BC Care Providers Association & EngAge BC is excited to announce our partnership with Care2Talk, a new innovative program that incorporates a specially designed interface to function on mobile or tablet devices to create an easy-to-use video chat tool for seniors, people with dementia, and patients with cognitive disabilities.
With restricted visiting access at long-term care and assisted living residences during the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been difficult for seniors in care homes to meet and interact with their loved ones while health and safety protocols are in place. To bridge the communications gap, BCCPA is taking action to the challenging circumstances by partnering with Care2Talk to provide a total of 50 tablets for care homes across the province. While we understand in-person interactions cannot be replaced, it is hoped that this new video chat technology will play a role in enhancing connectivity and alleviating the stress, anxiety, and depression that seniors often develop due to social isolation.
“We are pleased to announce the launch of this pilot project in partnership with Care2Talk, we’re aware of the stresses seniors in care homes may have developed during this challenging time and we hope the 50 tablets that will be distributed to selected care homes in BC will help relieve some of the anxiety caused by isolation,” says BCCPA & EngAge BC CEO Terry Lake.
Founded by Jordan Schley, Care2Talk (not to be confused with “Care to Chat” — the popular BCCPA speaker series) is an intuitive video chat app that is compatible on both iOS and Android mobiles and tablet devices. The app is uniquely designed with a user-friendly interface for those who may find alternative video chat apps challenging to navigate.
“With the purpose of ensuring our seniors get the connectivity they need, we are excited to see the progress with Care2Talk over the past 4 months. A very special thank you to Terry Lake and his team at BCCPA for the support of Care2Talk and helping us roll out our pilot project in B.C.,” says Founder and CEO Jordan Schley.
Care2Talk currently works with the Ministry of Social Development and the Canadian Mental Health Association to ease the communication hurdles between seniors and their family and friends. They have identified the gap in services available to connect seniors, people with dementia, and patients with cognitive disabilities with their caretakers, family and friends. Hence, the pilot project to launch Care2Talk is a significant step to assist care homes in restoring the interactions for seniors and their loved ones. Care2Talk’s Web Portal is also designed with care homes in mind, users of the program can simply manage all devices and payments on the user-friendly web portal.
Video: Overview of Care2Talk
This pilot project in partnership with Care2Talk will officially launch on May 5th, the participating member care homes who will be receiving the tablets are Kaigo Senior Living, The Care Group BC, Hawthorne Seniors Care Community, The Good Samaritan Society, and H&H Total Care Services.
