Ardara Digital Inclusion. Decreasing Isolation & Increasing Connectedness in Sheltered Housing

Description

Building upon the extension of the broadband to all appartments in the sheltered housing complex last year we installed a smart screen / speaker (Amazon Echo Show 8) in all 29 apartments, public areas and Day Centre to encourage the use of new technology to combat isolation, open up educational opportunities and increase community contentedness.
The use of primarily voice activated technology was deliberate given the lack of typing skill and low current use of smart phones, to highlight ease of use and access to the internet, digital and video connection, etc
Rather than lecturing we have been using an Action / Research approach to the implementation and ongoing use of the Digital Screens / Speakers where learning together has been an absolute boom with the target audience discovering functions and uses and sharing these with excitement.
This approach has significantly decreased reticence / fear and increased the attractiveness of this technology and the ease of use and usefulness.

Every day we are hearing a resident say with excitement: “Did you know that the Digital Screen can do this. Come on and I’ll show you …. ”

Aim of Initiative

The ambition of this project is to mitigate against educational disadvantage and digital exclusion of vulnerable adults and older people, to break down barriers to education, to reduce isolation, to increase digital connectedness within the community, family, friends and the wider world as well as seeing new technology as a useful commodity in ones life. A guiding principle for our ambition has been, as Oliver Wendell Holmes put it “A mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.”

In terms of the rationale behind the project, there is much research around:
– The negative impact of loneliness on not only mental health but also physical health.
– The digital exclusion of vulnerable adults and older people.
– The positive impact of community connectedness for healthy aging.
The extension of the Broadband to all 29 apartments, Day Care Centre and public areas and the subsequent introduction of smart screens / speaker is a very real attempt to use the above research to enhance the life experience and opportunity for all residents, Day Centre services users and visitors and to do so in ways and a manner that intuitively feels easy and achievable.

The expected outcomes are many and include:
– Accessing educational opportunities. whether that be on-line courses, casual learning through such mediums as TED Talks, looking up recipe options, etc.
– Increased access to tailored news options to keep informed
– Accessing in-line resources important to the target group such as viewing church services (Funerals, Wedding, regular services), local and international radio
– The use of the reminder functions for the mundane (e.g. watering plants, catching favourite programmes, etc) as well as the essential, such as to ensure medication compliance. It might be stating the obvious but there is significant evidence that non compliance with medication regimes leads to ill health and hospital admission, causing significant cost to the state and trauma to the individual.
– Using the organisational functions such as the ‘shopping list’ to make the practical aspects of life easier
– To assist with socialisation through video calls, emails, or joining and participating in a singing circle

The digital element of this project is absolutely key to its success in enabling the residents and Day Care service users to reconnect and/or broaden their levels of connectedness with community, family and friends.

Rather than lecturing we have been using an Action / Research approach to the implementation and ongoing use of the Digital Screens / Speakers where learning together has been an absolute boom with the target audience discovering functions and uses and sharing these with excitement. This has significantly decreased reticence / fear and increased the attractiveness of this technology and the ease of use and usefulness.

Every day we are hearing a resident say with excitement: “Did you know that the Digital Screen can do this. Come on and I’ll show you …. ”

Who is it aimed at

Aimed primarily at the residents of St. Shanaghan House, Sheltered Housing Complex in Ardara, Co. Donegal. Also the service users of the Day Centre
We seek to have the use of such assistive technology to be seen as the norm across housing and care sectors.

3 Steps critical to success

1. In recognising the increasing need for and the disproportionate expense of Broadband on vulnerable older persons the Voluntary Committee took the decision to extend the Broadband to all 29 Apartments, Day Centre and Public Areas within St. Shanaghan House (Implemented April 2022)
2. Following extensive research and physical trial (December 2022) we purchased and installed 32 Amazon Echo Show 8 smart screens (February / March 2023)
3. Developing the use of the smart screens by providing specific examples of use such a GP appointments, Health Checks, Viewing Church Services, accessing information and talking residents and others through the process. Identifying uses and sharing the ease and success of use has been really productive and is ongoing.
   Also, building on from embedding the smart devices and increasing usage we are looking to promote the integration of the smart screens / speakers into the day-to-day activities through the addition of smart peripherals. This will include smart bulbs, doorbell cameras, sockets, linking smart speakers in other rooms, etc. to give greater environmental control which in turn will encourage greater use of the essential lifestyle assistance features such as medication prompts

3 Challenges in Planning / Delivery

1. Breaking down the long standing reticence and fear of new technology for a group of people that the majority of which have been digitally excluded.
2. Identifying barriers in every day life and developing solutions that are easily implemented and seen as useful.
   An example here would be the local GP going online for appointment, blood tests, etc. where we have implemented voice activated short cuts and minimised any necessary key strokes to achieve the
3. Building on the initial work and success to broaden the usefulness through adding smart peripherals to further enhance environmental control and choice

3 Outcomes / Benefits

1. The current devices are assisting lifestyle choices and needs. Such as assisting with daily routines from morning alarm of their choice, medication prompts, appointment/activity reminders, keeping informed of local events, news and opportunities to enhance lifestyle choices An area with some urgency relates to the local GP practice going entirely on-line for prescriptions, blood tests and appointment requests which will be facilitated through the smart devices both in terms of remembering to make an appointment or treatment / prescription request and actioning the request as well as a reminder to attend the GP or collect the prescription from the pharmacy.
2. Improved communication with family, friends and support structure has been a key outcome for users
3. Improved recreational use, from accessing music, viewing religious services, to downloading recipes