't because she's having a fucking seizure).
Re:Arduino Panic Button (Score:5, Insightful)
Calm down.
His wife's eyes are on the kid. But Mom has epilepsy, so it's statistically likely that eventually she'll have a seizure while she's the only grown-up at home. The solution back when I was growing up would have been something along the lines of "go to the neighbor lady down the street, and she'll decide whether to call the police" but nowadays it could easily be "ping dad with a technological doohickey and he'll decide."
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There's nothing in this that screams "horrible parent."
Re:Arduino Panic Button (Score:5, Insightful)
What kind of sick person puts that responsibility on a toddler?
You know nothing about him, his wife, or his situation. Some people have severe epilepsy attacks, but others have milder attacks that they quickly recover from. Just because he is trying to make a situation safer, doesn't imply that the original situation was dangerous.
What if instead of an epileptic, he was worried about his elderly mother falling or having a heart attack? Do you think it would be negligent for him to install a panic button, and teach his daughter how to use it, just in case grandma has an accident?
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I'm teh Gubment? (Score:2)
I am not the US Department of Social Services, and if GP has time to make a few Slashdot posts he sure as hell can call them.
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What kind of long term trauma is that going to cause?
None.
Which sort of makes the rest of your point moot.
First, reread the summary:
I've set up cameras so I can monitor the house [...]
Thus, he is monitoring the house and his wife. This button is the equivalent of a "Daddy!" yell. So if the child sees that Mom is convulsing, she can hit the "Daddy!" button and Daddy will look in to see what's going on, just in case he was away from his computer or was looking at something else (eg, code).
Frankly, this is a reality in their household and it's best that the child knows what to do. Giving kids responsibility is
Re:Arduino Panic Button (Score:4, Interesting)
When my kid was 2, she was at grandmas when she had an aneurysm. Luckily grandpa was home. Far from scarring, my kid actually had a fascinating life experience, and opened a dialogue about emergencies, first responders, what to do if something bad happens and they are alone. My kid still recalls it today as a positive, but very unfortunate circumstance.
Kids are far more resilient than your average parent gives them credit for. I'm proud of the way my kid handled it.
Re:Arduino Panic Button (Score:5, Insightful)
You seem to suggest that putting responsibility on a person is a psychologically damaging thing. I disagree, and I think simple responsibilities are great and healthy at any age. This is a difficult situation, but these seizures might happen at most once or twice a year - are you really saying that the child can never be alone with her mother, ever, on the off chance that a seizure hits? Seizures would be potentially traumatic and scary, but there would be no way of sheltering her from them without taking such dramatic measures.
I've got a 2-year-old at home, and she would be perfectly capable of understanding "if Mommy falls down or gets hurt, push this button and Daddy will come help". This is certainly much better than crossing your fingers and hoping it won't happen again.
No (Score:2, Insightful)
Nobody on these forums can offer you legal advice but what you're asking sounds like a good way to get your kid taken away.
Re:No (Score:4, Insightful)
An infant and 2 year old aren't exactly capable of taking care of themselves. If the person supervising them is in a position where due to medical reasons, they might not be able to supervise them, some busybody can complain they are in harms way which will get CPS involved and they like taking kids until you jump through hoops of fire backwards with your eyes closed while reciting some latin poem.
No, seriously. You would not believe how much trouble CPS or your local equivilant can be. Hell, there have been stories of CPS getting involved because 4 and 5 year old were playing in a fenced in bavk yard and the parent was watching them through a window from inside the house. Called it neglect.
Re:No (Score:4, Insightful)
Service Dogs
They make great pets and loyal companions, but did you know dogs can also be trained to help people with epilepsy? While service dogs are often associated with people who have visual impairments, seizure alert dogs are becoming more and more popular around the world. Their calm demeanour and safety training gives people the confidence to live independently.
