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Friday, March 29, 2024

How a care home embraces tech to beat lockdown blues

Duration: 01:24s 0 shares 3 views

How a care home embraces tech to beat lockdown blues
How a care home embraces tech to beat lockdown blues

The UK is just one of several European countries currently in lockdown, but one elderly care home has harnessed technology to help its residents.

Keeping in contact with families and loved ones via video chats have become a top activity as residents as old as 100 get into conference calling.

Adam Reed reports

It's not quite a hug, but the next best thing.

The residents in a British care home are embracing video calls to stay in touch with friends and family as they face the possibility of weeks in isolation.

One new-comer to video calling is 84-year-old Minnie Copping, a resident at Foxholes Care Home in Hertfordshire, north of London.

SOUNDBITE) (English) MINNIE COPPING, FOXHOLES CARE HOME RESIDENT SAYING: "It's absolutely marvellous because she's my best daughter.

I've only got one mind you but she's my best daughter I've ever had.

And she's always in charge, when I'm not there, of the family." Foxholes said they bought Facebook's Portal system to make video calling easier for their residents who range in age from under 50 to over a hundred.

Keeping in contact with loved ones at this difficult time is giving their family members peace of mind too.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) SANDRA COPPING, MINNIE'S DAUGHTER SAYING: "Just to be able to see her and know that she's happy.

It just makes our lives so much easier because if you haven't got the contact, the normal contact, you feel lost.

The UK government issued an order on Monday (March 23) for people to stay at home and shops to close.

So while family members are unable to visit elderly relatives in person, they’re happy to rely on technology to bring them closer together.

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