Stortford Lodge Rotary Club’s Virtual Visiting brings joy to rest home residentsA two-way partnership between Stortford Lodge Rotary Club, and Hawke’s Bay District Health Board has brought Virtual Visitor Technology to Retirement Homes and Cranford Hospice in Hastings and Napier.
Stortford Lodge Rotarian and Hawke’s Bay DHB Board member Peter Dunkerley said Rotarians had cut and sold firewood plus received a grant from The June Gray Trust to raise money for the initial Virtual Visitor Technology pilot scheme after learning how successful the benefits had been for patients and their families at Hawke’s Bay Hospital during Covid19 Alert level 4 and 3 lockdowns.
Mr Dunkerley said the DHB’s Executive Director of Digital Enablement Anne Speden had presented to Rotary on the benefits of Virtual Visitor Technology and Rotarians quickly recognised how good it would be for rest home and hospice residents to connect with family who lived far away or who were unable to visit.
With additional money raised by the Club together with a Rotary Foundation District Grant, the Club has bought more equipment and the DHB’s digital enablement team stepped in and provided the training and initial technical support to the rest homes. To date, the Club has bought 18 units while Hastings Rotary Club has added a further two from its own funds.
A retirement home Clinical Nurse Manager Colleen White said the Virtual Visitor Technology has been welcomed by residents who were now able to connect with families across New Zealand, as well as overseas.
“It’s been great to see the Virtual Visitor bringing lots of smiles to residents as they are able to see their families faces instead of just hearing them over the phone – it’s been really special,” Mrs White said.
Well done Stortford Lodge and Hastings Rotary Clubs in this great Covid19 community programme.