Nowadays, there aren’t too many people who can boast that they own and work on a 120-acre cattle farm, have the ability to drive a tractor, motor vehicle, and ride-on lawnmower at the ripe old age of 91.
However, Jack Thorpe of Gippsland can.
Jack grew up on a farm, and when it was time for him to take it over, he decided he would clean it up and sell it. Seventy years later and Jack is still on the farm.
His son John lives down the road only 5 minutes from his father and regularly checks in on him and helps out. Jack has another son Peter who lives not far from him and two daughters, Ann, a nurse residing in Perth, and Sue, another nurse who is very much the heart and soul of the farm. She visits Jack daily to work on the farm, feeds the cows, and helps to cook and clean for him too.
Growing Concerns
Although Jack is very healthy, having never spent a day in the hospital, he does rely on medication for ailments, as you would expect for someone in their 90’s, and according to John, he was getting a little unsteady on his feet. John and his sisters were becoming concerned that their elderly father, who lived alone on the farm, might have a fall or accident, and there would be no one there to help him.
So the time came for John to raise the subject with Jack about getting a safety pendant that would alert carers if he was in trouble or had a fall. Jack, a very independent man, and had to think about it for a while before he agreed to get one.
The family began doing their research for a safety pendant, and the first one they came across had an aerial that only gave coverage of 300 meters around the house. On a farm of 120-acres, they would need something that could detect a bigger radius than that if Jack had a fall and needed help.
John and his sisters purchased a generic safety device from a company in Newcastle. When they received it, there were tuning issues with the device, and had to return it.
The family then began searching online for a superior product. It was Ann who came across the SOFIHUB beacon during a google search. After reading some positive reviews they ordered the SOFIHUB beacon and had no trouble setting it up swiftly when it arrived.
The Day of The Accident
Sue was at Jack’s farm helping him to split wood. She was operating the hydraulic woodcutter on one side of the wood heap and, Jack was on the other side. Sue suggested to Jack that he should go into the house for a rest, and she offered to walk him in. Jack agreed to go and rest, but he said he was fine to walk on his own.
As Jack made his way around the wood heap to head inside, he took a fall and could not get to his feet. Sue had no way of hearing or seeing Jack on the ground as she was on the other side, with earmuffs on protecting her from the noise of the hydraulic woodcutter.
Minutes later, in the distance, Sue could see their cousin Jim’s ute come flying down the driveway, and close behind him was John also in his ute. Jim was first to run over to the wood heap where Jack was lying. Sue ran around to the other side and was shocked to see her father on the ground.
Luckily Jack was not injured, and thanks to the SOFIHUB beacon, it sent an alert to John and Jim (who were emergency contacts) that something was wrong with Jack. Sue and Ann were also emergency contacts, but Sue could not hear her alert because of the woodcutter. However, Ann received the notification and rang John to see if their father was alright.
In John’s words, the SOFIHUB beacon more than paid for itself that day.
You Never Know What Is Around The Corner
When most people purchase a safety pendant, they hope that they will never have to use it. For Jack and his family, that day came no more than 48 hours after they received the SOFIHUB beacon, and what a lifesaver it was.
Jack never leaves home without his beacon and will charge it up at lunchtime when he goes into the house. Most importantly, Jack can operate the device with ease and diligently charges it every lunchtime.
According to John, there has only been one instance where the battery got as low as 15%. All four emergency contacts received notification that the SOFIHUB beacon needed recharging.
John, Sue, and Ann could not believe that the investment in the SOFIHUB beacon would pay off so quickly, but it gives them constant peace of mind that they will be alerted if their dad has a fall again or needs their help. One of the great features of the beacon is that it offers two-way voice calls just like a mobile phone, so if Jack does need help he can talk to his children with ease.
Find Out More About The SOFIHUB Beacon Safety Pendant
For many people with elderly lovely ones, it is an ongoing concern that they are safe, and if they do have an accident, help can come quickly.
If you would like to know more about SOFIHUB products, feel free to contact us at 1300 110 366 or visit our website at www.sofihub.com
The SOFIHUB beacon is available in several well-known resellers, including JB Hi-Fi, Aidacare, Harvey Norman, Officeworks, Videopro, and Mobility Caring.
Find a store near you.