Staying Connected: Digital Literacy and Video Calls for Care Home Residents

For a resident whose family live far away, or who can no longer travel or receive visitors as often as they would like, a video call can be the difference between feeling genuinely connected to loved ones and feeling forgotten. Yet many residents who would benefit most from video calling — often the oldest, frailest, or least confident with technology — are the least likely to use it without support, which makes helping residents build this skill a genuinely valuable, low-cost part of care.

Why This Matters Beyond Convenience

Video calls offer something a phone call cannot: seeing a grandchild's face, watching a family celebration unfold in real time, or simply seeing a loved one's expression rather than only hearing their voice. For residents experiencing hearing loss, video calls can also be easier to follow than a phone call, since lip movement and facial expression provide additional cues that a voice-only call does not. This connects directly to the wider goal covered in meaningful activity and combating loneliness, since regular, genuine contact with family is one of the most protective factors against the isolation that research consistently links to poorer mental and physical health outcomes in care home residents.

Barriers Residents Actually Face

The barriers are rarely about a resident's underlying ability to learn — they are usually about confidence, unfamiliar technology, and a fear of "getting it wrong" or breaking something. A resident who has never used a tablet or smartphone may find an unfamiliar touchscreen genuinely intimidating, particularly if their first experience of trying involves frustration or a call that fails to connect. Physical barriers matter too: reduced dexterity can make small on-screen buttons hard to tap accurately, and visual impairment can make small text or icons difficult to see, both of which can be addressed with the right settings and equipment rather than assuming video calling simply is not possible for that resident.

Practical Ways to Build Confidence

Starting with a single, simple, reliable method — one app, one device, one consistent way of connecting — rather than switching between different platforms depending on which family member is calling, reduces confusion considerably. Setting a large, clear icon or a single "call home" shortcut on a tablet's home screen removes several steps a resident might otherwise struggle to navigate independently. Practising together with a staff member present for the first several calls, rather than expecting a resident to manage alone immediately, builds genuine confidence gradually, and staying nearby but stepping back once the resident is comfortable respects their independence rather than hovering unnecessarily.

Scheduling regular, predictable call times that both the resident and their family agree on in advance — rather than ad hoc, unplanned calls — gives residents something to look forward to and reduces the anxiety of not knowing when contact will happen next. For residents with dementia, a predictable routine around calls, at a similar time and in a similar setting each time, tends to work better than sporadic, unpredictable video contact.

Supporting Family to Help Too

Families often want to help but are unsure how, particularly if they are not confident with technology themselves or live too far away to visit and demonstrate in person. A short, plain-language guide from the home — even a one-page printed sheet showing exactly how to start a call from the resident's device — helps families support their relative between visits, and having staff available to trouble-shoot a failed connection quickly, rather than leaving a frustrated resident to give up, keeps confidence from being undermined by early technical hiccups.

Adapting the Approach for Residents with Dementia or Sensory Loss

Residents with dementia can often still enjoy and benefit from video calls even where they would struggle to operate the device independently — in these cases, staff or family support to simply connect the call and then step back lets the resident enjoy the visual and emotional connection without needing to manage the technical steps themselves. Keeping calls shorter and more frequent, rather than long and occasional, tends to suit residents with dementia better, since a shorter call is easier to sustain attention and engagement through, and more frequent contact keeps the connection feeling present rather than like a rare, disorienting event.

For residents managing hearing or visual impairment, the practical adjustments covered in hearing loss and hearing aid care and supporting residents with visual impairment apply just as much to video calling as to any other daily activity — increasing screen brightness and text size, positioning the device so the resident's better ear is closest to the speaker, and ensuring hearing aids are working and in place before a call all make the experience considerably more successful.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do some residents avoid video calls even when they would benefit from more contact with family?
Usually confidence and unfamiliarity with the technology rather than genuine inability — fear of "getting it wrong," small buttons, or an unreliable first experience can all put a resident off trying again.

How can staff help a resident build confidence with video calling?
Start with one simple, consistent method, set up an easy shortcut, practise together for the first several calls, and schedule predictable, regular call times with family.

What can families do to support a resident who is new to video calling?
Agree a consistent app and schedule with the home, be patient during early calls, and provide or request a simple written guide so staff can help troubleshoot between visits.