This project – jointly funded by Public Health Torbay and Enhanced Health in Care Homes Ageing Well – was designed to support care homes and their residents to use smart interactive technology in Torbay and South Devon, in order to reduce social isolation among residents and increase the skills and knowledge of care home staff to benefit the physical, mental, and cognitive wellbeing for residents. Digital Health Devon achieved this by offering devices to care homes with access to socially connecting services and a variety of enrichment tools, alongside training and support on how to use them.
The project has surpassed its original target of 37 care homes engaged with the project in Torbay and South Devon (25% of all homes), with 40 homes engaging with this project. All milestones, objectives and aims were achieved, with the exception of establishing a network of Digital champions throughout care homes. This was due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and resultant virus protocols in place across the whole care home network.
The feedback received from all participating care homes has been extremely positive with all homes expressing a keen interest in having more Amazon Alexa devices specifically for residents that are restricted to their bedroom. All those involved in the project suggested that the devices offered via this project had improved the physical, mental, and cognitive wellbeing for residents in some way.
Every respondent to each of the care home resident, family/friend and care home manager survey stated they had seen an improvement in their quality of life of either themselves, their loved one or
their resident via this project. 75% of family/friend survey respondents said the devices allowed them to have contact at a more convenient time and communicate with their loved one at least once a week.
Project adaptations based on participant feedback included the introduction of a project YouTube channel and new online resources to enrich residents use of the technology offered, working with other organisations and projects such as the HIVE (Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust’s training platform) and the Hydration Project (supplying care homes with tools to ensure its residents
regularly drink) and improving the digital offer to include smartphone devices.
Challenges that impacted on project delivery included the COVID-19 pandemic, internet connectivity issues (particularly broadband and network coverage in rural South Devon), the need for additional digital support and equipment beyond the scope of the project and the need for more feedback direct from residents.
