Picture the scenario…
You’re in your eighties, have dementia and live in residential care. You’re a complete technophobe and happy that way. Even though you forget within minutes, you derive the greatest pleasure from regular visits from your husband, sister, son, daughters and grandchildren. Without warning the Home goes into lockdown. At least you’re able to speak to your husband and others from time to time using the walkabout phone. Then someone, me included, catches a virus and we’re each confined to our own room. It’s impossible to sanitise the telephone handset, we’re told, so no more contact with anyone outside the Home. What’s going on?!? There must be a technological answer, I overheard someone say. When I was at school we didn’t know how to spell “technology” let alone know what it meant.
I knew there was another reason I loved my husband when he came to our aid.
He gave the Home a tablet.
My husband phones and asks any member of staff to simply turn on the tablet and hand it to me. Within moments the little device bursts into life and on the screen are my daughter and grandchildren. I can see and talk to them and they can see and talk to me. Then, another window pops up and my son in Colorado joins in. Astonishing! When we’re done, by which time I’m exhausted, my husband shuts down the tablet remotely as I nod off into a contented slumber with a smile on my face.
For the technically minded.
Using my office PC I used to connect remotely to an unattended computer in the control room of our various renewable energy plants all over Europe and was able to control the remote device. I felt a variation of this should be possible for my wife, Jan. As everyman and his dog seems to have one I got an iPad and after days, and nights, couldn’t get it to work. It transpires Apple will not allow remote control of any of their devices. So, I purchased a small Windows-based tablet on which I installed various communication programmes and remote control software. I tested it beforehand and had it delivered to the Care Home. Staff in the Home are rushed off their feet so it was crucial that the use of the device required minimal third-party intervention. Now, every couple of days I call the Home and ask a member of staff to simply turn on the tablet and give it to Jan. I get a pop-up on my computer telling me the tablet is online. I take [remote] control and connect to me, or anyone else in our family or within my wife’s circle of friends. It works seamlessly and to see Jan’s obvious pleasure makes it all worthwhile. When she's finished, I turn it off and that's it!
You’re in your eighties, have dementia and live in residential care. You’re a complete technophobe and happy that way. Even though you forget within minutes, you derive the greatest pleasure from regular visits from your husband, sister, son, daughters and grandchildren. Without warning the Home goes into lockdown. At least you’re able to speak to your husband and others from time to time using the walkabout phone. Then someone, me included, catches a virus and we’re each confined to our own room. It’s impossible to sanitise the telephone handset, we’re told, so no more contact with anyone outside the Home. What’s going on?!? There must be a technological answer, I overheard someone say. When I was at school we didn’t know how to spell “technology” let alone know what it meant.
I knew there was another reason I loved my husband when he came to our aid.
He gave the Home a tablet.
My husband phones and asks any member of staff to simply turn on the tablet and hand it to me. Within moments the little device bursts into life and on the screen are my daughter and grandchildren. I can see and talk to them and they can see and talk to me. Then, another window pops up and my son in Colorado joins in. Astonishing! When we’re done, by which time I’m exhausted, my husband shuts down the tablet remotely as I nod off into a contented slumber with a smile on my face.
For the technically minded.
Using my office PC I used to connect remotely to an unattended computer in the control room of our various renewable energy plants all over Europe and was able to control the remote device. I felt a variation of this should be possible for my wife, Jan. As everyman and his dog seems to have one I got an iPad and after days, and nights, couldn’t get it to work. It transpires Apple will not allow remote control of any of their devices. So, I purchased a small Windows-based tablet on which I installed various communication programmes and remote control software. I tested it beforehand and had it delivered to the Care Home. Staff in the Home are rushed off their feet so it was crucial that the use of the device required minimal third-party intervention. Now, every couple of days I call the Home and ask a member of staff to simply turn on the tablet and give it to Jan. I get a pop-up on my computer telling me the tablet is online. I take [remote] control and connect to me, or anyone else in our family or within my wife’s circle of friends. It works seamlessly and to see Jan’s obvious pleasure makes it all worthwhile. When she's finished, I turn it off and that's it!
