Exactly one year ago today, the coronavirus forced Austria into its first national lockdown. On March 16, 2020, all businesses, stores, educational institutions, and nursing homes were temporarily closed overnight, severely restricting our social life. Since then, protecting the population—especially older generations—has become the top priority. Consequently, people were warned to avoid contact with older family members and friends. This particularly affected our loved ones in retirement homes and care facilities; for months they were not allowed to receive visitors and had to cope with daily life in social isolation. Along with the doctors, nurses, and other frontline workers who sacrificed themselves, digital tools proved to be the heroes in the fight against the coronavirus.
The digital age began long before the first wave of the pandemic, but it saw unprecedented growth in 2020. Separated families were reunited with the help of video calls. Thanks to our innovative JAMES software, even older adults who are cautious about technology were able to see the faces and hear the voices of their loved ones again. On behalf of the province of Carinthia, we equipped most of our nursing homes with the JAMES tablet, a tablet tailored for seniors for video calls. Our JAMES emergency response systems also protected elderly people in isolation through a mobile in-home emergency call system. Relatives who were unable to care for their loved ones in person due to the coronavirus found comfort in the smartwatch alarm feature.
A year later, after a long wait, we are finally seeing restrictions ease and can see our elderly family members again, while adhering to various safety measures such as vaccinations, COVID tests, and face masks. Nursing homes are also gradually opening their doors and now allowing in-person visits instead of only digital ones. However, the added value of digitalization – not only in the private sphere, but also in the care and healthcare sectors – will become increasingly apparent in the coming years. Our goal is to use JAMES's senior-friendly software to bring this added value to older generations as well, helping them overcome their reluctance and skepticism when it comes to using digital devices.