Ron Roske and his wife are in that position now. Ron’s father-in-law has had to move in with them because he has become increasingly more physically dependent on those around him. "Throughout the last year he has become increasingly more physically dependent to the point of needing me to be within earshot at all times during the day and night" Ron told us.

Obviously this is going to create some problems because it places limitations on what Ron can do at any given moment. It also means that Ron can’t do any work out in the yard, and in the house, he must be within earshot of his father-in-law at all times. But Ron was able to come up with a way to get his work done, and still be within earshot of his father-in-law. Here’s how he did it in his own words.

"In an effort to reverse this trend in preventing me from getting anything done around the property, I have used a very simple but highly effective X10 setup. I have provided [my father-in-law] with a ’Big Red’ button and have set it to activate a remote chime unit. As I take on a project that is out of hearing range from him, I take the chime unit with me and plug it into the nearest outlet to where I am working. If I take on a project that will involve some time, I have him ’remind me’ every fifteen minutes or so and that helps me keep from getting so involved that I lose track of time."

Even though this reminder may seem like a simple thing, Ron tells us that it also provides something extra for his father-in-law to do. A little bit of external stimulation if you will. Ron also told us, "I have found that this setup also works very well for a call button at night and allows [me and my wife] to get a better night’s sleep."

Featured Articles - Listing of Recent Postings
August 30 - Cameras Catch the Car Vandals
July 23 - Remote-control Units Help Country's Biggest Student Film Festival
July 2 - The X10 Mechanic
April 19 - FloodCams Catch the Vandals

Customer Stories - Index