It is a small revolution for the residents of the nursing home at the Carentan-les-Marais hospital center, in the center of the Channel. They have just received four touch pads, donated by the Departmental Youth Council, at the end of their two years in office. The goal: to reduce the digital divide and enable residents to communicate more with loved ones.
A moment of intergenerational sharing
“Digital has a very big place today, but many people have never lived with it and don’t know what it is. It makes us happy to help these elderly people and teach them how to communicate with the outside”explains Maxime Embareck, schoolboy from Coutances and president of the “A digital world” commission at the Departmental Youth Council.
For most residents, the discovery is indeed complete. “I don’t even have a computer, but you have to try. It’s a good idea to get in on the action!”, launches Odile, 86, who listens carefully to the explanations of the young elected officials. His daughter Patricia approves. “Hopefully it will help residents get into the world of the living.”
Maintaining the link between residents and their loved ones
A project all the more welcomed after two years of Covid. “With the confinements, it was not always easy. There would have been a tablet to see each other, that would have been good”, she points out. Residents can now see their family and loved ones in video or just play online games. “Being able to be present in festive moments and see someone you love, even from a distance, is a lot of emotions and exchanges for them”rejoices Sylvie Leprivey-Durand, health executive and head of the Ehpad.
– Chloe Martin
You still need to know how to use a tablet. The young elected officials therefore take the time to teach residents the basics and have written a small guide. “The initiative of these young people does them good. We go to meet them, we are interested in them, they exist”, adds the health executive. In total, five Ehpads in La Manche have been selected to each receive four touch pads.