A SURVEY carried out by a Bromsgrove care company suggests 82 per cent of elderly people are using Zoom, WhatsApp and FaceTime to check in with loved ones.

With visits from family members coming to a halt since lockdown, Home Instead Care Redditch and Bromsgrove say people have been turning to technology to stay connected.

The survey suggests that 70 per cent of older people in the West Midlands felt hearing more from their relatives made them feel more loved, while 52 per cent felt more valued.

The home care company's survey also revealed that 77 per cent of over-65s have enjoyed hearing more from their children, grandchildren and extended relatives since lockdown vegan, and over 84 per cent are planning to continue using these technologies post-crisis.

Annie Dixon Dunn, owners of Home Instead Redditch and Bromsgrove, said: “The challenges we have faced over the past few months have tested us in many ways, including the way in which we communicate.

"Embracing new ways of doing things is never easy, but we are so pleased that technology has helped combat loneliness and isolation for the most vulnerable members of the community, the people who are at the very heart of our service.”

Annie added: “Our care supervisor, Jackie Russell, has been leading the way with getting families using technology that they wouldn’t usually use.

"She has arranged video calls for a client who has had to relocate to London during the lockdown to maintain continuity of care.

"Also, when some caregivers reported that one of their clients was feeling down, she arranged for a Zoom chat so that she could see her family. The call was highly successful and gave the client a boost of positivity that she really needed.”

For more information about how to help support elderly relatives, visit homeinstead.co.uk/redditch-bromsgrove.