More and more residents and social care staff are using technology for activities and connecting with family and friends, helped by the coronavirus pandemic and an increase in inspiring digital resources.
Between October 2019 and February 2021 there was a steady increase in the use of all digital tools in care homes, according to a new report by Digital Social Care and Skills for Care.
Video conferencing saw the biggest rise at 65 per cent – but other notable increases included online training and use of digital resources, such as tablets, virtual travel, and activities apps such as The Daily Sparkle.
Equally, more than 20 per cent of care organisations now consider themselves to be digitally expert as opposed to only 12 per cent in 2019.
“This is an impressive increase,” says The Daily Sparkle founder Chris Harding. “And shows just how powerful technology can be when it is used properly to bring people together.
“For our customers, using our app or online resources toolbox enables more residents or loved ones to read and discover things that they are interested in, and which remind them of the important moments in their lives. It also means that resources are not limited to hard copies but can be available remotely and in every resident’s bedroom.”
We are also proud that our online training has been so popular since its launch earlier in the year. Adapted from our day courses to meet the needs of the pandemic, the online training reaches more activities coordinators who can study and learn in their own time.
We offer two types of training: our face-to-face Zoom workshops and our e-Learning courses. You can find out more here.