Some common tasks that trainers can teach the dog include:
staying close to the person with epilepsy to prevent injury
fetching medication or a telephone
alerting a caretaker
activating an emergency call system (e.g. pushing a Lifeline button)
“blocking” a wandering person (usually during absence seizures and complex partial seizures) from walking into dangerous areas (Keep in mind that dogs cannot tell whether an action, like walking onto a street or down the stairs, is intentional or not.)
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The fact is that any person can unexpectedly drop at any time. Thankfully, it's uncommon but if we're being honest nobody can preclude the possibility. At least his house will have a ready made "Daddy! button".
As for CPS, they are essentially an unpredictable predatory force. Nobody can guess what might set them off or when they will ignore an obviously harmful situation.
Re:No (Score:4, Interesting)
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Nobody is asking for the nurse for the adult with epilepsy.
What, you can't be bothered to read the post I'm replying to?
"Leaving your children in a home where the "responsible adult" really needs a live-in nurse. "
It's not like everyone on the planet can't just scroll up and see that you are 100% provably wrong.
People are asking for an adult because of the sole 2 year old at home with an epileptic currently having difficulties with their medication and suffering seizures.
So an adult isn't an adult if they have epilepsy. Would you prefer he quit his job so he can stay home and go on welfare? Or should they hire adults to be there at all times, bankrupting them? Really, which works best? Forced sterilization of everyon
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What is _his_ drive time from work to home? Mom has a seizure and there is a 2 year old with no capable/coherent adult present for that duration. I'm not confident you know much about, or have researched the potential severity of an epileptic seizure. It's not like mom having to throw up and leaving the kid for a minute to do so.. seizures have a long recovery time and frequently require hospitalization. Seizures are not just emotionally traumatic, the victim can flail violently enough to throw furnitu
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Or he could be like me. Working from a home office but with sound proofing so that the general noises of your young family don't get heard by clients on the phone. He has webcams setup to realtime monitor but he also has to work. So having the ability of the two year old to hit a panic button that brings you running sounds like a great idea.
Every now and again I hear my youngest scream like she has been dropped in a vat of boiling acid. I don't go running for two reasons, first is I know she is with mu
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If that was the case I believe he would have called it out.. he would probably not have to ask for a technical solution to what he could do with a baby monitor and no rigging too.
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Spot Messenger (Score:2)
A spot messenger is fairly simple and enables you to locate them wherever they may be.
http://www.findmespot.com/en/i... [findmespot.com]
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The problem is that the Spot has more than just the one button. There is a button that sends the equivalent of "OMG MY PLANE HAS CRASHED INTO AN AVALANCHE ON A VOLCANO AND O GOD SEND THE RESCUE SQUADS NOW!!!" to whatever emergency agency is available. Not the kind of thing you ought to place in your two-year-old child's hands.
iSocket (Score:2)
Wire it through a light switch (to an outlet) at a height your toddler can comfortably reach. Your home may already have a switchleg-activated plug for table lighting.
Smartthings (Score:5, Interesting)
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This is brilliant.
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Damn it if I hadn't already posted I would mod this up. Works to a child's psychology as well.
If you don't want to roll your own... (Score:2)
Comes with a 0-4G vibration sensor, can be extended with other sensors in the future if you want to repurpose it later.
The button isn't the problem (Score:4, Insightful)
You're asking for a kind of button that will make it possible to rely upon a 2-year-old child as a caretaker. This is not a technology problem, and unless someone finds a way to accelerate human development of children to an alarming rate, it's not a solvable one either. And I have to say, what you're proposing seems like an inherently risky situation...to your wife and child both. Your wife runs the risk of your not being alerted, and I can't even guess what it would do to a child to have that kind of responsibility, especially if she doesn't hit the button for whatever reason, and ends up haunted by that for the rest of your life.
Re:The button isn't the problem (Score:5, Insightful)
Yeah, except all he's *really* asking for here is an additional way to get notified if something's wrong, so he could take a look for himself via an internet connected camera.
