Keeping seniors connected using technology during COVID-19 crisis

Communify is continuing to be a unifying hub in Brisbane, despite social distancing restrictions.

Communify works locally in Brisbane to promote a socially just and diverse community, and to build community capacity by providing support services to senior community members—including Paddington Day Respite Centre, Home Assist Secure, door-to-door transport, Meals on Wheels, domestic and shopping support, allied health services, in-home nursing and care and Home Care Packages.

Like other similar organisations, as result of COVID-19, our face-to-face services have been impacted. Not all doom and gloom, it has brought about a new era of technology for some lucky seniors.

As a way to keep our seniors connected despite social distancing, we established a partnership with Aurous, a social inclusion and digital visiting program. The aim of this partnership is to provide participants with an Aurous digital device so that Communify can facilitate online access to our aged care programs and decrease the risk of social isolation.

Since partnering with Aurous, Communify have delivered 50 tablets to existing clients to enable them to continue to engage with their Communify friends and staff, as well as their families, now that they are no longer able to socialise in the traditional way.

The participants—part of Communify’s Commonwealth Home Support Program and linked with either Group Social or Centre-Based Respite supports—have all taken the courageous step towards learning new technology as a means of staying connected.

Most of these elderly folk have never even used a smart phone let alone a smart tablet and have picked up the technology quite well with the support of Communify staff and wonderful digital mentor volunteer team.

Clients engage in weekly phone calls where they are mentored by a staff member or Aurous volunteer to familiarise themselves with their new digital device. A goal has been to learn how to videoconference on Zoom so they can see their friends from Communify group activities and also participate in the online programs.

For Communify, the fact that the technology has been embraced by all of our clients and their families, as well as our staff and volunteers, has meant we can keep our group social support activities going and also ensure our clients are staying safe during this period of isolation. For many, this is the first time they have ever experienced a digital device and something that they have prior resisted or not required. After one-on-one digital mentoring support, they have been able to successfully video conference with our support workers. There is an immediate sense of achievement and confidence that comes from learning these new skills!

Clients have been able to connect with friends and family over video conference, access tele health appointments, and have discovered a whole new world of possibilities through the games and radio applications.

Communify have developed a suite of virtual programs, on offer through Zoom, including: Tai Chi, Chair Yoga, Coffee & Chat, Music Therapy, Falls Prevention Program run by a physio student, Healthy at Home with our Registered Nurse, Bingo, and more!

To provide further social support, clients have been matched with a person somewhere in Australia with similar interests and hobbies, there is Communify’s Friday Fun-day program for a place to reminisce and share stories as a group, and the group sing-a-longs with Communify’s Music Therapist are loads of fun.

What we’ve learned is that digital upskilling is something that provides a really valuable addition to care and quality of life in the older person. ■ Geor gina Holloway is Manager Aged Care Services, Communify. For more information visit www.communify.org.au

Getting online has been a great success!