Many care homes are coming up with innovative ideas using technology to keep their residents connected to friends and family in care homes.
Have family in a care home? When a friend or relative’s in a care home, you may worry about how to stay connected with them. It may be tricky to do daily visits but you can always keep in touch with them through technology
Such interaction can boost residents’ wellbeing by bringing comfort and happiness and a greater sense of purpose.
How to keep in touch with family in a care home
If your care home isn’t doing any of the things listed below, you can suggest some ideas to the care home manager or bring your own technology into the care home for your loved one.
Here are some of the ways families can stay connected in a care home using technology.
These are popular technological devices used to help families stay connected with loved ones in care homes. All are relatively cheap and easy to set up as long as there is WiFi.
Video calls
- Tablets and smartphones
Tablets and smart phones are used by residents to call their loved ones on Facetime or Skype. You can contact the care home to see if they have any devices for the residents to use. If they don’t, ask if you can buy a device and send it to the home. If you do send a device, can the staff help set it up for you and show your loved one how to use it? Also check when it is convenient for you to video call.
- Amazon’s Echo Show
Amazon Echo Show is a smart speaker and features Alexa. It features a touchscreen display so you can use Skype to contact your loves. They can also download videos to watch as well as play music and find out information through Alexa.
- The Facebook Portal
The big advantage with the Facebook Portal is the Portal’s Smart Camera which pans and zooms to keep up with the action and if more people join in, it widens to keep everyone in view. It makes video calls with WhatsApp and Messenger.
The Facebook Portal also integrates its video calls with Facebook-owned Whatsapp and the popular Facebook Messenger, so people who own a smartphone with those apps can easily call the Portal device.
- Google’s Nest Hub Max
With the Google Nest Hub Max, you can make video call to your loved ones while you are multitasking as like the Facebook Portal, it has auto framing leaving the person to walk around when talking to you. If the person you are trying to contact is not available, you can leave a video message for them to pick up when they are ready.
Care home websites
Many care homes are doing their best to keep families in touch with what their residents are doing by taking photos of them doing various activities and putting them
Don’t just phone, send a letter
In between phone calls you could write your loved one a letter keeping them up to date with pictures of family and friends.
FAQs
How can families stay connected with loved ones in care homes?
Technology can play a big part in helping families stay connected with loved ones in care home residents, if family live far away. Video calls can be made using tablets and smartphones but regular landline calls and old-fashioned letter-writing can also put a smile on a care home resident’s face.
How do care homes use technology to connect with families?
Care homes make use of smart phones, tablets and devices such as Facebook Portal and Amazon Echo Show to keep families in touch with care home residents.
What are the benefits of using technology to keep families connected?
Keeping families in touch with their loved ones in care homes using technology can boost care home residents’ wellbeing by bringing them comfort, joy and a sense of purpose and motivation.
What care home innovations are there to help people with dementia?
Technological advancements are improving both activities for people with dementia and training for care workers. Equipment such as magic tables and iPads enable residents to play games specially designed for people with dementia. Meanwhile care workers can now have virtual dementia training, which mimics some symptoms of dementia so the care workers can fully understand how residents experience the world and how they can support them.
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