Originally Posted by bjones6416
And I get that, I really do.
My circumstance, though, is that I'm responsible for my 89 year old mother, and the only reason that I'm able to leave her alone at all is knowing that she can contact me at any time if she has an emergency. (She keeps her cell phone in her pocket, with my number on speed dial.) If I am unable to be the one on call, we specifically assign someone else in the family to be available, and I set my phone to "funeral." 
It has given me SO much more freedom this way. I try not to be annoying to people around me with it -- keep it on vibrate most of the time, and if I need to take a call I slip out of the room. But it's worked for us so far, and the times I've had to call 911 I've been able to get there before the EMT's do. It gives her a feeling of security, too, and allows her to keep a little independence. |