The help button: when it's used and when it isn't

Some families give the patient a help button to wear, so the patient can call for help. ExpressAgain keeps two things about it: when it was given, and a log of when it was used and when help was needed and it was not used. It keeps counts of what the person at the bedside logged, nothing more: it never reads meaning into them, and the entries never raise a care alert.

When it was given: open Insurance & Devices, tap Add a device and choose Help button (worn). Under When it was given, pick Exact date and choose the day; or About (month and year) when you only know roughly, which reads about September 2026; or Not sure, which keeps no date. The question about readings reaching the practice is not asked: a help button sends nothing to the practice. The account owner and the caregiver role can add or change it there.

Logging it: on Health Tracking, Symptoms & events, the Help button group has Pressed the help button and Needed help — didn't press the button. Once a help button is on file, or one of these has been logged, both are quick chips on the main row; before that they are under More symptoms. Pressed the help button may say What for? (pain, bathroom, thirsty or hungry, scared or upset, fell or nearly fell, by accident, other, didn't say). Needed help — didn't press the button asks Was it on? (Wearing it, Not wearing it or Not sure) before Log it, and may say What happened? (called out or yelled, cried, grunted or moaned, tried to get up alone, other) and Reminded about the button — then pressed it? (Yes, No or Didn't remind). Add a note, a photo or a short video and the time as with any entry. The answers are kept as their own fields and as words, so the entry reads Needed help — didn't press the button · wearing it · cried in the log, on the feed and in the reports.

The Help button card sits under Symptoms & events once a help button is on file or logged. It shows Given (the day, about a month, not sure with the day the first one was logged, or not recorded with a link to set it), this week's counts — help needed (each press plus each time it was not pressed), pressed the button 1 of 3 times, and how many of the others were while wearing it — and the last eight weeks as small bars, pressed at the bottom and not pressed on top, with the number on each bar. Each week, in words lists the same numbers. Weeks are the seven days ending today on the patient's clock, like the week arrows on every log. Under Log it now, Pressed the help button, or Wearing it, Not wearing it or Not sure under Needed help, didn't press, logs one at once under your name.

On the care-team dashboard, Health Tracking has the same card under Symptoms & events, and the Quick log has the two Help button chips above its list (they are always in the list under Help button). Since your last visit adds one line to the symptoms block, for example Help button: pressed 3 · needed help without pressing 6 (wearing it 5). Health reports, Symptoms & alerts, has a Help button section with the range's weeks, on screen, printed and as Download CSV (help button). The family version of the daily note carries the same one line of counts; the friends version never mentions it.

Who sees it: the people who can read the symptom log — the owner account, the caregiver role, the family role and the care team's logins on the patient, including the home team's professionals, who also see the day it was given on the card. The extended circle (friends) and the agency office never see it, and nothing about it is sent as a text, an email or a notification.