Geelong larrikin Fred Don loves nothing more than a good laugh.
And thankfully even during lockdown he doesn’t have to laugh at his own jokes – the 92-year-old gets one-on-one social connection visits at home with a Uniting AgeWell activities worker through his Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP).
Fred loves chatting about his colourful life: he owned a dairy farm in country Victoria, took up carpentry, helped to run a family bed and breakfast, and was a builder, going into partnership in running a business.
“So, from milking cows to building houses, I’ve done it all,” he says.
Fred was also one of the first people to take up the UMPS Personal Smart Home System through Uniting AgeWell. The system uses a discreet set of smart plugs placed on everyday and frequently used household appliances, like the kettle, refrigerator, TV or bedside lamp, and gets to know the older person’s routine. If this changes drastically, perhaps due to a fall or health issue, it will automatically raise an alert with a family member or close contact.
“I promised to phone my daughter, Linda, if I felt like I was about to kick the bucket,” Fred chuckles, “but she says this device gives her peace of mind.”
And the great-grandfather is a devoted family-man who certainly doesn’t want either Linda or his son, Stephen in Queensland, worrying about him.
“I’m a bit wobbly on my legs and have got high blood pressure, and my memory’s not that great – but thankfully I keep on forgetting about that ailment!” he laughs.
The UMPS is one of a suite of smart gadgets to make life easier for older people at home that are being trialled by Uniting AgeWell and Deakin University at a living lab at one of the not-for-profit aged care provider’s independent living villages in Melbourne.
The trial looks at how these gadgets – security cameras, smart plugs, video calling tablets, Google Home, motion detectors and more – can “talk to each other” and best work together to create optimal scenarios for living well at home.
Meanwhile Rebecca Smith, Home Care Packages Director, North West Victoria and Tasmania, says the team in Geelong is happy to assist people if they have been approved and waiting to be assigned a package.
“We’ll help with information about home care packages. Our team is also able to assist people to understand the levels of home support available, including CHSP services and navigate My Aged Care as the process can be a bit daunting,” she says.
For further information about home care packages in Geelong phone 5243 9566 (option 3) or see https://www.unitingagewell.org/our-services/home-care/barwon-home-care