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Tablets keeping hospital patients, care home residents, connected with outside world

HUMBOLDT — In the face of visitor restrictions at healthcare facilities, staff are turning to technology to keep residents and patients in touch with their loved ones. St.
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HUMBOLDT — In the face of visitor restrictions at healthcare facilities, staff are turning to technology to keep residents and patients in touch with their loved ones.

St. Mary’s Villa bought two iPads, while the Humboldt District Hospital Foundation had two donated by Wireless Age and bought another one.

Donna Muench, the executive director of the St. Mary’s Villa Foundation, said that when villa staff asked for the iPads, they agreed immediately. There are 84 residents in the facility.

“We've been hearing now from residents’ families about how appreciative they are that they can communicate face-to-face with their loved ones.”

The iPads also allows families to email the residents and send short videos. As well, the staff is using the library app to download books to read to the residents.

“I think even once this is over, the iPads will actually help develop more programs for our residents, so it's a win-win on every level,” Muench said.

Lorrie Bunko, the executive director of the Humboldt District Hospital Foundation, said the need for patients to be able to connect with the outside world was identified early on.

“The inpatients, we felt it was important for them to be able to communicate face-to-face with their families.”

When the hospital foundation contacted Wireless Age to see if they had iPads available, the retailer offered to donate the tablets right away, without any prompting.

“There was a third one that we bought because the physicians identified the need that it would be helpful to have an iPad to be able to communicate in the emergency department at the bedside with Saskatoon specialists,” Bunko said.

The hospital foundation has also put together activity packages full of items like crosswords, word finds and colouring pages for patients. They have already delivered 50 and have another 50 available. They have also ordered a cautery, a device used to deliver a burn to seal off parts of the body.

“We are still waiting for some other requests to come in,” Bunko said.