# Phones that will wake the dead, er, DEAF **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 27, 2009, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phones-that-will-wake-the-dead-er-deaf/511780 "2009-09-27T21:49:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phones-that-will-wake-the-dead-er-deaf/511780/1 "2009-09-27T21:49:32Z")
Scary incident with my mother-in-law last night - fell in the bathroom in the middle of the night, called to her husband for help… he’s deaf as a post without his hearing aids (and not much better with them) so he didn’t hear her. Eventually my sister-in-law, who was visiting, heard and helped out. MIL “only” hurt her knee badly enough to go to the ER but it could have been worse. Well, we’re considering one of those “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” systems but of course what would be great would be if such a service could, say, phone FIL and say “wake up, your wife is in the bathroom”. In general he often doesn’t hear the phone ringing anyway… which might be sort of essential if he needs to take an emergency phone call. Any thoughts on what sort of technology might work? Especially when FIL is asleep. Are there bed vibrators? Strobe lights? Caged wild tigers? ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phones-that-will-wake-the-dead-er-deaf/511780/2 "2009-09-27T22:00:31Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > Scary incident with my mother-in-law last night - fell in the bathroom in the middle of the night, called to her husband for help… he’s deaf as a post without his hearing aids (and not much better with them) so he didn’t hear her. Eventually my sister-in-law, who was visiting, heard and helped out. MIL “only” hurt her knee badly enough to go to the ER but it could have been worse. > > Well, we’re considering one of those “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” systems but of course what would be great would be if such a service could, say, phone FIL and say “wake up, your wife is in the bathroom”. In general he often doesn’t hear the phone ringing anyway… which might be sort of essential if he needs to take an emergency phone call. > > Any thoughts on what sort of technology might work? Especially when FIL is asleep. Are there bed vibrators? Strobe lights? Caged wild tigers? Someone will be here shortly with the proper answer with links, but yes there are phone systems with blinking lights, seriously loud alarm systems and bed vibrators. You can set up alarm systems to ring only locally, or ring through to an alarm company. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phones-that-will-wake-the-dead-er-deaf/511780/3 "2009-09-27T22:15:07Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > Someone will be here shortly with the proper answer with links, but yes there are phone systems with blinking lights, seriously loud alarm systems and bed vibrators. > > You can set up alarm systems to ring only locally, or ring through to an alarm company. Thanks - yeah, I did some googling after I posted this and the first hit was something that would be ideal re waking my father-in-law. I’m now in the process of learning about phone systems with remote pendants… if MIL had had one of those last night, she could have made the system phone someone. ---
**Author:** ![cdsilv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cdsilv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cdsilv)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2009, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phones-that-will-wake-the-dead-er-deaf/511780/4 "2009-09-28T18:06:20Z")
Something from these folks might help > **[Diglo | Hearing Loss & Deaf Products | Harris Communications](https://www.diglo.com/)** > > Diglo (formerly Harris Communications) offers the largest selection of hearing loss products at the guaranteed lowest prices. Free shipping & returns! My deaf daughter has a ‘vibrating alarm clock’ from them that has a unit that you put under your pillow that vibrates when it is time to awaken.