This wouldn't (shouldn't) be about trying to use a 2 year old as a caretaker. The way I'm reading this, he just wants an extra fail-safe in place. (I think even a 2 year old is mentally functional enough to realize something's wrong with mom if she suddenly falls to the floor, flails around and acts generally unresponsive. It would probably make the kid feel better, not worse, if he or she knew simply pressing a button would be a way to communicate "help!".)
One of our kids used to have seizures (he's been free of them for a couple of years now while taking medication), and his younger sister, around age 2-3, was able to come tell us when it happened to him, if he was up in his room and we didn't notice it immediately.
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Since he didn't specify the existence of a primary method of notification... it's an assumption that he's looking for an additional or extra method of notification.
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... it's an assumption that he's looking for an additional or extra method of notification.
But not an unreasonable one, if he's conscientious enough to reach the point where he's looking for something like this.
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Since he didn't specify the existence of a primary method of notification [...]
Which is why it's always a good idea to read the summary:
I've set up cameras so I can monitor the house [...]
Camera is primary system of notification. If he notices the wife flailing about, he can call appropriate people. If he doesn't notice because he's otherwise occupied, the child is a back-up.
Reading: It's FUNdamental.
As someone else said, before we got all this high-fallutin' technology, the solution would be to make an arrange with the nice lady next door so that if Mom is being unresponsive, the kid can go over there and get help.
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It's a 2 year old! Good grief, you have never been around a 2 year old before? A 2 year old is supposed to play and learn, not be responsible for the goddamn panic button if mom starts to die. (Yes, to a 2 year old no matter how severe the seizure it will be traumatic and appear to be mom dying).
His "extra" fail safe" is a panic button on top of web cams. Where is the adult to make sure the 2 year old does not try to hug mommy when she is having convulsions. Which of course has the added bonus of possi
Re:The button isn't the problem (Score:5, Insightful)
That's funny. I thought he was asking for a kind of button that would make it possible for his child to communicate with him as a backup measure, given the video surveillance and all.
Of course you're free to argue that epileptics cannot be left unsupervised. Good luck with that.
You're also free to argue that epileptic parents should not be allowed to be alone with their children since their children might be required to be "caretakers," whether via a button, a telephone capable of 911, or merely living within distance to run to a neighbor. Because we'd all support that.
After all, this isn't an attempt to marginally improve a circumstance. This is an attempt to shift all responsibility for the parent's care onto the child. Not.
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Well, you thought wrong - because he plainly states the purpose is to have the two year old alert him that he needs to check the video cameras and there is no indication of either the existence of a primary alert system
Re:The button isn't the problem (Score:5, Insightful)
Epilepsy isn't some debilitating condition that requires 24/7 care. Epileptics are fine most of the time, particularly if they control their seizures with medication. Most of them actually have productive lives, with stressful jobs, and manage to hold shit down. As a stay-at-home mom of very small children this guy's wife can control her risk factors (particularly her amount of sleep, when she takes medication, etc.) much better then somebody whose work-schedule changes every week, has lots of deadlines, etc.
But if she does have a seizure it would be really bad because a) she'd be alone with nobody to call for help, and b) the kids would be alone.
A two-year-old can easily understand when something's wrong with Mommy. Most two-year-olds will know something is wrong with Mommy before Mommy knows something is wrong with Mommy, particularly if she's a home-maker. If you're two, and you've got a stay-at-home-mom, she is your entire world. A two-year-old can understand "press this button." If the kid decides pressing the button is a good game there's no harm because the police haven't been called.
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Epilepsy isn't some debilitating condition that requires 24/7 care.
A TWO YEAR OLD DOES REQUIRE 24/7 CARE!!
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I've read a couple of your posts on this topic now. It has become obvious that you don't have kids. 2 year olds don't require 24/7 care. They need risk mitigation strategies so that they can't easily fall down stairs, get access to sharp pointy objects or leave the building. Once you have those things the demands they have are generally desire related rather than critical need.
