We’re utilising technology to help alleviate feelings of isolation and loneliness during COVID-19 lockdown and beyond.

During these un precedented difficult times, when residents contact with family and friends has, by necessity, been put on hold to ensure their safety, St Monica Trust has looked to alternative ways to keep residents in touch with their loved ones.

One of the solutions, was to utilise technology to enable our residents to be able to “see” their family and friends via video calling. For many of our residents who have their own laptops, phones or tablets, this meant getting them set up with their own personal Zoom or Skype accounts and assisting them with their first video call.  For our residents who don’t have their own electronic device, another solution was needed. In response to this need, the Trust made a purchase of over 100 tablets for use across our retirement villages and care homes.

I.T and our new “Helping Hands” colleagues have played key roles in getting residents set up on their own personal devices, implementing the new tablet roll-out across the trust and facilitating these video calls. Due to the restrictions of lockdown, or because their loved ones live overseas or too far away to visit often, even during normal times, our IT and Helping Hands colleagues have made it possible for our residents to “see” their loved ones for the first time in many weeks or months.

Moving forward, our Community Engagement Coordinators, Unit Managers and Activity and Health Care providers will continue to support our residents by setting up these video calls and ensuring they stay connected with loved ones.  To support our colleagues and to enable them to provide this service to our residents, we have created tailored guides and scheduled training sessions, specifically around how to use Zoom and Skype video calling on these tablets. And we will continue to promote this service to our residents, via communication and distribution of leaflets throughout our retirement villages and care homes.

We can now ensure that all our residents have the facility to see as well as talk to their family and friends.  This service plays a crucial role to our residents, in improving their well-being and is invaluable in alleviating feelings of isolation and loneliness during these difficult times. 

Thank you to Louise Ireland, Marketing Analyst for sharing this story with us.

(24 July 2020)