Extremely Paranoid single mommy question…
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My suggestion would be get a land line, if your state doesn't mandate that you must be able to call 911. Remember with cell phones emergency workers are not always able to locate you based on your cell phone. Even phones that are GPS enabled you must ahve the feature turned on, and most affordable prepay phones are not equipped with this option. Your son would have to be able to give them your physical address and possibly directions, with a land line they have that information.
Some states now have a program where you can register your cell phone so they are able to track your address, but not all states do this.0 -
Get a 2nd cell phone that you can buy the minutes for and put it somewhere for emergencies. Teach him that it's only for emergencies and that it's the 911 phone. Then he'll have a phone he can use if there is an accident. Oh and you can program numbers in it of emergency contact people; I.E. Grandma a friend or the like.0
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I think there is something called Magic Jack.....you can get it from Radio Shack I think...It's like 20 bucks a year and is hooked up to your modem...0
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Get a landline. That way they can locate where you are at. Get the very basic plan.0
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Check out the Life Alert. lifealert.com
I was going to say this as well... even if you are wearing it around your neck, you can teach him to punch the button. (assuming you are in the house with him when something happens rather than him home alone and you out)...
If you do have problems with passing out then it may be a good thing for you and not just the typical "I've fallen and I can't get up" scenario.0 -
I agree with the basic landline (no caller display, no voicemail etc..)... it's quite cheap if you don't use it for long distance.
Lifealert is also an option, but it's a button you have to wear around your neck whenever you are at home. Which is a pain in the butt if you ask me (great for seniors tho).. It can also detect if you fall down without you having to press the button.0 -
Sounds like a good reason to meet your neighbors! I have 4 apartment buildings and only one tenant has a land line, one of my buildings had no phone jacks, I thought it might be a problem, but 8 years later, no one has noticed. I live in a 3 family, and I worked so much when the kids were that age it was almost like my wife was a single mother.... We hardly ever lock our door...
I would have a few extra keys, have one hidden outside, give one to a friend.
Another suggestion a roomate.....
Medical problem- make sure you tak your medicine, lab tests, go to your appiontments... do the best you can do... we taught our kids how to go to the nieghbors for help.0 -
Perhaps, the most economical choice may be just to get a prepaid phone in anticipation for such emergencies. EVEN if your minutes are used up, you'll always be able to call "911".
This is a perfect idea
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I work at 9-1-1 and probably 80% of our calls are from cell phones... and probably 50% of those are pocket dials. Most phones have "emergency mode" when a number is held down (usually I think it's 9, but you should be able to make it whatever you want)... plus you can simply call 9-1-1 with it too. I'm not sure where you live but most places are Wireless Phase II which means your location can be plotted... just keep an open line because the longer you are on the line the closer we can pin point your location. I'm a single mom of a 3 year old, so I understand feeling paranoid.
Also, if your cell phone were disconnected for whatever reason... you can still dial 9-1-1. We just cannot call you back.0 -
I sent you message, please read it0
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Isnt there a botton older people wear call Life Alert or something like that? They wear it around their necks on a lanyard. IT could be hung on the fridge maybe?0
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Lifealert looks like a minimum 3 year contract at $50/month, my landline phone is $20 a month just to have a phone that I can be reached at. I don't have or want a cell phone, the landline is here, it's "free" local calling all day every day for my $20 and when I need to call long distance I buy a calling card which gives me $0.02/min calling within North America... $5 for the card, when it's gone it's gone I keep a cap on my bill this way. I never miss calls because the battery is dead (I use corded phone not cordless)
Magicjack is certainly worth a look though here in Canada you pay an extra $10 to get a Canadian number if you want it (makes sense so your local friends can call you locally without long distance charges), and its portable, take it with you when you travel across country as long as you have high speed internet connection and a computer to plug it into (or maybe the modem /router if you have the new one that doesn't need a computer for more than initial set up) you have your home-phone. At $60 for 5 years of unlimited north american long distance, call display, call answer (messages also forwarded to your linked email account) . Just make sure you have half decent internet for it, I used it on a cell-based internet stick with very poor reception and was garbled regularly, but if that same cell stick was used in the city magicjack was as good as my home phone.
