advice re:remote 'baby monitoring'

I have an angelcare baby monitor for my daughter that seems to work pretty well.  You can have it set to real time sound monitoring or to only activate to human speech/sounds, it also has a temperature alert if the temp is too high or low and comes with a sensor pad that goes under the mattress so that if the baby is still (or not breathing) for more than 20 seconds, it sounds an alarm.  Not sure how useful a feature that would be for someone with epilepsy however.  There are quite a few video baby monitors out there as well with good night cameras, though from reading reviews, I think a lot of them are pretty prone to interference.

 

 

 

Hi All

 

I have a client who has a family member with epilepsy and they are in need of a monitoring system. Her experience is that none of the standard epilepsy monitoring sensor(s) are reliable enough and that the only sound gives her a reliable alert and she has always relied on a baby monitor. It is a night time problem only. The family member has recently moved to a block of flats a couple of hundred yards from the family home and none of the digital baby monitor systems are capable of reliable transmission. I have suggested phone dialler systems triggered by sound, which could be linked to a dedicated mobile phone that would also give her more freedom to roam, but she insists that it has to be real-time sound monitoring – at the moment she sleeps in a camp bed in her family member’s living room with a baby monitor – the situation is rapidly becoming untenable.

 

I think that the answer is probably some form of intercom system with a signal booster but I am having difficulties tracking one down. All the standard nurse call-type ones do not allow for a continuously open channel and the only other options that might meet the bill seem to be very expensive covert surveillance systems.

 

Has anyone got any suggestions?

 

Cheers

 

Jeremy

 

Jeremy Linskell CEng, CSci, MIPEM

Principal Clinical Scientist

Electronic Assistive Technology Service

Ninewells Hospital

NHS Tayside

tel: 01382-496286

fax:01382-496322

 

Editorial Board Member of Journal of Assistive Technologies

http://pierprofessional.metapress.com/content/121393 

 

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Ahh I see.  Not too sure about that one.  Perhaps you could remotely log into a pc that has a webcamera attached or something.  I’ll have a think about it.

 

 

 

Hi Andy

 

Thanks for the info. There are a few monitor options available that theoretically meet the need, but unfortunately none of the standard off-the-shelf baby monitors will meet my transmission concerns. The transmission is from a house to a block of flats approx 200m away with no direct line of site. I think I will need a booster system with externally mounted boosters, but I can’t currently id a suitable candidate.

 

Cheers

 

jeremy

 

 

I have an angelcare baby monitor for my daughter that seems to work pretty well.  You can have it set to real time sound monitoring or to only activate to human speech/sounds, it also has a temperature alert if the temp is too high or low and comes with a sensor pad that goes under the mattress so that if the baby is still (or not breathing) for more than 20 seconds, it sounds an alarm.  Not sure how useful a feature that would be for someone with epilepsy however.  There are quite a few video baby monitors out there as well with good night cameras, though from reading reviews, I think a lot of them are pretty prone to interference.

 

 

 

Hi All

 

I have a client who has a family member with epilepsy and they are in need of a monitoring system. Her experience is that none of the standard epilepsy monitoring sensor(s) are reliable enough and that the only sound gives her a reliable alert and she has always relied on a baby monitor. It is a night time problem only. The family member has recently moved to a block of flats a couple of hundred yards from the family home and none of the digital baby monitor systems are capable of reliable transmission. I have suggested phone dialler systems triggered by sound, which could be linked to a dedicated mobile phone that would also give her more freedom to roam, but she insists that it has to be real-time sound monitoring – at the moment she sleeps in a camp bed in her family member’s living room with a baby monitor – the situation is rapidly becoming untenable.

 

I think that the answer is probably some form of intercom system with a signal booster but I am having difficulties tracking one down. All the standard nurse call-type ones do not allow for a continuously open channel and the only other options that might meet the bill seem to be very expensive covert surveillance systems.

 

Has anyone got any suggestions?

 

Cheers

 

Jeremy

 

Jeremy Linskell CEng, CSci, MIPEM

Principal Clinical Scientist

Electronic Assistive Technology Service

Ninewells Hospital

NHS Tayside

tel: 01382-496286

fax:01382-496322

 

Editorial Board Member of Journal of Assistive Technologies

http://pierprofessional.metapress.com/content/121393 

 

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Jeremy

I sympathise with the family as I have personal experience of the situation.  From my experience epilepsy detectors don’t pick up every seizure – they each have their own quirks & each seizure is slightly different in sound or movement.  I can understand the insistence on live sound - I’m not sure how, but mothers seem tuned in to the critical noises that are important for the care of their offspring!

 

How about a walkie-talkie type radio, or a link through Skype or MS Netmeeting?

 

Having said that, is this about letting go?  What action will she take if she hears a seizure a couple of hundred yards away?  Perhaps she will rush round in the middle of the night?  Is that fast enough? 

 

There doesn’t seem to be an answer to what to do about a family member, who could conceivably die through inhalation of vomit in a seizure, but wants to live independently.

