New Digital Health Devon YouTube channel launched

A new YouTube channel has been created to complement a community care home project being run in Torbay and South Devon by Digital Health Devon.

The main aim of our care home project – jointly funded by Public Health Torbay and EHCH (Enhanced Health in Care Homes) Ageing Well – is to reduce social isolation, improve communication and participation for care home residents who have suffered as a result of the pandemic.

To achieve this we are implementing smart technology such as the Amazon Alexa Show 8 and Meta Facebook Portal into care homes. To complement this technology we have launched a new YouTube channel, accessible via these devices, at Digital Health Devon – YouTube.

The channel can also be accessed via the Digital Health Devon website YouTube icon at the top of the page and this site also provides further information on the project and access to live webcam feeds for local and overseas places of interest.

Current YouTube channel content includes videos on historical sites throughout Devon told by local historian Dr Kevin Dixon and informational videos on historical events in Devon donated by John Tomkins at Emberlense Productions.

Digital Health Devon’s intention is to expand the content to include recordings of local events, productions, religious services and other community activities.

Dr Kevin Dixon (local historian) said: “This is a new and exciting way for local care home residents to learn about the history of their area via a different means to what they might be used to. The YouTube channel has really helped the care home residents feel less isolated, more connected and part of the wider community that they are part of which is a great success story.

I look forward to creating and donating further content to Digital Health Devon to continue the great work this project is doing”.

A Digital Health Devon spokesperson said that to date take up for the new channel has been encouraging, with the average user age being 65 or above, and in the busiest 48 hour period the channel had 1,200 engagement clicks, with the content being predominantly viewed on Smart TV’s, iOS (Apple) and Amazon devices.

If you would like to donate additional exciting material to the Digital Health Devon YouTube channel, please contact Max Burrell at max.burrell@engagingcommunitiessouthwest.org.uk or if you are a care home in the Torbay/South Devon area and would like to participate in this project please contact Sarah Kell at sarah.kell@engagingcommunitiessouthwest.org.uk

Photo (in order): Ogwell Grange Care Home Manager Vicky Underhill, Burnside Court Care Home Manager Vicky Underhill and Carl Court Care Home Manager Furzand Mungar receiving smart technology.

The care home manager at our pilot care home, Carl Court Residential Home in Babbacombe, Torquay. Farzand Mungar, (pictured above) has been delighted to work with us:

“We are very happy to work with the Digital Health Devon Team and take them up on the offer of receiving SMART devices to benefit our residents. They are going to be really helpful in supporting us to assist or entertain our residents, and they are very excited about starting to use them and reap the benefits. We can all see how incorporating this kind of technology into our daily routines could improve the wellbeing of our residents and we’re extremely grateful to be part of this project. On behalf of our residents and staff I can’t thank Digital Health Devon enough for their support”.