Pretty much every parent has used the disney channel or equivalent to baby sit their kids while they go off and do something els
Some ideas to be helpful (Score:3)
True. And a few other things.
People keep mentioning. "Why don't you have the kid run next door to the neighbor and get them to get help?" Last time I checked, if they're smart (and independent) enough to go next door for help, they're more than capable of hitting a panic button. Secondly, hitting a panic button, dad checking the cameras, and dad reacting, is all probably going to happen a lot faster than kid running next door, kid ringing door bell, talking to neighbor, neighbor coming over, neighbor decidi
Don't automatically call 911 on epileptics (Score:5, Informative)
I had epilepsy for 30 years, about one seizure every two weeks, before finally getting brain surgery last year. The seizures were deeply hallucinogenic, physically severe, often lasted 10-20 minutes, and they left me with a huge hangover; afterwards I had to sleep about 12-18 hours in one go, maybe wake up for maybe four hours, then go back to sleep for another 12-18 hour stretch. I was like my brain was rebooting like Windows after a blue screen. If I wasn't able to sleep, I would become really sick, get intense migraines, and start throwing up, and recovery took several days longer.
A big problem was people instantly making 911 calls. I was routinely being dragged off to an ER all the time, waking up in one at least once a month. They all knew me there, and realized after a while what the deal was, so I would be wheeled into a corner and left behind a curtain while they tended to more serious cases. I had to wait there for hours staring up at fluorescent lights and struggling to keep from vomiting and choking to death (since they liked to strap me on the bed face up). It usually took six to ten hours to get out of there- I had to wait for the lab to finish their ritual of drug assays for PCP, LSD, THC, cocaine, methamphetamine, and all kinds of other shit that they knew were going to come back negative. And this was before the ACA, so with a huge preexisting condition I couldn't get insurance from anybody, and had to pay out of pocket costs for meds which I couldn't afford half the time because this shit made it hard to get a job in the first place. When seizures came, I had about ten second warning from a visual aura. If I was outside I would quickly jump underneath nearby bushes or hide behind parked cars just so no one would see me and call the ER. I would wake up and stagger home bleeding, getting lost, and trying to stay out of sight. I did have a bracelet that said DO NOT CALL 911, along with my wife's number, but no one ever took it seriously. I wanted her to know so she could come pick me up, but I always wound up in the jaws of an ER instead.
Don't assume this guy and his wife want a 2 year old calling 911. That may be the last thing they need. I can see why he would want to know, right away. He's lived with her and is going to be better equipped to handle her than the paramedics will. if they can't get any clues from a toddler, the emergency responders have to figure out what's going on themselves, and that makes it a painful mess. There isn't a lot that an ER can do with a seizure anyway except strap the person down so they don't thrash around and get bruises. There's always the possibility of status epilepticus (which I've had many times) but you should wait until a seizure lasts for more than five minutes. They look scary, maybe like the person is dying, and of course there's the danger of thrashing around and hitting things. But in general a seizure doesn't do any lasting damage to the brain.
But her seizures aren't under control. (Score:2)
Epileptics are fine most of the time, particularly if they control their seizures with medication.
But her seizures aren't under control. It's there in the first line of his post.
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It's really a lot more for the child than the parent, I would think. A way for the child to quickly contact her other parent.
