Getting people online at Brendoncare Ronald Gibson House
THE WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGISTS CHARITY
Bringing the Outside In
Getting people online at Brendoncare Ronald Gibson House
T he world is clearly moving online , and yet those without access to this online world are becoming more and more digitally isolated . For older people living in Brendoncare centres , who are unable to leave because of their physical and mental frailties , social isolation is already a key issue that can have huge implications on their health and quality of life .
We are extremely grateful to the WCIT Charity for your generosity and support which has enabled us to provide Wi-Fi for all of our residents at Ronald Gibson House . This project has made such a substantial difference to the every-day life of everyone at the care home ; providing a huge variety of new opportunities that our residents had previously been unable to experience .
On Christmas Day , Steven has always enjoyed watching the Queen ’ s speech . It was one of his traditions at home with his family that he always enjoyed and that was a key part of what Christmas meant to him .
This year , residents at Ronald Gibson House enjoyed a vibrant Christmas day with a delicious meal , games and activities .
However , unfortunately when it got to 3pm Steven was asleep in his room ( as he hadn ’ t been well ) and as a result he missed the Queen ’ s speech .
Walking through the care home now , the presence of technology is everywhere ; residents reading the paper on kindles and iPads , Youtube and Spotify being used to play favourite songs or reminisce on film clips , and group activities that bring the outside world into the home .
Residents have more opportunities to stay in touch with their friends and family than ever before , with skype sessions and personal email accounts being set up regularly . This project truly has transformed the way of life for our residents .
Without the wonderful support we received from the WCIT this project would not have been possible , so thank you so much for helping us to make a difference to the lives of those in our care .
Contributed by Victoria Smith , Fundraising Officer at The Brendoncare Foundation
Before Wi-Fi had been installed at Ronald Gibson House , it would have been extremely difficult for Steven to have caught up with the Queen ’ s speech and kept up his home tradition . However , thanks to The Worshipful Company of Information Technologists , the team at RGH were able to use the care home ’ s tablet to go online and re-play the programme . This made Steven extremely happy and he relaxed instantly , as he was still able to carry out one of his Christmas traditions .
Whilst this may seem like a small opportunity now available through the installation of Wi-Fi at RGH , for Steven this was incredibly significant . It enabled him to continue to take part in something extremely important to him , a tradition that he had followed throughout his life . It also ensures that Ronald Gibson House feels like Steven ’ s home and that he is able to enjoy life to the full in the ways that matter to him .
We are extremely grateful to the WCIT for helping us to make these differences to the lives of our residents , improving their happiness , wellbeing and quality of life through the inclusion of online opportunities .
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