Here at Digital Health Devon we show people how to access local health, social care and wellbeing services using the internet and also run a number of different community projects.
One such project is designed to support care homes and their residents to use smart interactive technology has been launched in Torbay and South Devon. We have been commissioned by both Torbay Council and the Integrated Care System for Devon to run a separate project in collaboration with care home managers and their residents in Torbay and South Devon.We are looking to provide care homes with selected SMART technology equipment such as Amazon Alexa devices and also full training to show how residents can make best use if this and communicate effectively with friends and family. All completely free of charge.
Devices such as Alexa can help people with limited mobility regain some of their autonomy, with the potential to use their voice to control their environment, operate light switches and temperature, set medication reminders, select certain music and even call their friends and family.
The project work has also involved setting up a Project Advisory Group consisting of project staff, Care Home Managers, Dementia specialists and other relevant stakeholders in order to share learning across the Care Home Network. It aims to work with Care Home managers to establish a network of champion expertise in smart digital technology, to support resident wellbeing especially digital links to friends, family and community.
We have added specific module guides on our website to support both Care home staff and residents to increase their skills, confidence and knowledge being online whilst maintaining a social connection with their friends and family during these difficult times.
These guides are all below. Please just click a link to be taken directly to the module guides:
Care Home Specific Guides
Including how to set up an email address, internet search engines and online safety
Including how to set up a Facebook Portal and how to use it for video calls.
Including eConsult, video consultations, live waiting times and NHS 111 online.
Links to other helpful online resources including How to use online shopping, local live webcam feeds, our own YouTube channel and Pinpoint.