In today’ society, loneliness through isolation is a frequent phenomenon. This reality is no exception for our Veterans of the Second World War and of the Korean War at Ste. Anne’s Hospital, of an average age of 89 years old, who receive long-term, end-of-life and palliative care.
These men and women suffer from loneliness and isolation from the community and from their loved ones because of their hospitalization and also due to the fading condition of their physical and mental health. Due to their loss of autonomy and medical condition, the potential for desired social interactions are infrequent and contained within the walls of a hospital.
For all of these reasons, the Foundation at Ste. Anne’s Hospital offered its financial support for the development of a pilot project aimed at promoting more frequent interactions between our Veterans and one or several persons of great significance in their lives. This is done through the technology of SKYPE.
This software allows video communication from one computer to another, no matter where Internet users are located across the province, the country and even the world. With the collaboration of the family, of employees and volunteers, hospitalized Veterans can now communicate with their family from their hospital room through the technology of a portable computer… and even see and talk to their grandchildren or even their great-grandchildren, some of them, for the very first time!
…
