Watchfulness
By M on Thursday 23 November 2006, 13:27 - Journal - Permalink
the eagle-eyed among you would have noticed that only a day after I mentioned
Derek's suggestion that we install cameras in or around mum and dad's house
this very measure appeared as a partial current solution to problem
no. 16, Vulnerability to robbery and violence.
I own at least fifteen (I have just counted them) miniature cameras, with either USB or video output, and something like four video-to-USB adapters. You may wonder why. I needed them for a research project, and over time, as both the project and camera specifications changed, buying new cameras was always cheap enough to prove a cost-effective option. It means that eleven of my cameras have been sitting in a box, gathering dust.
As part of the same project, I also have a spare miniature video transmitter and compatible video receiver, though the transmitter needs connectors reattached to its bare wires. So much for hardware, what about the software?
A quick Google search for webcam AND server AND freeware brought up several options, one of which was Yawcam,which I duly downloaded. After considerable misguided fiddling about I got an old USB camera and Yawcam software working together and correctly serving streaming time-and-date-stamped colour video from my PC to the web at about 1 fps.
Yesterday, prior to the pre-meeting meeting, I dropped in on mum and dad and busied myself with dad's computer. I connected a similar camera (despite finding that no Win-XP drivers exist for it, which meant trying many other options, one of which was successful) to his machine, ran the software and had streaming video working within a few minutes. Later that evening I demonstrated this to the rest of the family by calling up dad's IP number from Greg's computer. We all watched dad messing around in his room, looking for a pen I had (untruthfully) told him I'd left on his bed.
Neither mum nor dad know anything about this monitoring system. Until it is ready to implement properly, I won't mention it. It will cause too much of a flurry of questions and wonderings and false impressions, which may all prove to be completely unnecessary if I eventually decide that it doesn't work well enough, and take it all down again. It may even be better not to mention it at all.
The system is not yet up to scratch, for the following reasons:
Is this sick or perverse? I don't know how serious they were, but some of the comments I had from Greg, Rachel and Regan seemed to indicate that they thought it was. I don't think so. I wonder what you think?
I own at least fifteen (I have just counted them) miniature cameras, with either USB or video output, and something like four video-to-USB adapters. You may wonder why. I needed them for a research project, and over time, as both the project and camera specifications changed, buying new cameras was always cheap enough to prove a cost-effective option. It means that eleven of my cameras have been sitting in a box, gathering dust.
As part of the same project, I also have a spare miniature video transmitter and compatible video receiver, though the transmitter needs connectors reattached to its bare wires. So much for hardware, what about the software?
A quick Google search for webcam AND server AND freeware brought up several options, one of which was Yawcam,which I duly downloaded. After considerable misguided fiddling about I got an old USB camera and Yawcam software working together and correctly serving streaming time-and-date-stamped colour video from my PC to the web at about 1 fps.
Yesterday, prior to the pre-meeting meeting, I dropped in on mum and dad and busied myself with dad's computer. I connected a similar camera (despite finding that no Win-XP drivers exist for it, which meant trying many other options, one of which was successful) to his machine, ran the software and had streaming video working within a few minutes. Later that evening I demonstrated this to the rest of the family by calling up dad's IP number from Greg's computer. We all watched dad messing around in his room, looking for a pen I had (untruthfully) told him I'd left on his bed.
Neither mum nor dad know anything about this monitoring system. Until it is ready to implement properly, I won't mention it. It will cause too much of a flurry of questions and wonderings and false impressions, which may all prove to be completely unnecessary if I eventually decide that it doesn't work well enough, and take it all down again. It may even be better not to mention it at all.
The system is not yet up to scratch, for the following reasons:
- The camera is on a short cable and is therefore sitting beside the computer in dad's bedroom. This doesn't afford a good view of the house. In fact, it affords only a rather too intimate view of dad's bed and the doorway. At one stage when Regan and I were watching dad in his bedroom he moved as if to take his trousers off, Regan gulped. I need to relocate the camera.
- The software is no rock of Gibraltar, and may therefore need to be replaced with something more stable, reliable and, possibly, expensive. We inexplicably lost the picture at one stage, and then got a call from dad complaining that his computer wasn't working. I'll try some other freeware before committing to a purchase.
- The transmitter-receiver connection wasn't tested, as I need to do a bit of soldering before it will work. When working, this will allow me to put the camera anywhere in the house.
- At night the images are all black. I may need to use an infra-red sensitive camera in the long run.
into the nearest web browser, even from a mobile phone. The world-wide family will be able to see their beloved pottering around whenever they feel like it.http://999.999.999.999:9999
Is this sick or perverse? I don't know how serious they were, but some of the comments I had from Greg, Rachel and Regan seemed to indicate that they thought it was. I don't think so. I wonder what you think?
Comments
I think this is a splendid way for all of you to come to know and understand more about how your parents act and interact on their own, aside from its potential for protecting valuables, both human and material. I think I understand your siblings' initial objections but, believe me, the only way I glean the information that makes it easy for me to take care of my mother in the most subtle and effective ways is to do what I call "following her around with my nose up her ass." It seemed intrusive to me, too, at first, and I found myself constantly apologizing to her for it at the beginning. However, there are times when elevated attention is not only appropriate but useful and informative; when one is raising very young children, for instance. This kind of attention is not intrusive, when necessary, it is valuable and, I think, comforting. For instance: When I began doing this "manually" some years ago it initially bothered my mother. Quickly, though, she became so used to my attention that she misses it when I lapse here and there. I think it's kind of like a mental handlebar for her; a tool she uses to remain oriented and comfortable in her environment.
My prediction is that, if you decide to extend and use the system permanently, I predict all of you, even those who are uncomfortable watching but glean information from those who do, will be surprised at how effective this method will be in helping each of you take care of them in the most inobtrusive and appropriate ways.
It seems to me that you are on to a technique that could be very valuable for others taking care of their parents long distance, so to speak. I would think as well, that your father, once he gets used to the arrangement, which may take less time than you think, may feel safer in his environment. I'm guessing that your mother is probably beyond awareness of being watched.
Will you have any way of saving the videos, cutting them down to parts you consider significant? I'm thinking, here, in terms of noticing behavior and interactions that you want to ponder more for clues to further developments as they continue to age and getting a jump on problems that might need to be solved. As well, it seems like having a record like this could, eventually, prove valuable to the entire "caring for demented adults" community.
Good luck with this, Mike. I think it's innovative and promising in ways that have yet to be revealed.
Mike--I agree with Gail. You're doing this to minimize disruptions to their already-fraught lives. And yours! The technology is there and you're using it for their benefit.
I wonder--will your Dad not get curious about the webcams? I could do this with my mother, but if my father were still around he'd have the camera dismantled in a heartbeat. Even if he didn't know what it was, he'd probably take it apart (we had a chronic problem with his hearing aids--he rarely wore them because he liked to "fix" them). I know you've mentioned that your father was an engineer and I wondered if he still had the urge to investigate...