Only one resident at Villa Maria aged-care home in Bundoora had ever laid hands on an iPad before tutorials began late last year. Six months on, many of the residents are just as tech-savvy as their children.
After weekly iPad training, Joan O’Laughlin often picks up a tablet to play Sudoku or Words with Friends.
“I’m really enjoying the process – my son think’s it’s marvellous,” Ms O’Laughlin said.
Villa Maria borrows the tablets from Yarra Plenty Regional Library as part of Seniors Connect, a pilot program jointly run by the library, the state government and Telstra to enhance seniors’ technology skills.
Whittlesea, Banyule and Nillumbik have the service, but it may be rolled out to other municipalities further down the track.
Seniors Connect is a free service for any Yarra Plenty library member aged 60 or older. For more information, call 9459 6171.
