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Florence Mumford, 92, met her three-month-old great-granddaughter, Maisie, for the first time in a video call, last week.
Connecting the elderly with friends and family
The happy occasion came about thanks to an Essex County Council-backed technology project, which connects elderly people with relatives and friends via an easy to use tablet.
Florrie, as she likes to be called, has been a resident at one of our sheltered housing complexes for 25 years. She has three children, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, spread around the country.
Delivery of 5,000 Video Carephones across Essex
In March RETHINK Partners – a health and care transformation consultancy – was commissioned by Essex County Council, together with technology company Alcove, to deliver 5,000 Video Carephones to vulnerable people, as part of the response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
The Alcove Video Carephone is an integrated, easy-to-use device which enables users to make video calls to pre-identified services via a locked down tablet and a web portal.
Virtual care and health and wellbeing support
The project aim is to provide virtual care and health and wellbeing support to vulnerable or shielded people.
Florrie received her device last week and is delighted with it. She’s been able to talk to two of her children and after asking if other family members and friends could be added, she was so happy to see her newest great-grandchild.
She’s full of praise for the device, saying:
I do not feel so cut off from my family now and it’s so lovely I can actually see them. It has made me very happy.
11 residents to receive Video Carephones
Florrie is one of 11 residents to receive the digital devices, as part of the pilot project in Epping Forest District, enabling them to have virtual conversations with family and friends.
Cllr Holly Whitbread, Cabinet Member for Housing and Community said:
This is a tremendous pilot project that is bringing families together and helping to banish the loneliness that many of our elderly residents are facing at this difficult time.
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