Memory Tracks has been working with UK care homes since 2018 specifically using a music app to support people living with dementia. With the current Covid-19 crisis we understand that isolation and loneliness are a major challenge that impacts on both mental and physical health. We would like to use our experience of working with residential homes to support them in the current situation to ensure that residents can stay in contact.
Our objective is to raise funds in order to provide free Android-based tablets to enable residents, supported by staff, to video call their families and friends. We have already provided a number of devices at no cost to the care homes, thanks to the support of Huawei and Memory Tracks. These devices are preloaded with Skype, Zoom and Hangout, so carers have been able to help residents keep in touch with their families.
"Thank you to Gordon Anderson from @memorytracks for the donation of a tablet so that residents can keep in touch with loved ones. As you can see, it’s already being put to very good use.” Belong Atherton Care Home
We need more tablets. We need as many as possible. Our aim is that any care home that needs one, should be able to have a free tablet available for residents to make video calls to their loved-ones. With your help, we can get these tablets out to a waiting list of many homes that need them.
We can also support older people living on their own stay connected:
We are already in contact with a number technology providers and we are asking for devices ideally free or at cost at the very least. As well as some finance to purchase devices, we also need funds to package up the tablets and send them out to care homes. We also need to ensure that we are able to provide support for anyone who needs it. We are therefore budgeting £90 per care home to fulfil this. If we are able to reduce the cost of devices or distribution we will be able to send tablets to more care homes.
It is essential that residents can keep in touch with their families, but with the considerably stretched resources in care homes we want want to provide devices for free to as many as possible.
Thank you for your kindness! You will be bringing comfort to so many people.
"It's very busy!!!!! Its a god-send!" Osborne House, Crown Care Group