Automatic Activation (Score:2)
It really depends upon the nature of the seizures. Rigidly locked in space or extreme spasms. So a motion detector that your wife can wear that can detect say laying on the ground rather than being vertical or detect rapid motions indicative of an attack. Greater care needs to be taken when holding the child or say cooking and how that is treated. These is also devices for detecting changes in blood pressure, breathing and pulse rate, so a more automated response is likely to be preferable, with a signal s
Doable (Score:2)
I designed one that was activated by a tank filling with fluid to a certain height. It then texted the delivery guy to come take the fluid. I can't give you my solution, it was very low level and simple based on local tech, and it wasn't a neat portable thing for your toddler to carry although it could be a panic button in the middle of the house. However, any competent hacker, er, I mean local technician, should be able to rig something together like this for you. A two year old can learn a lot and be quit
How about.. (Score:2)
Rig a system, perhaps a fairly short lanyard on your wifes non-dominant wrist that pulls a pin switch that is nearly certain to get pulled during a seizing event. Sure it is annoying, and prone to false positives, but she can cancel the false positives if she is okay.
Give your wife a cheap android phone to carry (Score:2)
Can't help you much with the hardware, but (Score:2)
But I can suggest that the best technology for this sort of thing is a stand-alone cellular modem, preferentially one that is on the same network as your cell phone. Wire the button into that and have it send a text message to your phone and to your gmail address.
There are certainly cellular modems that work over a serial link and I assume there are devices you can buy off the shelf that will integrate the whole thing into a panic button type of interface. But I haven't researched all-in-one solutions so
Leave the child out of it! (Score:2, Insightful)
There are technical solutions that your wife could press (if she is capable of some kind of "last action" when she feels the onset) or something that could even sensibly and automatically react to certain stimuli (like not being upright, i.e. lying on the floor, irregular heartbeat, motion sensors that can identify seizures, etc), but whatever you do, DO NOT put this burden on your kid.
You are essentially asking for something that would allow you to make your kid the caretaker of your wife. That's something
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You are essentially asking for something that would allow you to make your kid the caretaker of your wife.
I'm seeing lots of people saying this, but I don't see it.
I would think this would be a good thing for the child to know and have something to do if this happens. I'd imagine a two year-old watching Mommy convulsing on the floor and having no idea what to do would be far more traumatizing than knowing that she should immediately go press the big purple button and then wait by the phone for Daddy to call her (which he will do as soon as he's called 911).
By the way, most of the issues with "parentification"
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I'm really really concerned that the people on here don't give their kids any kind of emergency training.
By giving your child a small amount of responsibility you are NOT turning them into primary care givers or causing parentification.
My 4 year old knows how to call the police, ambulance and fire service. She knows which one to call and when. She knows how to unlock my wife's and my mobile and how to dial 000. She knows that it might happen that we are hurt and we can't do it and she knows she will neve
Cellphone for kids... (Score:5, Informative)
I am guessing that he did not look very hard...
http://www.amazon.com/LG-Veriz... [amazon.com]
first hit after googleing "Cellphone for a small child"
a child can easily learn that press 1 for daddy, 2 for mommy, 3 for grandma and if mommy needs help press the big red hand and tell the lady on the line our address.
Otherwise for his wife there are a TON of systems that are panic buttons designed for people who have siezures.
So, what does the question asker have against all the existing options?
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That was my first thought as well, and I am shocked I had to scroll this far down before I saw someone else had posted it.
He can just get a phone intended for young children, program all of the speed dial buttons to go directly to his line (the one you linked even allows the user to program the emergency button too), and enjoy the fact that he doesn't have to spend exorbitant amounts of time or money on a custom-built solution that may not have issues he's aware of until the time comes to actually use it. P
Already done. (Score:2)
This means you don't have to snoop on your family using remote cameras. Certainly yo
bite the bullet (Score:4, Interesting)
It's very difficult having a spouse with a chronic illness. (I know.) Even harder when you have children.
As much as it sucks, have her in child care as much as possible. Yes, it's horrifically expensive, it's not ideal, it's not what you envisioned (I assume, as much as you want to let her stay home with mom). But it makes sense.
If it's your wife that you are primarily worried about, then you need to figure out what can help her. Can a neighbor check on her fairly frequently? Another family member? Also, I've seen devices advertised (primarily to elderly) which claim to be able to detect falls.
