Our care and support team is working with industry partners on a conference in the new year aimed at older people to help them make the most of life.
"Rocking later life – Making the most of yours" was originally scheduled for May. Earlier in the year, we secured London’s Living Room at City Hall as the venue and the invites were ready to go out when the impact of the pandemic became clear and we were forced to abandon our plans.
Undeterred, we decided to make the conference go digital. Technology has never been as valuable as now for keeping us in touch and although a digital conference won’t be the same as a real life one, there is the advantage that we’ll be able to deliver it to many more people who’ll be able to participate safely from their own homes.
We have some fabulous people working with us to deliver it including organisations including:
- Singing for the Mind – Music for Dementia 2020 campaign
- Oomph! Wellness - on the importance of keeping active
- Volunteering in later life - a walk and talk through Westminster’s historic Church Street neighbourhood with one of NHG’s long standing volunteers
- Humanist Sophie Lovejoy giving her humorous yet serious take on what can be done with ashes - a dead interesting talk!
The conference will help older residents have a positive experience of using modern technology, encouraging participation in much of what has been made available online since the pandemic. We hope this will reduce loneliness and social isolation – two of the big issues for many of our older residents - which is likely to be felt more keenly due to the pandemic.
We’re working with our partners on finding the funding to purchase tablets and data which will enable customers who are not currently online to become digitally engaged.
The conference is currently in production. More details will follow.