We know from experience that families and friends of our residents can often feel isolated. Relatives and friends especially can feel guilty, because it's not always easy to regularly visit your loved one.
That's one of the reasons that we established a care home industry first and installed "Internet Corners" in every Balhousie Care home.
Now, you can keep in touch by email (which our care staff will either print out or read to the resident), upload photographs and video, and even say hello "face to face" with "webcam to webcam" communications such as Skype or MSN. Many of our residents (and their family and friends) are using this confidential facility regularly and get great pleasure and joy at the closeness our Internet Corners provide.
We have also been working closely with Dr. Norman Alm at Dundee University, who has been doing some wonderful work into the Strategic Promotion of Ageing Research Capacity (SPARC) a unique study into the benefits older people can gain from advances in science and technology. SPARC is stimulating ageing research in three ways:
Firstly, it has showcased the latest research findings from design, engineering and biology to all stakeholders in older people's issues and it has listened to the issues raised by practitioners and by older people about the realities of ageing.
Secondly, it has lobbied policy makers about the needs of older people and how these needs can be met and quality of life enhanced through the pursuit and application of research.
Thirdly, it has provided pump-priming funds to newcomers to ageing research. SPARC awards were highly sought after as they have provided an accelerated path into ageing research. SPARC is a lively, forward looking and, above all else, enthusiastic initiative, and Balhousie Care Group has been delighted to work with Dr. Alm to understand how we can stimulate and encourage our residents to embrace today's communication technologies which many of us take for granted.
Balhousie Care Group also commissioned a unique and authorative study into the specific future needs of the ageing population in our region. This study, called "The Third Age" and carried out by Professor Jennifer Harris in conjunction with Dr. Alm and pre-eminent researcher Dr. Dharmadeo Luchoomun involved visits to a number of Balhousie Care homes, interviews with staff and carers and an investigation into global "best practice" in providing care for the elderly. You can download the report by clicking here. It remains the leading study of its kind to be undertaken in the region and has provided valuable insights and information for the development of future strategy at Balhousie.
Initiatives like these are evidence of Balhousie Care Group continuing to be at the leading edge of issues affecting the care of the elderly in Scotland today - and equally importantly in the future.
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