An easy-use tablet to help older people connect them to their families and loved ones has been launched by two entrepreneurs based in Matamata.
It comes after Matamata woman Julie Caldwell discovered there was nothing on the market suitable for her mother.
Julie Caldwell had been supporting her mother, Lois, who was living independently but was no longer able to use an iPad to stay in touch with family.
Caldwell was calling in on her mother, in her mid 80s, twice daily as simple tasks like taking medication and keeping appointments became increasingly difficult. A beautiful wall calendar was of little use if her mother didn’t know what day it was. The solution would be simple, Caldwell thought, a communication device like an iPad but less complicated.
“I said to her, let’s find a new thing for you to use. There’ll be something out there, and we’ll just go and get it, or go online and buy it for you, and then you’ll have all these things fixed.”
To her surprise, she found nothing. “I kept googling this, that and the other, for things for older people or people with cognitive decline, and there wasn’t anything.”
That began a four-year journey with friend and colleague Julie Blackwell which has seen the two accountants launch the nattily named Kitcal to market, aimed at keeping older people connected to friends and family. It helps seniors live independently, with ready contact with family, including through video or phone calls and messages, and easy sharing of photos. Its shared calendar also means families can keep an eye on things from a distance.
Read more here: http://wbn.co.nz/2021/02/09/innovative-tablet-connects-seniors/