Details About Elderly:
Grandfather - has suffered multiple strokes, has epilepsy, is unable to speak, unable to walk, needs assistance with basically everything.
Grandmother - Alzheimers, goes crazy at times, refuses to help at times, perfectly normal and helpful at other times, refuses to see a doctor, almost deaf.

Housing Details:
The houses are on two 2.5acre lots, right next-door to each other. Approximate distance apart is 165'. Both houses are single-story concrete-block and stucco.

Camera System Needs:
Needs to span the distance (165') wirelessly. Needs to be concealable. Needs to stream recordable media to vcr, external hard drive, whatever. Trying to keep cost under $1000.


Mother is concerned about what is going on next door. Many times we come over to check on grandfather, and he is on the floor (has obviously fallen there), and grandmother has no intentions of assisting (calling us). There was a point in time where grandmother would call and we would assist - now grandmother doesn't even care to call (basically doesn't understand whats going on).

Mother has durable power-of-attorney for both grandmother and grandfather.

There is a concern that grandfather may be abused.  Situation must be assessed - daughter feels father would want this, and her power of attorney would uphold this.

Seeking one camera in living room - one viewer/vcr in our home to view situation.


Anybody have experience with a small camera system that will accomplish what we need here?

It's time for more than that.  They need to be closely supervised.  If you can't/won't do it, they need to go to a nursing home.  If gramps breaks his hip and falls, there's a very large percentage he'll be dead in two months.

+1 for assisted living....

Sorry, I agree with the Goat.

Quoted: It's time for more than that.  They need to be closely supervised.  If you can't/won't do it, they need to go to a nursing home.  If gramps breaks his hip and falls, there's a very large percentage he'll be dead in two months.

We are doing this to decide our next steps. Assisted living probably is not an option. Their daughter provides much better care than those places do down here.

1- Have grandfather move in the main house with his daughter (my mother). And leave grandmother over there at their house.
2- Have grandfather move in the main house with his daughter, and have grandmother committed.
3- If we can finally get grandmother to the doctor, watch closely to see if she improves.

It's not easy to take care of Alzheimer's patients.  They generally get worse over time, not better.

Sounds like a tough break.  If there's a way to move them into your house, that's probably where they'll get the best care.  It's a commitment.

Do the houses share a power meter?

Directional wireless-N may reach that far without a booster.

Quoted: Do the houses share a power meter?

Nope.

Dad found a company that gets a lot of calls about stuff like this. 1000' distance, with 48hr recorder and smoke-detector camera - $600

Just my opinion here but neither of them need to be left to themselves. Also, if you go forward with your plan, one camera in the living room isn't sufficient, you really need a camera in most every room or at least enough coverage that if at any point your grandfather falls, he can be observed. You also need audio so you can hear any crys for help. Needless to say, VERY frequent observations of the cameras need to be taken.

Esp in the case where you fear abuse of your GF, the situation needs to be monitored VERY closely.

Very sorry for your situation here

I'm not going to pass judgement or even talk about your situation - that's yours to deal with...but to your question, I'm looking at a wireless IP camera for my house and this one looks the best to me so far:  D-Link DCS-3420.  It's wireless (IP), color, 0.5LUX for seeing in the dark, comes with software to record to your computer HD and/or display on the computer screen, is motion sensitive, etc.

Looks pretty good for the $300-350 range with the software, if you have a computer to put it on.

If your house is out of range of a wi-fi camera, then I would suggest an IP camera.  Some wireless camera (Panasonic comes to mind) will let you connect directly to the camera via wi-fi and control it through your web browser.  

Quoted: Quoted: Do the houses share a power meter? Nope.

Even if they don't share the meter if they are fed from the same transformer the houses may be able to use those media converters that use the electrical lines.

Not really concealable but a start:
www.linksys.com/servlet/Satellite?c=L_Product_C2&childpagename=US%2FLayout&cid=1175239676016&pagename=Linksys%2FCommon%2FVisitorWrapper&lid=7601687048B01

Run those into a hub or to a wireless router and out to your house via these:
www.thinkgeek.com/electronics/video/95ec/


-Foxxz