Senior Selfies get online with UPC for Nursing Homes Ireland Week 26% of people aged 60 - 74 said they used the internet every day or almost every day in the last 3 months

Dublin, Thursday 25th June, 2015: Today, UPC volunteers celebrated Nursing Homes Week 2015 with a special seminar for residents of Orwell House nursing home in Rathgar showing a range of digital tools including online news resources, media players, messenger apps and, of course, taking and sharing selfies. The aim of the day was to show residents how they can use technology quite easily to stay connected.
The UPC team then presented Orwell House with an iPad for its Day Room so that the residents can continue to put their new digital skills into practice.

As Ireland’s leading connected entertainment provider, UPC is supporting Nursing Homes Week 2015, the annual national event dedicated to celebrating and promoting nursing home care in Ireland (Monday 22nd June to Sunday 28th June.)

According to the CSO, internet use by the 60-74 age group has almost doubled in the last five years. In fact, 26% of those aged 60-74 said they used the internet every day or almost every day in the last 3 months, with 17% using the internet for online shopping.

Anna Maria Barry, Corporate Communications General Manager of UPC Ireland said, “We want to help every senior citizen to get connected and to enjoy the benefits of the Internet as much as possible. There are countless ways they can do this including access to daily news and current affairs, keeping in touch with family and friends, online shopping and entertainment including video and TV. Some of our senior citizens state that the biggest barrier to getting online includes an initial lack of knowledge and confidence. Our goal is to help as many as we can to overcome this so that they too can see the opportunities that are open to them.”

Tadhg Daly, NHI CEO said, “Nursing Homes Ireland Week is the annual celebration of excellent, life-enhancing care provided by our members and is also an opportunity to highlight the realities of nursing home care and change perceptions. This year, we are seeking to highlight this through the presence of IT in nursing homes, which is a regular feature in many of them.

“The internet is much more than just keeping up with the 21st century. Regular internet use has many benefits for older people. It’s a great way for them to keep connected with family and friends far away. Not only can they do that that but it can greatly help memory retention as well as boosting feelings of independence.”

ENDS

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