This year has been tough on everyone, with lockdowns and the Tier system restricting who we can see and visit. Care homes have been severely affected, with residents and their families not able to see each other. Social changes such as these can affect the mental health of residents but thankfully with the technological wonders that we now have access to, it has been possible to keep family members in touch with their loved ones in a way that can still be beneficial for everyone.
Promoting Good Mental Health
Video calls can have many benefits for both residents and their families. One of them is that it can help combat depression. Research published by The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry showed that video calls can go a long way to reduce the risk of depressive symptoms developing. We believe that this is because they allow residents to stay connected with the outside world in a visual way.
The use of video not only allows our residents to stay connected, but it allows them to do so in a way that means that they can talk to their families as if they were in the room with them. This offers a deeper connection when communicating compared to just talking over the phone.
Offering a Sense of Normality
These calls are also beneficial because they offer something that is as close to normality as we can get during these difficult times. With some routines changing such as visits from loved ones, and with lots of worrying headlines in the news, being able to still see their families in this way can help maintain a sense of normalcy. This in turn can help encourage good mental health and limit the negative effects that these confusing times may have on both residents and their families. Subsequently, by promoting good mental, their physical health can benefit too.
Helping Their Physical Health
This is particularly important for patients who suffer from dementia or similar conditions. Without this communication, these sudden changes in visiting routines may cause them distress and concern. Being able to keep the lines of communication open with their families is crucial for their health.
It can also be especially helpful for residents who suffer from hearing loss. Phone calls may be difficult for some due to unclear audio and also because some who are hard of hearing might rely on lip-reading to communicate with people. Using video to contact their loved ones means that they can continue to talk to them in a fairly normal way and is far easier to communicate through than a voice call.
We have been very grateful to be able to offer video calls for our residents and their families to keep them in touch with each other. We are also extremely thankful to everyone’s support and patience through these difficult times. We are very proud to have remained Covid-free throughout this year and continue to do all that we can to keep our residents, their families and our staff safe.
If you have any questions regarding what we do here at Sydenham House, you can use our online contact form to get in touch or you can give us a call on 01594 517 015.