Internet café idea clicks with care home residents

7:52pm Thursday 15th November 2007

AN ELDERLY people's home in York has opened an internet café to allow its residents to contact friends and family through the web.

The venture will help residents to keep in touch with relatives who often live too far away to regularly visit.

The Fordlands Elderly Persons Home, in Fordlands Road, Fulford, opened its new internet lounge which has two compters with internet access, a webcam, sofas for the residents to relax on and a shop.

Charity organisation York Cares contributed one of the computers and the home raised the money for the second.

Jessie Clithero, of Fulford, who works at the home, said: "York Cares approached us and asked if we had something in mind that they could do as a project and I immediately suggested an internet café.

"The elderly often suffer from loneliness because they do not see their friends and family as often as they would like. There are residents here who have relatives abroad and with computers and a webcam they can communicate face-to-face with them. York Cares donated one of the computers and we raised money through fundraising to buy another computer and a webcam.

The home, alongside relatives of the residents, raised the money from raffles, tombolas, baking and a Christmas fair.

Jessie said: "Those residents who are able will have lessons on how to use the equipment and the others will be assisted by the staff here at the home.

"All the residents are all really excited and keep asking when they can use the computers. I can not wait to see their expressions when they see their friends' and families' faces on the screen."

Keith Martin, head of housing and social services for City of York Council, officially opened the new facilities.

Maureen Carr, the manager of the home, said: "This is a really worthwhile project because we often have residents whose families live a long way away or even abroad, which can make visiting very difficult.

"This project will also encourage residents to meet up with one another in the lounge and give them something to talk about. The lounge also has shop facilities, where they can choose for themselves what they want to buy."