Care HomesNews

Virtual Postcards’ Lift The Spirits Of Care Home Residents

Residents at more than 75 care homes across the UK will no longer have to wait for the morning post to receive well-wishes from family and friends during the coronavirus lock down, after a new digital communications initiative was introduced this week.

Care home operator, Shaw healthcare, has developed the new ‘Virtual Postcard’ feature on the home page of its website, as part of its efforts to keep up the spirits of residents, who have been unable to receive their usual visits for over a month as a result of COVID-19 restrictions.

Friends and family members can click on the Virtual Postcard icon on the firm’s website [www.shaw.co.uk], type in the name of the recipient, select their care home and create a personal message for their loved one. Staff at each home are then able to call up the postcard on a tablet to show the resident, or print off a copy for them to keep.

Shaw hopes that its Virtual Postcards will prove to be a big hit with family and friends, as an easy way to keep in touch and send messages of love and support to residents.

“Our care teams, and in particular the activity co-ordinators in each home, are doing everything they can to keep residents busy and entertained during this really difficult time, but there is nothing like receiving a postcard from family and friends to cheer people up,” said Mike Smith, chief operating office at Shaw healthcare.

“The main focus of everyone at Shaw at the moment it is to keep our residents and staff members safe during the crisis. However, we know from messages we’ve received from families that many of them are also finding it hard being separated from their loved ones. Hopefully this will make a bit of a difference and residents may even find they start receiving more messages from their younger relatives, who are far more likely to send a virtual postcard than sit down and write a long letter!”

 

Nestle

 

 

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