A way to virtual touch with older relatives

Over the world coronavirus spread as dangerously. As the government encourages “social distancing” in the fight against coronavirus, older people are facing the prospect of being told to stay at home for weeks.

But what if a parent or older person in your life, doesn’t already have access to video calling tech?

“You might want to consider getting a specialised device to make video calls to your loved ones,” says Kate Bevan, editor of computing at Which?, the consumer magazine.

“Once they’re set up, they’re very simple to use but you do have to dig through settings in their apps to connect them and that’s not always as straightforward as it might be,” she says.

“Give yourself plenty of time to familiarise yourself with doing that so that you can help your relative through the process.”

Age UK, the charity for older people, adds that the choice of technology should be as “user-friendly as possible” for those unaccustomed to controlling video-chat software.

“Something integrated like a video call app on a smartphone, tablet or a laptop with a built-in camera, for example will often be more straightforward,” adds Caroline Abrahams, its charity director.

“Older people may also prefer physical interfaces like a mouse rather than a touchscreen or trackpad.

“To protect people’s privacy it will be important to ensure that any new devices are secure and not likely to be hacked, and that anyone using a new device has access to ongoing support to help them learn how to use it and deal with any issues or problems.”