Elaine… An impressive 83 years old!
I lost my husband seven years ago which was a massive blow after 49 years of marriage. We all dread losing our partner and there’s always the worry about how you will manage on your own. After Derek passed I moved homes twice, downsizing, before settling on the cozy apartment I live in now.
I’ve recently turned 83 but I feel lucky that I am relatively healthy, though I do suffer a bit from arthritis. I like to stay active and prior to COVID-19 I was out and about most days, keeping myself busy, enjoying my independence and settling into my new home. My son Rod and I are very close and we speak most days - he lives more than an hour away and it’s good to catch up with him and hear his news.
He always wants to hear how I’m getting on and to know that I’m safe and well – I know he frets about me! When I moved into my new apartment, which is on the first floor of the building, we had a stair-lift fitted as well as an emergency call button system that operates via my telephone. Knowing I have them is really reassuring but when we heard about StackCare we were interested to know if it could offer us something else that would give us even more peace of mind. The key for us was seeing that StackCare would send Rod daily updates on how I’ve been getting along. We loved this feature in particular so we decided to give StackCare a go.
We were both surprised at how easy the installation of the StackCare system was – and how discreet it is in my apartment. I barely notice it’s there and I certainly don’t feel like I’m being spied on! It’s amazing – 100% marvelous – and I am so pleased we have it. For me, alongside my call button, I feel that StackCare is part of my safety ‘package’ – like with ill health when you blend different medicines to make you feel better, this is part of my day-to-day multi-pronged approach to staying safe and living my independent life.
I feel really reassured that Rod doesn’t have to worry – he’s a busy, successful businessman (I’m a very proud Mom!) and I know he’s busy, so the less he worries about me the better. We both know that he will be alerted if something is wrong so he can rest easy if he doesn’t hear anything. We laugh that StackCare has also given us a new topic of conversation on our calls! We like talking about what StackCare has been reporting and how I’ve been – I don’t have to try and remember everything to tell him.
I love my new apartment and I love having StackCare help look after me – it’s reassuring for me and I know it’s really reassuring for Rod. And if my son is happy then so am I!
Elaine kindly gave StackCare permission to reproduce her story. As we publish this, she is doing great and enjoying life and her continuing independence.