ICT is at the core of a pioneering integrated dementia care service in Manchester

ICT is an integral part of life at EachStep Blackley care home, as its ethos is if 'there is no ICT in a care home, residents are being excluded from modern society'.

The £5m care service run by Community Integrated Care offers residential and nursing support to 48 people, specialist day care and a respite service for 12 people.

The dementia care service aims to support people with dementia every step of the way from diagnosis until the end of their lives.

Phil Benson, deputy manager of Eachstep Blackley care home, says: “Technology is very linked in with the work of the staff. So for example we had a resident who was talking about where he grew up and a member of staff looked on Google earth and the resident could see the streets where he had played and his old house.”

“Our residents with higher cognition use Skype and talk to their relatives and friends all over the world. We have a lady who regularly speaks to her family in Australia. We also have a lady who shops online and does all her banking on the internet. She uses the Sainsbury’s website to plan what she is going to buy and makes a shopping list from that.

“The staff also use the internet with the residents to decide what day trips to go on as they can look at the attractions online.

“We have a computer with My Life Software which is an interactive suite where residents can do karaoke, take part in quizzes and use as a memory reminiscence tool. It is very popular with our residents. We are looking at getting some tablets in as touchscreens can be very easy to use. ICT is very good for residents’ fine motor skills.”

Mr Benson believes it is vital for care homes to give their residents access to ICT.

He says: “It is part of everyday life for everyone nowadays so it should be the same in care homes. ICT helps you to be part of a community and so many things are done online now. If there is no ICT in a care home, residents are being excluded from modern society. Many of our residents will have had touchscreen tablets and mobile phones before they come into the care home.”

Carehome.co.uk recently carried out research which found only a fifth of care homes give their residents access to the internet. www.carehome.co.uk/news/article.cfm/id/1560819/plea-to-get-residents-online-as-research-reveals-thousands-are-missing-out-on-crucial-internet-access

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