-----Original Message-----
From: A discussion list for Assistive Technology professionals. [mailto:ASSISTECH@...] On Behalf Of Jeremy Linskell
Sent: 29 October 2009 10:32
To: ASSISTECH@...
Subject: advice re:remote 'baby monitoring'

 

Hi All

 

I have a client who has a family member with epilepsy and they are in need of a monitoring system. Her experience is that none of the standard epilepsy monitoring sensor(s) are reliable enough and that the only sound gives her a reliable alert and she has always relied on a baby monitor. It is a night time problem only. The family member has recently moved to a block of flats a couple of hundred yards from the family home and none of the digital baby monitor systems are capable of reliable transmission. I have suggested phone dialler systems triggered by sound, which could be linked to a dedicated mobile phone that would also give her more freedom to roam, but she insists that it has to be real-time sound monitoring – at the moment she sleeps in a camp bed in her family member’s living room with a baby monitor – the situation is rapidly becoming untenable.

 

I think that the answer is probably some form of intercom system with a signal booster but I am having difficulties tracking one down. All the standard nurse call-type ones do not allow for a continuously open channel and the only other options that might meet the bill seem to be very expensive covert surveillance systems.

 

Has anyone got any suggestions?

 

Cheers

 

Jeremy

 

Jeremy Linskell CEng, CSci, MIPEM

Principal Clinical Scientist

Electronic Assistive Technology Service

Ninewells Hospital

NHS Tayside

tel: 01382-496286

fax:01382-496322

 

Editorial Board Member of Journal of Assistive Technologies

http://pierprofessional.metapress.com/content/121393 

 

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Jeremy

I think I could identify those breathing sounds in a second or two!  Am I right in thinking that the available epilepsy detectors that are available, purely work on noise level?

 

-----Original Message-----
From: A discussion list for Assistive Technology professionals. [mailto:ASSISTECH@...] On Behalf Of Jeremy Linskell
Sent: 29 October 2009 11:59
To: ASSISTECH@...
Subject: Re: advice re:remote 'baby monitoring'

 

Hi Barry

 

Yes it’s a complex situation. The seizures are apparently very predictable in type and timing – breathing difficulties in the early hours of the morning and the family member is apparently well-tuned to the pattern, and also feels that there is time to respond within the current set up. Broadband is not currently set up and there are no PCs and managing PCs would be am on-going headache in this situation, but I may need to propose these if no-one can help be id a suitable system. Regarding Walkie Talkies I haven’t yet found one that offers an option for a continuously open channel. Family-member confidence is key here and sound-activation does not seem to suffice.

 

Cheers

 

Jeremy

 

 

Jeremy

I sympathise with the family as I have personal experience of the situation.  From my experience epilepsy detectors don’t pick up every seizure – they each have their own quirks & each seizure is slightly different in sound or movement.  I can understand the insistence on live sound - I’m not sure how, but mothers seem tuned in to the critical noises that are important for the care of their offspring!

 

How about a walkie-talkie type radio, or a link through Skype or MS Netmeeting?

 

Having said that, is this about letting go?  What action will she take if she hears a seizure a couple of hundred yards away?  Perhaps she will rush round in the middle of the night?  Is that fast enough? 

 

There doesn’t seem to be an answer to what to do about a family member, who could conceivably die through inhalation of vomit in a seizure, but wants to live independently.

-----Original Message-----
From: A discussion list for Assistive Technology professionals. [mailto:ASSISTECH@...] On Behalf Of Jeremy Linskell
Sent: 29 October 2009 10:32
To: ASSISTECH@...
Subject: advice re:remote 'baby monitoring'

 

Hi All

 

I have a client who has a family member with epilepsy and they are in need of a monitoring system. Her experience is that none of the standard epilepsy monitoring sensor(s) are reliable enough and that the only sound gives her a reliable alert and she has always relied on a baby monitor. It is a night time problem only. The family member has recently moved to a block of flats a couple of hundred yards from the family home and none of the digital baby monitor systems are capable of reliable transmission. I have suggested phone dialler systems triggered by sound, which could be linked to a dedicated mobile phone that would also give her more freedom to roam, but she insists that it has to be real-time sound monitoring – at the moment she sleeps in a camp bed in her family member’s living room with a baby monitor – the situation is rapidly becoming untenable.

 

I think that the answer is probably some form of intercom system with a signal booster but I am having difficulties tracking one down. All the standard nurse call-type ones do not allow for a continuously open channel and the only other options that might meet the bill seem to be very expensive covert surveillance systems.

 

Has anyone got any suggestions?

 

Cheers

 

Jeremy

 

Jeremy Linskell CEng, CSci, MIPEM

Principal Clinical Scientist

Electronic Assistive Technology Service

Ninewells Hospital

NHS Tayside

tel: 01382-496286

fax:01382-496322

 

Editorial Board Member of Journal of Assistive Technologies

http://pierprofessional.metapress.com/content/121393 

 

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This message may contain confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient please inform the
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Please do not disclose, copy or distribute information in this e-mail or take any action in reliance on its contents:
to do so is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful.

Thank you for your co-operation.

NHSmail is the secure email and directory service available for all NHS staff in England and Scotland
NHSmail is approved for exchanging patient data and other sensitive information with NHSmail and GSI recipients
NHSmail provides an email address for your career in the NHS and can be accessed anywhere
For more information and to find out how you can switch, visit www.connectingforhealth.nhs.uk/nhsmail

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NHSmail is approved for exchanging patient data and other sensitive information with NHSmail and GSI recipients
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