Keep older relatives connected with the launch of Isle of Wight company aurisbuddies.com

It has launched a new service to help older people, at home, stay connected, and those in care homes will receive the service free.

The company hopes digital exclusion for the over 65s could become history with the new service, which helps older people connect with their loved ones and the wider world, by providing them with access to Alexa devices for video calling and other services.

A pilot project was conducted on the Isle of Wight by AurisBuddies, together with partners Embracing Age, a charity, and Oakray Care which has several care homes on the Island.

It showed that the use of Alexa devices could have a significant impact on the lives of older people in care.

The devices can be used to make video calls, listen to music, set reminders, and make lists and get news and weather updates.

Regional manager at Oakray Care, Sam Caswell, said: “I cannot express strongly enough the positive impact this is having on residents who are not able to have regular visits – if only we’d had this during lockdown!”

As part of a charitable mission, AurisBuddies and Embracing Age will continue to provide the service free to care homes on the Island.

AurisBuddies, for those at home, is a paid for service, currently only available on the Isle of Wight, but there are plans to expand the service to reach other parts of the UK.