Claire is 83 and has received the MePACS service for 12 years now.
A kindergarten teacher for 40 years, she loves to be around children. When she moved from Ballarat to be closer to family in Eastern Victoria, she decided to get a MePACS personal alarm so that she would have the peace of mind that comes with a reliable and efficient emergency response service.
“The MePACS service is wonderful. I’ve had the service since I moved into this retirement village,” she said.
“I was very happy in Ballarat, but I didn’t have any family near me and I wanted to be closer to them. Now, I have a niece who lives on a farm nearby, and my brother lives here too. I’ve never regretted moving, it’s very nice to have the family around.”
In her own home, Claire wanted to stay independent and look after her health – so she took up the MePACS service in 2008 and hasn’t regretted it since.
“I’ve had pneumonia a few times and been in hospital five times. This last time, it just hit me overnight – quite out of the blue really,” said Claire.
“Almost every time that I’ve had pneumonia, I’ve had to press the alarm. It’s been in the middle of the night, and MePACS answer within two minutes. The ambulance has come within fifteen minutes because MePACS were able to tell them what was wrong and they prioritised the call.”
MePACS were able to help Claire at any hour of the day or night, and ensure that she would get the help she needed.
“I love the way they stay talking to you on the phone until the ambulance arrives. It’s just marvellous.”
Just last year, she had a fall at the front of her house, and couldn’t get up. Luckily, she was wearing her MePACS pendant at the time.
“Usually there are people outside taking a walk, but this time there was no one around. I couldn’t get up and so I pressed my MePACS alarm. The monitor said that they can contact either of my neighbours to help me, and they came very quickly.”
In a welcoming community, Claire likes to socialise with her neighbours and have her family over to visit.
“I have lots of friends around my neighbourhood. Next door, we have a signal with our curtains at the window – if I open them in the morning, they know I’m up and ready for the day,” she said.
“My family and friends are so grateful that I have this alarm with me, day and night, and they don’t have to worry because it makes me feel safe in my own home. I just wouldn’t be without my MePACS alarm.”
Caring and charismatic, Claire attributes her independence to keeping busy and relying on the MePACS service.
“I feel very comfortable with my MePACS alarm. I’m very blessed and happy – it is wonderful to have close friends and MePACS to look out for me,” she said.
“The promptness of the MePACS monitoring team is the best part, and the fact that you can talk to somebody and they stay with you until you get the help you need. I think that’s amazing.”