Students at Bray Park High are helping lift the spirits of aged care residents using video chat

Students at a school north of Brisbane have been using technology to break through COVID-19 social isolation and lift spirits at an aged care community.

Bray Park High School Year 11 students Tasha Arnold, Bianca Bill, Amy Byrnes on video chat with residents at Anam Cara.

A GROUP of Queensland high school students have broken through the social isolation caused by COVID-19 to keep in touch with their elderly friends at an aged care community.

When COVID-19 put a stop to Bray Park High School students visiting residents at Wesley Mission Queensland’s Anam Cara, the students quickly came up with a solution.

They started weekly Zoom calls to help combat loneliness and isolation at a time when the residents are unable to have visitors.

“We made our first video calls last Wednesday and it was a resounding success,” Bray Park High School principal Peter Turner said.

“The students were quite emotional, and you could see how much it meant to the residents.

“It was the students who recognised that it was no longer safe for them to visit the residents, but they wanted to do something to stay in touch, which is where the idea for Zoom calls came from.”

Sixteen-year-old Bianca Bill said that she and her classmates were looking forward to the weekly calls with the residents.

“We all loved the weekly visits to Anam Cara. We would spend time with the residents, cooking, playing games, walking the companion dogs and they’ve become our friends and we miss them,” Ms Bill said.

“Some of us will do the video call from the art room so we can show them our art projects, others will call from the music room, so they can play some music for the residents. We hope that it will help them feel happy during the difficult time.

“And even if schools close, we’ll continue to chat together and stay connected.”

Anam Cara Residential Aged Care manager Silvia Holl thanked the students for their care and compassion.

“The visits from the students are a highlight of the week for our residents, so they were very sad when they learnt it had to be suspended,” she said.

“When we told them that they could stay in touch with the students via video, they were delighted.

“The weekly calls will mean so much to the residents and help to keep their spirits up, and feel connected to the community, until it is safe to resume the visits.”

Bray Park High School has been running the intergenerational program with Anam Cara for four years and students have built strong connections with the residents over that time.