One year of lockdown in Austria

Exactly one year ago today, the coronavirus forced Austria into its first nationwide lockdown. On 16 March 2020, all businesses, shops, educational establishments and care homes were temporarily closed overnight, thereby severely restricting our social lives. From then on, protecting the population – particularly the older generations – became the top priority. Consequently, people were warned against contact with elderly family members and friends. This particularly affected our loved ones in retirement homes and care facilities, who were unable to receive visitors for months and had to cope with their daily lives in social isolation from then on. Alongside the self-sacrificing doctors, carers and others on the front line, digital tools proved to be heroes in the fight against coronavirus.

The digital age began long before the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic, but experienced unprecedented growth in 2020. Families separated by distance were reunited through video calls. Thanks to our innovative JAMES software, even older people who were wary of technology were able to see the faces and hear the voices of their loved ones once again. On behalf of the Province of Carinthia, we equipped the majority of our care homes with the JAMES Tablet, the senior-friendly video-calling tablet. Our JAMES emergency watches also protected elderly people in isolation through a mobile home emergency call system. Relatives who were unable to look after their loved ones in person due to COVID-19 were reassured by the smartwatch’s alarm function.

A year later, after a long wait, we are finally seeing restrictions ease and are at last able to see older family members again, provided we adhere to various safety measures such as vaccinations, COVID tests and face masks. Care homes are also gradually reopening their doors and allowing in-person visits instead of just digital ones. However, the added value of digitalisation – not only in the private sphere but also in the care and healthcare sectors – will become increasingly apparent in the coming years. Our aim is to communicate this added value to older generations using JAMES’s age-friendly software, as well as to help overcome their reluctance and scepticism when it comes to using digital devices.