Technology at Avery

Since the pandemic, the feeling of togetherness and well-being has been paramount across our Avery homes. Our dedicated Well-being and Activities teams work hard to ensure that our residents remain connected whilst physical visits are limited, investing in great communication technologies during the past year, including more iPads for Skype, Teams and Zoom calls and large, interactive tablets on wheels.

With an all-electric hi-lo trolley and electric tilt, the interactive tablets offer many benefits for Avery residents, including greater inclusion and engagement and providing new opportunities in supporting residents through sensory activity, reminiscence and life story work. Avery’s Head of Well-being and Activity, Zahid Khan, said: “I think during this period of Covid-19, having touchscreen technology in our homes has been invaluable. It has assisted in keeping families connected with loved ones as well as assisted in meaningful one to ones for the resident when group activities had to be limited.”

Virtual Connections

Socialising is such an important part of our lives and plays a vital role in supporting mental well-being. Our staff have done a fantastic job adapting to the current times, continuing to keep our residents connected, whether virtually or within bubbles. The introduction of video calls has enabled our homes to maintain their friendships with one another.

Two homes enjoyed a virtual coffee morning, whereby those involved sat down with a slice of cake and a cup of tea as they introduced themselves online.

Residents at both homes discovered their shared passion for drawing and have since agreed to send each other pictures each month at their virtual meetups, which now take place every Wednesday. The virtual coffee mornings are particularly special for resident Eileen, who recently moved into Edenbridge Manor from Wales to be closer to her family. Customer Services Manager at Edenbridge, Tina Jeffery, said, “Eileen loves to sing and even started an impromptu sing-along in one virtual session with Droitwich Mews.”

Coming together over music, ten residents from Astbury Manor and Merlin Court’s choir formed one voice and sang with each other over a video call. They performed four songs, including ‘Wouldn’t

It Be Lovely’. The choirs plan to meet every Tuesday virtually and are aiming to host a concert once they can safely meet in person. Merlin Court’s Home Manager, Michael Berkley-Blezard, mentioned, “This has been a fantastic social opportunity to develop relationships between two groups of residents and develop meaningful friendships.”

Around the World

Across Avery, we recognise that travelling is an important part of life, something many of our residents enjoy reminiscing on. Be it if they spent time living abroad, were frequent travellers in their youth, or love spending time in different countries. That’s why many of our homes have taken on the initiative of a virtual ‘Around the World’ adventure, whereby each week or month, the home ‘travels’ to a different destination to experience the country’s culture, including food, music and pastimes.

One home, Rivermere in Kent, embarked on a ‘Trip Aboard the Rivermere Express’ this year. The inhouse automotive pulled into the home to begin its ‘journey’ at the end of April, encouraging the residents to explore different cultures and spark conversation. Each week, the train virtually travelled to a foreign country, venturing to Spain, Italy, France, and Bulgaria. Residents at Grove Park Care Home in Leeds have also been virtually exploring the world, having visited Hawaii, the USA, and Mexico so far.

Going Forward

During the next year, Avery will also focus on sourcing a more technology-based way of communicating with staff in the homes to receive important updates, news, celebrations and fun in the same place. The first stage towards improved internal communication is sourcing a TV channel platform with TVs in each staff room where videos, slides and photos can be shared from one central point at head office.