My Mom Can Get Help While I Am Away at Work

When Stephenie leaves for work, Bernedine is alone in the home for hours. After a unsettling experience with Bernedine’s health, now they wouldn’t be without their Companion 24/7.

Bernadine Novak is a strong woman. The 81-year old has survived two sons and a divorce from her husband of 50 years.

“I just have Stephenie Andrea now,” Bernadine says of her daughter, whom she lives with in Butler, Penn.

Recently, her strength was tested again, when a fall left her unable to move her arm or speak clearly. Fortunately, her daughter was there to call 911.

But after the accident , Stephenie Steiger says she worried about what would have happened if Bernadine had been alone. She works outside the home sometimes 10 or 12 hours a day.

“It was very, very scary,” Stephenie says, when she imagined how long her mother might have gone without help. “It could have been hours. If I was out of town, it could have been days.”

Recently, Stephenie bought her mother a voice-activated Constant Companion smart speaker. The device acts as a medical alert because her mom can call for assistance from anywhere in the house and be connected to an urgent response center. Constant Companion agents also “check in” in on her a couple times a week, making calls through the device to see how she is doing.

Bernadine can also make and answer calls, play games, and listen to music. The first evening she got the new speaker, she says, neighbors stopped in to check it out. Now they call Bernadine regularly to chat. Bernadine also enjoys playing 20 Questions and listening to songs from the 1970s.

For Stephanie, the device has brought some peace of mind.

“Knowing that my mom is always safe and taken care of and has help basically just by saying, ‘I need help,’ is a big relief,” Stephenie says.

https://vimeo.com/405659144

--By Stephanie Kanowitz