Exactly one year ago today, the coronavirus forced Austria into its first nationwide lockdown. On 16 March 2020, all companies, shops, educational institutions, as well as retirement and care 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 advised to avoid contact with older family members and friends. This affected in particular our relatives in senior homes and care facilities; for months they were unable to receive visitors and had to cope with their everyday lives in social isolation. Alongside the doctors, care staff, and others on the front line who made sacrifices, 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 in 2020 it experienced an unprecedented surge. Families were reunited through video calls. Thanks to our innovative JAMES software, even older people who are sceptical of technology were able to see the faces of their relatives again and hear their voices. On behalf of the State of Carinthia, we equipped most of our care homes with the JAMES tablet, a tablet specially designed for older people for video calls. Our JAMES emergency watches also protected older people in isolation through a mobile 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’s alarm function.
One year later, after a long wait, restrictions are finally being eased, and we can see our older family members again—while observing various safety measures such as vaccinations, COVID tests, and wearing mouth and nose coverings. Care homes are also gradually reopening their doors and now allow personal visits instead of digital ones only. However, the added value of digitalisation—not only in the private sphere, but also in care and healthcare—will become increasingly evident in the years ahead. Our goal is to pass on this added value to older generations with the help of JAMES’s senior-friendly software, and to help them overcome their reservations and scepticism about using digital devices.