Bedford Citizens Housing Association help residents keep in touch during lockdown

Bedford Citizens Housing Association (BCHA) have been using technology to ensure that residents and their loved ones had access to the best communication possible during the coronavirus pandemic.

Charter House in Bedford have put a range of new systems in place including:

- A relative’s portal on the digital care planning system so that the family can see actual real time recording of care being provide daily

- Video calling - using Facetime and Google Hangouts – iPads have been provided to allow residents to be able to speak to their families through video calls

- Creating a booking system for calls on our website. This is to support our staff in facilitating the calls and allowing relatives to all have opportunities to speak with their loved ones

- ATLAS Emar (electronic medication administration) launched in July to digitalise the administration of medication.

- Safe visiting spaces – appointments can be booked online to have social distanced meetings in our garden.

Marie Taylor, chief executive of BCHA said: “These have been extremely challenging times for care homes but along with ensuring the physical health of our residents we know how important it is for their mental health that they are able to see and talk to their families even if it is virtually.

"It is equally important for the families themselves to keep up to speed with their loved one’s care and with our relative’s portal they are able to have up to the minute details.”

For more information visit: www.bchal.org.