Making your home smart
From a high flying career in the manufacturing industry to a tech support guru, our Wellbeing Support Workers have a diverse range of backgrounds, making our teams all the more interesting to be a part of!
Beth Hendy is just one example that recently joined our Northumberland Team and brought her digital expertise with her to help the people that we support to thrive at home.
Alongside our wellbeing services, we are excited to introduce Beth’s technology support to BelleVie clients and families, covering key areas including, but not limited to:
- Voice-controlled speakers (e.g. Alexa) to play music, control lights, check date and time, give reminders etc
- Smart screens for making video calls and displaying photo slideshows
- TV’s including use of remote controls, managing recordings, smart TVs
- House phones, mobile phones and using voicemail
In some cases, this support can also be given remotely with simple, easy-to-follow instructions and photo guidance supplied alongside.
The idea to deliver tech support first came when Beth’s mum suddenly fell ill while she was working full time. Experiencing first-hand how difficult it was to juggle work and caring for a loved one, Beth started to explore ways that technology could make everyday tasks in her mum’s life easier.
With a desire to help other families to benefit in the same way, Beth resigned from her full time job, started a new career in the care industry and set up the tech support business And Wiser.
Beth said: “Older people can benefit so much from relatively simple technology. I feel frustrated when I see people missing out because they don’t know what’s possible. Or because they don’t know where to start, or lack support to make it really work for them. Relatives don’t always have the knowledge or time to help, so having that support from me instead can help to take away the stress and make things happen.
Since initiating this support Beth has helped a number of older people, including *Edith who was unable to leave her bed. By setting up an Alexa Echo Dot and a Smart Plug, *Edith was able to do things she previously had to ask others to do for her.
Using just her voice she was able to choose the music she wanted to hear, change the volume and turn her light on and off. Beth commented: “She was so excited to be given back this power to do things for herself again. It was so lovely to create this experience for her, and I’ll never forget seeing her reaction when she realised what she could do.”
The tech revolution is coming and we hope to work with more families to start adopting more technology to support their loved ones in the hours we are not with them.
If you would like to discuss how we can help you or your loved one, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the Thrive at Home team at: info@belleviecare.co.uk
*Name made up for privacy reasons.