For both - child and wife - check with local social workers about what is available. You may be eligible for subsidized child care due to the situation. Your wife may be eligible for some kinds of help.
Hang in there, and don't be ashamed to reach out for help.
K.I.S.S. (Score:2)
Buy a USB "big red button" on Ebay for a few bucks. Not the "easy" kind, just the plain button. Plug it in to your computer, install the software that lets you script what the button does.
Subscribe to one of those services that will send an SMS from your PC.
Do a few minutes of scripting to get the button to send an SMS to your phone.
Program your phone -- also pretty easy -- to blast an alarm when it gets that p
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Search eBay for "bluetooth remote". Buy it now and sort by price. You'll find a cheapo little $1.82 (SHIPPED!) "selfie remote". This is easy integrated into any number of things that can listen for a bluetooth signal. Done and done. $5, geez, what are you, rich? :-P
You still have to get the remote to interface with your computer. A bluetooth remote won't send you an SMS when you're away from home.
I might have misunderstood, but it was my understanding that this guy is away from the house for significant periods.
Still, you make a good point. If you can find a good way to interface it, it would work fine.
By the way: I just went on Ebay to find the big red USB switch that I have myself. The price has gone up to $38. That seems pretty outrageous for what it is. T
One-button cell phone (Score:2)
How about a one-button waterproof cell phone?
I've read about phones where you program which number the phone calls, but I can't find any now. Maybe they are no longer sold.
But here's a phone that calls some sort of operator, who can then decide how to handle the situation. You need to pay a monthly fee for the operator but I think that's better for a 2-year-old than a phone that just dials 911.
http://www.greatcall.com/products/greatcall-splash [greatcall.com]
If you could find a 1-button programmable phone, and program it
They need more care than you can give them. (Score:2)
My wife is epileptic. Her seizures have been well controlled by medication until recently
An infant, a toddler, and mother whose seizures are no longer under control.
There are no technical solutions for a problem like this.
You can not and must not ask a two year old to be caretaker for her mom. She is not there as a backup for your webcams or to care for your baby. This is a huge red flag for child protection services.
What you need is are licensed home care aides or nurses, with full time coverage when you absent from the home. If you want to avoid institutionalization for your wife and kids t
Get an ADA Siezure Detection Dog (Score:2)
The dog will warn your wife when the symptoms of a seizure are about to come on. This will give her enough time to act to ensure her safety & even call for help. Yes, ADA dogs are pricey, but since you post here, I am going to guess you can afford one to keep your wife safe. Plus it will make a good playmate for your 2 year old.
Sometimes the old solution that just works, is the best solution.
Can you solder? (Score:2)
If you've got some simple electronics knowledge, you could use one of these wifi modules: http://rayshobby.net/first-imp... [rayshobby.net]
$3, wire up a switch, and write some software to monitor it. You could use one to make an accelerometer monitor for your wife too.
Flic (Score:2)
It sounds like it will do exactly what you're looking for.
Unfortunately they're still in development but it sounds like exactly what you're looking for.
Re:Not sure why this is on Slashdot (Score:5, Insightful)
I assumed he is a good man but a shitty engineer, so he asked here for help from people who are good engineers but shitty human beings.
In all honesty (Score:3)
Sounds like you always assume the best in people and can't see the whole equation played out. Optimism is good, but in this case there is a 2 year old in the equation that seems to be constantly overlooked in this thread. Web cams don't make good baby sitters, in fact I'd be curious to know if he would be guilty of a crime if something was to happen to his wife given he knew the current medial needs of her.
Re:In all honesty (Score:4, Informative)
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I wrote a big post but slashdot is buggy and ate it. I didn't feel like writing it again. It was essentially keyfob [adafruit.com] + receiver [adafruit.com] + Rasp Pi or whatever. Should get range typical of a garage door opener.
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I kept it for a while, because it seemed like /. happily accepted it. First time that has happened to me in a decade on slashdot. It makes me sad.