Found what I was looking for too... Life alert at $50 a month also requires you to HAVE a phone for them to dial... as per
"Life Alert service consists of a pendant-shaped device, worn on a necklace or wristband, and an automated dialer connected to a telephone line."0 -
No you are not being paranoid .. You are being responsible by expecting the best but preparing for the worst. EVERY child should have an emergency plan in place. No different that teaching them what to do in the case of a house fire. If you have a medical condition, it would only be logical to have your son prepared. You can reduce panic 10 fold by having him KNOW what to do in any situation. It may just save not only HIS life, but yours.
If you have a land line, and your son (heaven forbid) has to call 911, your address will be displayed on their call display ... and they can dispatch help without him having to give them an address. All he has to do is make the call. You can set up the phone and teach him to press a 911 allocated button. Simply .. one button to get help.
A cell phone .. is not that easy. Although you can teach him how to call using 'speed dial', he would still have to repeat your address. Although, it could be done, and you could litterally drill him on what to do, there is more of a chance that he may not do it without error. I wonder, if you can alert the 911 call center of your cell phone number .. so in the event, he ever has to make that call, and you are at home .. that he could simply place the call, and they may be able to dispatch to your address .. Emphasis on "IF you are at home".
Life alert and those kinds of medical alerts would be a good idea .. but again, if you are not at home, and he was successful in making a call, he would have to relay your location.
If you have a condition like this, I can only assume you do not drive .. so explaining about 'onstar' wouldn't really be of help in a situation like that.
And then of course..you could always create some sort of emergency plan with your son and one (or a few) of your neighbours, so he can get help by knocking on doors.0 -
If you have internet at home, get ooma. One time fee $200, and sometimes discounted a bit. No monthly fee, and you can get a cell phone plan with lower minutes and use ooma to call from home.0
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You can get a landline now for about $10 per month (no frills, local service only). No reason not to have one just in case, plus you can cut back on your wireless time by making your local calls from home.0
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One of the reasons so many ppl are giving up land lines is due to the cost. $9 for the monthly phone bill, $50000000 for the charges/fees/taxes/etc. The GOOD thing about a land line is - your child won't have to remember your name or address. 911 will auto display it.
On the other hand - 5 yrs old is old enough to know how to use a cell phone.
I teach a class on how not to be a victim of a crime - and awareness and practice, practice, practice is the drill.
Practice with your son. Go lay down on the bedroom floor, call him in - tell him, ok, we're going to practice what to do in case mommy gets hurt. Then show him how to push the buttons. He might be able to read some numbers - or you can write your address on a piece of paper and
have it on the fridge - which he'll see daily. Just show him how you'd call in case he were hurt - and then have him show you how he'd do it in case you were hurt.
If he freaks out - or is more timid... then tell him that if it ever happens and he calls the firemen - he'll be famous and maybe you'd be on TV.
Something to lessen the freak out stuff - and more like fun, celebrity, etc.
Sort of depends on how mature your 5 yr old is, and how close to 6 he is.
Paranoid is only paranoid if you dwell on it 24/7. If you think about it, set a plan in motion and practice it - it's not paranoid, it's prepared.
LIke earthquakes, floods, tornado's, etc. Once you've set the plan out, and practice it, it's not as scary. For either of you.
Good luck.0 -
Cell phones are required to be able to dial 911 even if they do not have service. So you could go to walmart and buy a cheap 10 dollar cell phone and use that.0
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Funny
its the stinking fees for cell phones up here that make me stick with a landline over a cellphone, pay to make a local call? Even if I'm out a local call on the payphone if 50 cents all day vs 35 cents per minute from our pay as you go phones (depending on which cards you buy, yes the $100 card that lasts for a year gives you a cheaper per minute rate) extra for text messages etc. It's why I went with a magicjack originally, carry the thing with me use it from anywhere there is internet access, all the "bells and whistles" that cost so much extra on a home-phone or even a cell phone (oddly my pay as you go phone included things like call display and voice mail) but they are always an added fee on cell (contract)or home packages.One of the reasons so many ppl are giving up land lines is due to the cost. $9 for the monthly phone bill, $50000000 for the charges/fees/taxes/etc.0 -
Any cell phone, even an inactive phone, can dial 911 (I believe it's a federal requirement.) So, buy a cheap cell phone to keep in the house. You don't have to activate it, or have minutes for it.
The only problem with this is the kid will have to give his address properly. I'm assuming even if they can trace to exact location by a call (iffy) it takes too much time.0
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