Elderly tenants in retirement complexes across North Lanarkshire are now getting online and enjoying all the benefits the internet will bring to their life
Councillors Kenneth Duffy and Heather Brannan-McVey visited Allershaw Tower in Wishaw to meet some of the older tenants who have received new devices and access to Wi-Fi.
Before the pandemic, 96-year-old Isa Cox had never even used a computer and the online world was a mystery to her. Now thanks to the support from Connecting Scotland and the council, she has received a brand-new iPad and support from a digital champion to help her navigate all these digital experiences.
Isa said: “I have always been frightened of the internet and anything to do with it, I have never owned a computer never mind an iPad, when I was younger, we never had anything like this.
"I didn’t know how to work it. With the help from Meg in the complex, I have an email address and downloaded apps.
"When I was younger, I loved jigsaws, Meg downloaded a jigsaw app and it’s been great. It keeps my mind active, and my family are now sending me family photos.”
Also enjoying his new iPad is John O’Hara, who is an avid football fan. He said: “I was a bit frightened at first, thinking I would break it, but I can now access the football and I’m a happy man.
"Meg is now showing me how to access and send emails, which I never thought I would ever be able to do.”
Meg Stewart is the retirement officer in the complex and has now taken on the role of Digital Champion for her tenants.
She said: “You don’t need to be a technical expert. It’s about how you speak to the tenant. You build up a relationship to increase their confidence and help them use their device.
"I have set up drop-in sessions for the tenants and they are now starting to come more frequently as they learn more about their new devices."
Councillor Duffy, transformation and digitisation committee convener, said: “The aim of this programme is to give our elderly tenants the ability to connect with their friends and family on a regular basis and improve their happiness and overall wellbeing.
"It was fantastic to visit the complex and meet the tenants who have received the new devices and see how happy it was making them."
The project has been funded through Connecting Scotland and the council was awarded 200 devices and MiFi boxes to support the project.
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