And thanks, but let's not assume my posts are really worth saving :)
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Re:Chill out (Score:5, Insightful)
While you can probably delay the situations with the highest risk factors (e.g. baby's bath time) until both parents are home, there's a lot of things that potentially could go wrong while unattended. For example, A sudden onset seizure could cause the wife to drop the baby, or hit her own head on the coffee table, or who knows what else. Having a way for the 2 year old to call for help on her own in such situations could make a tremendous difference
This was a reasonable question looking for help mitigating very real risks -- don't be a dick about it.
That said: perhaps the easiest way would be to have a very basic speaker phone set up somewhere with a one-push button to actually CALL dad in case of emergency. A benefit of that over a silent email/sms/whatever setup is that it could give the 2-year old instant feedback that help is coming if there really is a problem, and depending on the verbal skills of the kid dad can save precious time as well: "mom fell and isn't moving!" vs. wasting time to try to remotely view your cameras first and see what happened.
(Although a possible downside is that she may just start hitting it anytime she wants to talk to dad during office hours)
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Having a way for the 2 year old to call for help on her own in such situations could make a tremendous difference
Unless of course it is the two year who gets hurt when Mom has a seizure.
Her seizures aren't under control. That is in the first line of the post. Once you admit that, you need to go with a care plan approved by her doctor, and the pediatrician who cares for your kids.
There can be nothing harder in the world.
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Get a trained dog instead
My dog doesn't have a service interface that can trigger a camera or send an SMS. Of course, she's not terribly well trained, either, but I am not sure what kind of WiFi signal strength she'd have even after training.
Re:Dog (Score:5, Informative)
An epilepsy service dog [epilepsyontario.org] can be trained to activate an alarm, such as LifeLine. It will also position itself between her and the toddler so the toddler doesn't get hurt. Just the knowledge that the dog CAN do this for her will lower everyone's stress levels.
A lot more dependable than some cobbled-together system that relies on a toddler, and that could lead to ugly questions about negligence. While the dogs are expensive, there are organizations that pay for the training.
Next time, why not ask her doctor or the doctor's secretary?
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
The dog may not be enough to prevent negligence charges if something happens to the child given the known condition of his wife and state of her medications. IANAL, but even if I was a Lawyer I would advise adult supervision until she was back to stabilized with medication.
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There are many home automation systems out there that could serve this up with a wireless switch [aeotec.com] or a panic button [aeotec.com]. I have a Vera as well as the parent poster, and it would work perfectly for this task. In addition to text and email, you can also hook up a Prowl notification to be delivered as an alert to your phone.
A well-connected home would give you another option. Instead of relying strictly on the panic button or your toddler's response, you could ask your wife to use the home automation system at l
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At least I'm not the only one outraged by this guys post (and a whole lot of people defending him in responses).
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Since I am one of the biggest mouth pieces against what you are doing, I'll chime in and attempt to clarify a few points. Your follow up is not going to change my opinion very much, but since you took a great amount of time attempting to clarify I will try and return in kind.
when my wife unexpectedly had her first seizure in more than NINE YEARS.
If you married an epileptic person you are already brave, so hang in there. One of the many things that you should already know is that it's a very unpredictable condition. That she was seizure free for 9 years is great, but it's not
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Day care or private nursing is not an option unless someone else is footing the bill. Day care is not even a money problem, it's more a problem of "the devil you know is better than the devil you don't." A seizure is something you can plan for and come up with options. Day care has a hell of a lot more unsavory potential variables. Read the news sometime.
Maybe all those people with kids in daycare are delusional, compeltely out of touch with the dangers they are placing their children in. Or mabye you are. Which is more likely?
Yes there are problems and challenges with daycare, and infant daycare spaces may in fact be unobtainable in your area due to high demand, but to think that "a seizure is something you can plan for", there seems to be something wrong with your world view. If your wife's seizures are unpredictable enough that you need some sort of moni