Age-friendly tablets are just the tonic

RESIDENTS at Clonakilty Community Hospital will be able to more easily connect with their families during lockdown following the donation of six tablets to the hospital – of the computer, not medicinal, kind.

And it’s all thanks to the voluntary Cairde Clonakilty Community Hospital group, which supports the hospital in enhancing the quality of life for residents.

The group has begun a rollout of the delivery of individualised devices, with companion apps for download by family members, so residents can enjoy a range of services such as local newspapers, online religious services and age-friendly entertainment games and activities.

Cairde chairman and former Minister for Older People Jim Daly expressed his delight as seeing the use of technology as a means of connecting elderly residents with their families and communities.

‘These tablets will connect residents with their local churches for live services, as well as news websites such as The Southern Star website, to ensure they can continue to be interested and involved in their local communities,’ said Jim.

‘Family members’ phones can be connected directly to the tablet, ensuring easy-to-use video calls, messaging, and the regular sharing of photos, which all keep loved ones connected and together through the use of innovative technology.’

Mary Nolan, director of nursing at the HSE facility, thanked the Cairde group for the gift of the Acorn age-friendly tablets.

‘We at Clonakilty Community Hospital are enormously grateful to the Cairde committee for this project, which we see as hugely beneficial in connecting families with their loved ones during these challenging times,’ she said.

The tablets will be given initially to six residents for their own personalised, individual use with assistance provided by hospital staff to ensure maximum usage and engagement by each resident and their family.

The Cairde group hopes to provide all residents who wish to use a tablet with their own device when the initial trial phase is completed in the coming weeks.