Established in 2009, New Care Projects is a builder and provider of care homes, offering specialist ‘new generation’ care facilities to its 350 residents in the Midlands and North West. Adopting a home from home mentality, New Care required a technology solution that was multi-purpose, and able to be used anywhere in the home during periods in-between scheduled activities. The devices needed to be interesting and stimulating so that occupant minds remained active, all whilst in-keeping with the homes’ 5-star finish.
Inspiring and engaging through technology
Priding itself on the provision of comfortable, safe, and interesting living environments, a constant challenge for New Care is ensuring that its residents remain engaged throughout the day, seven days per week. Home Manager Susie Sumegi says: “We run a 24/7 operation 365 days per year here at New Care, and as you can imagine being stuck inside all day can be boring, so we constantly look to refresh our activities so the residents never get bored!” Because the organisation caters for people of all intellects and abilities, many of whom, whilst immobile or movement impaired, are still entirely capable mentally, the technology needed to be versatile and able to be used by anybody, independently, anywhere in the home.
This could not have been more important on the dementia level of the home. As providers of safe, familiar spaces for people suffering with dementia, the concern for New Care staff was finding adaptable touch screen technology, but ensuring it could be used by the residents most in need. They required whatever was to be introduced to be easy to use and to stimulate their minds, particularly during periods in-between scheduled activities.
Furthermore, purpose-built by an award-winning construction team, each of New Care’s five North West and Midlands-based homes are carefully considered and expertly designed by interior designers to facilitate the highest standard of care. Susie adds: “Our homes feel luxurious to residents, and any technology being brought in has to seamlessly fit into its surroundings, and not just feel plonked in the middle of the space!”
Five Interactive Touchscreen Tables
Innovation through modernisation. Sharp’s solution was to provide New Care’s five Midlands and North West-based homes with intuitive Interactive Touchscreen Tables, which were proposed for several reasons.
With access to thousands of downloadable games, puzzles, and quizzes, all with adjustable difficulties, the touch screens are the perfect tool to challenge the minds of every resident, whilst sensory applications help provide dementia patients with an engaging familiarity.
Secondly, the manoeuvrability of the devices makes them extremely well-rounded, multi-use and practical. During periods in-between scheduled activities New Care staff would be able to set up the device in a horizontal table position for residents to play group games together, such as poker or ice hockey, and easily change the orientation of the device to vertical for showing videos or playing films. Because the table features adjustable legs for easy raising or lowering dependent on need, whenever residents wanted to make use of Table’s many features, they could.
Finally, the Interactive Touchscreen Tables were picked because of their lightweight, sleek frame and luxurious oak finish; Susie was confident that they would integrate perfectly with the modern finish of the home.
A versatile touchscreen beneficial for all
The Interactive Touchscreen Tables have integrated perfectly at New Care. The devices are used by the activities team with residents individually for games that encourage them to think on their feet, keeping their minds active. Activities Supervisor at New Care, Alicia Lowry said: “Honestly I’ve worked in care homes before where the residents just sit idle for hours, this table is ensuring that New Care never allows that to happen, our residents’ minds are constantly on the go!” The device is also used for other social activities like karaoke, which has been a real hit with residents.
Susie commented: “Whilst our staff are there when needed, 24/7, the table has really helped us because we can leave the residents to use the table for a short time and get some of our admin tasks done.” Staff are now finding that occupants are using the table autonomously in-between scheduled events without their input, allowing them to complete other important, time-sensitive work.
The table is so adaptable that the residential floors use it for playing films and challenging their minds with word and memory games, occupants on the nursing floor use the screen supervised for chair yoga, whilst patients on the dementia level remain stimulated with sensory apps that involve light and sound.
Lastly, the stylish appearance of the devices means that they have not diminished or taken away from the design elements of the home. Susie concludes: “We love it, it’s so versatile and it fits in beautifully, so much so that it is a now a permanent feature in the social lounge of our Ashlands Manor home, it complements our modern décor!”
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