Never too old to turn on the tech

Eventide Residential Aged Care has moved with the times making it easier for residents to stay connected with free Wi-Fi now available.

Director of nursing Dawn Roodenrys said switching on Wi-Fi was a simple thing that would make a huge difference to many residents.

“One of the most important things for our residents is maintaining social connection which has been harder than ever this year,” she said.

“Wi-Fi will allow our residents to keep in touch with loved ones and keep up with the news of the day.

“It is free to use, and we’ve tried to make it as simple for residents to use as possible and our rec officers are here to help anyone who needs it.”

The free service will work on any Wi-Fi enabled device, does not require a password to connect and will remain connected for up to 12 hours.

Dawn said the speed of the network was capped at 512 kilobytes a second and speeds would vary depending on the number of people using the network.

“This is about making sure our residents can stay connected to their loved ones and the outside world,” she said.

The Wi-Fi will also be used to support additional telehealth consultations and by visiting GPs.

The Queensland Ambulance Service has donated iPads for residents and additional devices will be purchased out of Eventide’s trust fund.