Tech BuddyConnections at Home, NJ Celebrates 10 years of serving Seniors
Recently Telikin was a guest at the 10th year anniversary celebration for Connections at Home, NJ (CAHNJ). Connections at Home provides services to homebound seniors to help combat social isolation and helps seniors stay in their homes longer. The vision for this program came from Dr. Thomas McCarrick, a family physician, and Chief Medical Officer of Vanguard Medical Group in Verona NJ. The program was launched in 2014.
The mission of Connections at Home is to use technology to help decrease social isolation among the elderly and help clients and their families strengthen ties and stay connected.
One of the initiatives started to fulfill this mission was to utilize senior friendly technology, including Telikin computers, to help home-bound seniors connect with their staff, families, and friends.
According to Alex Kent, Executive Director, the seniors participate in face-to-face video chat calls with the social workers. Participants can also communicate with family, other participants and friends via email, video chat, enjoy photo sharing, social media, and many other computer programs.
Staff members also connect clients to community resources, for food, transportation, and medical services to broaden the safety net for the home-bound seniors and their caregivers. These calls are to ensure their health care needs are being met.
While technology is never meant to replace human connection, it can enhance it. When people can see human faces and hear human voices with whom they can interact, it brings out a new sense of life and meaning. We at Telikin are very proud to be part of this wonderful program to improve the lives of seniors.
You can learn more about their mission and program at: www.cahnj.org
