With the activities of Easter now over, staff at Catholic Healthcare are continuing to help residents stay connected with loved ones, ensuring that life remains as vibrant as possible for the elderly in their care.
General Manager, Residential Care, Andrew Kinkade said, “This is a challenging time for everyone in the community. It is especially challenging for the elderly and those at the frontline delivering care – our residents and staff. We are committed to doing everything we can to make things as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.”
“Our staff have been assisting residents with video calls and the feedback from residents and families has been fabulous. We have also added new activities to our MyLifestyle program to ensure life remains as sociable and engaging as possible.”
National Lifestyle Manager, Wendy Lawrence said, “Across our network of 41 homes, our staff have drawn inspiration from around the world and come up with innovative new programs and are using technology to tailor our much-loved activities and maintain the vibrancy of our Homes.
“In recent days, we’ve had musicians live-streaming concerts, we’re about to start virtual Tai Chi and Zumba, and setting up a virtual inter-home trivia game which will create some healthy competition. These activities help keep spirits up during these times,” added Wendy.
Many of Catholic Healthcare’s beautiful intergenerational programs are still thriving which is a testament to the staff and the local community.
“School children who are not able to visit at the current time are instead writing letters and delivering care packages to the residents,” said Wendy.
This week, a resident and her husband shared a virtual birthday party. Another resident was able to ‘see and speak’ to her grandchildren who live interstate for the first time.
“It’s a testament to the resilience and the tenacity of our residents,” said Wendy. “We must remember that many of them would never have dreamed of picking up an iPad before, let alone tried to Skype! But with the assistance of our staff they are embracing new opportunities and inspiring us in the process. Everyone has been thrilled by the new technology; the surprise and delight on the faces of our residents and family connecting never gets old,” added Wendy.
Catholic Healthcare is pleased to confirm that this technology is here to stay – video calls will be supported permanently as another feature of the Enrich Model of Care.