Broadband helps boost family ties
Joy as faster speed connects care home residents with outside world
Residents of a Cambuslang care home have been able to stay in touch with family members during the latest lockdown after landing a broadband boost.
Flemington Care Home has been operating under pandemic restrictions since March 2020 to protect nearly 90 residents staying there from the risk of Covid-19.
However, the old broadband connection at the home was too slow to allow more than one resident to enjoy a video call at any one time, and hampered staff from using virtual GP consultations or online training and tools.
Now, after care home owner Brian McNamara contacted broadband provider Openreach for help, the home has seen their speed shoot up from around 0.5Mbps to 300Mbps.
Brian explained: “We’re located out in the country and our links just weren’t good enough to cope with our internet demand, even before the pandemic started.
“The bandwidth was sketchy at the best of times, which meant residents having to take turns to have short video calls with their relatives.
“We have nearly 90 residents, so that was adding up to more than 40 hours and staff time spent on a halfhour Zoom call for each resident a week.
“The difference between the first lockdown and the second could not be more marked.
“Now we’re only limited by the number of devices we have.
“Residents can use video and other digital resources as much as they like and their screen time with family is limitless.
“It’s great for families too as they can check in with their loved ones much more frequently.
“It’s much more flexible and less frustrating, without screen freeze or loss of sound.”
Brian contacted Openreach to ask about a community fibre partnership, and the digital network business used gap funding from the UK Government’s Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme alongside its commercial contribution to build a gigabit-capable, full fibre network.
As well as the upgrade for Flemington Care Home, which cares for residents aged from 19 to 100, the project also benefited 20 other local households which were also struggling with slow broadband.
Parts of Cambuslang have traditionally struggled with internet speeds, which the Reformer covered last year.
Brian added: “As well as the obvious difference it’s made to residents and their loved ones, there are also many benefits to our business operations.
“Staff from different departments have been unable to meet in person for months, but now they can collaborate online.
“We’re also implementing digital care planning and medication management, which will give us instant access to records, and now have the security of automatic data back-up.
“We care for adults of all ages and our younger residents are very keen to use technology.
“We have a 19-year-old who is a gamer and wants to game internationally.
“His eyes lit up like Christmas when he realised connectivity would no longer be a barrier.”
Robert Thorburn, partnership director for Openreach Scotland, said: “We know that great connectivity at work and home is essential.
“But Covid-19 has shown that it also has such a huge impact on tackling social isolation.
“Having full fibre broadband will now make life easier for the residents and staff of Flemington Care Home, keeping them connected to the organisations who support them and giving residents much better access to communicate with loved ones in the outside world.”
It’s great for families as they can check in with their loved ones much more frequently Brian McNamara