Combatting Digital Isolation
Summary
Digital Nursing Home Initiative
The Age Friendly Clare digital nursing home initiative is about keeping all of our 16 nursing home residents connected; using technology to bring the outside in! Each nursing home is receiving an Alexa echo dot and an accompanying tablet. These devices empower residents to stay connected, which is vitally important especially during these unprecedented times. They are a vehicle to ensuring residents can video call their loved ones, participate in online activities, quizzes, listen to local radio, music and access the range of eBooks available from our own Clare Library. It is initiatives like this that create new ways of participating in activities and events, that match the resident’s needs, abilities and interests.
Keep Connected Booklet
The booklet is based on Age Actions’ Getting Started KIT created as a support for older people to help them keep in touch with their loved ones during the Covid-19 pandemic, by improving their digital literacy skills. The guide offers digital skills training through easy “How to Guides” that support the reader to learn, use, and be confident using smartphones and applications. This will enable readers to connect with friends and family, carry out tasks like shopping and banking on line and access to services such as the Council and the Library and provide a source of entertainment and education.
Smartphone Project and Library Services
In response to the ongoing Covid-19 Pandemic, there was a need to assist the most vulnerable people in our society who found themselves socially isolated and cut off from other people. A number of projects were explored that allows rurally or socially isolated older people to stay digitally connected with their friends, families & neighbours within their communities and one of those was the provision of secondhand smartphones. The OPC launched their Smartphone Project through the Age Friendly programme and this resource accompanied the smartphone recipients to help users get the most of their new devices. All of Clare’s Family Resource Centres and Clarecare helped identify older people in need of smartphones and also supported us in distributing same.
One to one training had taken place in various locations around Co. Clare in late 2019, early 2020. However, due to the pandemic in March 2020 these training courses were postponed. The Library Service then provided training once the libraries opened up in the Summer of 2020. These were subsequently cancelled in Autumn 2020. Various members of the Library are now trained as Champions who provide “over the phone” assistance to anybody experiencing difficulties with technology and are involved in running on-line classes.
Key facts
Older people in general
Older people in nursing homes
Other
Older people and people in long term care
Meet their basic needs
- Participation
- Technologies
Age-friendly practice in detail (click to expand):
Engaging the wider community
Local authorities
- Older People’s Association
Digital Nursing Home Initiative:
The development of this initiative formed part of the larger wellness initiative, combatting isolation and helping residents to stay connected with loved ones as well as provide endless possibilities for information and entertainment through the Alexa devices. The HSE and Age Friendly Ireland provided funding support to purchase these devices for all our Clare Nursing Homes.
Staying Digitally Connected booklet:
The booklet incorporated all the Age Action guides from Age Actions’ Getting Started KIT and with additional information added. The main collaboration was with the Limerick Clare Education and Training Board as the need was identified when all their in-person classes moved on-line. We worked with the Healthy Ireland Keepwell Campaign Committee for Co. Clare and we included some of their resources to signpost guide users in relation to “keeping connected” and details on social support.
Following approval, the Age Friendly Programme together with the local authority’s in-house designer designed and prepared the Booklet for outside printing. The design of the booklet was at zero cost and the cost of outside printing was charged to the Age Friendly budget.
Smartphone Project & Library Services:
The development of the Smartphone Project and the Library services initiatives/training formed part of the larger wellness initiative, combatting isolation and helping older people to stay connected with loved ones as well as providing training on browsing the web. It also forms part of actions/initiatives under the Age Friendly Strategy 2018-2022 (Age Friendly Town & Rural initiatives), Healthy Clare Strategy 2019-2021 (under the priority theme of Mental Wellbeing) and the Rural Development Strategy 2026 (Development of Age Friendly Communities including digital ones).
The Clare Older People’s Council applied for a Community Support Grant from Clare County Council and was successful. 38 mobile phones were purchased from Vodafone through Clare County Council and subsequently Clare County Council secured a data plan with Vodafone which older people can avail of. This deal is subsequently being rolled out to all older people in Clare. The Clare Age Friendly Programme funded the initial training and Library staff now provide digital training to those in need.
Older people were involved in the age-friendly practice at multiple or all stages
Digital Nursing Home Initiative – we liaised with Managers of the Nursing Homes who in turn discussed and assessed the initiative with the residents. Staying Digitally Connected Booklet: The Older People’s Council and older people’s support groups throughout Clare (i.e. Family Resource Centres and Clarecare) were instrumental in the distribution of the booklets. Smartphone Project and Library Service – Older people attended the initial training in 2019/2020.
Moving forward
No
Yes
Digital Nursing Home Initiative
Very positive feedback has been received from numerous Nursing Homes around Co. Clare. A staff member has said that the donation of the device has opened up yet another world of exploration, music, fun and excitement for the residents and they stated that they couldn’t wait to get started.
Staying Digitally Connected Booklet:
Very positive feedback has been received from older people including Cultural Companions, Clare Older People’s Council and other groups. It was noted that the booklets were easy to read, very informative and in particular that the information was accessible all in the one place. Very positive feedback was received from those who attended the smartphone classes and the users of the smartphones.
Smartphone Project and Library Services
Older people were delighted to receive the smartphones and the training to keep them connected with loved ones as well as logging on to on-line entertainment etc. We have received very positive feedback.
We have been in contact with Age Friendly Ireland in relation to the initiatives and Age Friendly Ireland are hoping to negotiate a deal with Vodafone that will be rolled out nationally to older people.
Looking back
Digital Nursing Home Initiative/Staying Digitally Connected Booklet:
If we were to do this again I would have started the project in the first lockdown as some older people had already secured devices to help them stay digitally connected.
Smartphone Project & Library Training
In relation to the Smartphone Project funding was only made available at the end of the year, therefore, some older people had already sourced smartphones. In relation to the Library training if the project was up and running during the Summer when the restrictions was lifted, more older people may have availed of the in-person support. However, online and over the telephone support has been rolled out and availed of.
Nursing Homes Tablet Project:
At times it was difficult to reach staff as they were understandably busy with the current Covid situation.
Staying Digitally Connected Booklet:
We didn’t experience any challenges to this project as Age Action had already created the “How to” guides which were easily accessible on their web page and the project was deemed very successful.
Smartphone Classes and Library Training:
One to one training had to be cancelled and it was found that a lot of older people prefer to attend in-person classes rather than attend virtually. It was very important therefore to provide telephone support to people experiencing difficulties which proved very successful.
