Bridging the digital divide for elderly residents.
Location: South Lanarkshire
Care Messenger’s Chatta TV project is transforming digital communication for elderly residents in care homes, reducing social isolation and enhancing wellbeing. Funded by the £600,000 5G Glasgow City Region (GCR) Smart and Connected Social Places Innovation Fund, this initiative leverages smart TVs to connect residents with family, friends and healthcare professionals.
The Challenge
Many elderly care home residents struggle with digital communications due to unfamiliarity with smartphones and tablets. Social isolation among older adults has severe health consequences, increasing the risk of depression, anxiety and long-term medical issues.
The Innovation
Chatta TV enables care home residents to maintain social connections through an easy-to-use interface on their televisions. This approach reduces loneliness, enhances emotional wellbeing and streamlines care operations by reducing staff time spent facilitating communications. The project involves deploying the Chatta TV systems into 30 residents in a care environment; delivering system demos and training sessions to relevant care managers, council and healthcare workers; delivering online workshops and training for family members; and to introduce and connect ‘befrienders’ to make weekly TV video calls.
- Video Calls & Messaging: Simple, intuitive system allowing direct communication with loved ones.
- Familiar Interface: Utilises smart TVs to ensure ease of use for residents.
- Enhanced Social Support: Befriender integration and family engagement to reduce loneliness.
This project is a partnership between leading organisations:
- David Walker Gardens: Providing pilot site and resident/carer engagement.
- South Lanarkshire HSCP: Supporting with steering group oversight and shared experience LG: Supporting TV integration with Care Messenger software for seamless user experience.
Key results from the project will be shared at the Innovation Showcase Event on the 13 March 2025 in Glasgow. Find out more and register to attend.
For enquiries, please visit https://chatta.tv/for-business/
For more information on the Innovation Fund, please contact Glasgow City Region at glasgowcityregion@glasgow.gov.uk
