iPads Help Minn. Seniors Stay Connected During the Pandemic

Seniors in Minnesota are relying on Apple's iPads to keep them connected to loved ones during the pandemic, reports the Brainerd Daily Dispatch . "We love and care for them," said Angelique Hayes at Northern Lakes Senior Living in Baxter, Minn. "But we don't replace friends and family, and that's where the iPad has really been helping and certainly with their families that live far away." Crow Wing Energized procured 20 iPads with a $10,000 grant from the Central Minnesota Council on Aging to give to various assisted living communities in Brainerd, Baxter, Crosby, Crosslake, Nisswa, and Pequot Lakes, and to nursing communities that did not already have the devices. "Families can't get into those communities to see someone in person, so this has really opened up better communication," said Crow Wing Energized's Karen Johnson. The iPads' larger screens make it easier for seniors to see friends and family simultaneously on a video call than smartphones, while also allowing access to podcasts, free museum tours, and educational opportunities. "We also purchased for Northern Lakes a tripod so that they could mount that iPad for people experiencing memory issues," said Johnson. "They kept wanting to hit the device and they would hit it off, so this allows them to kind of be able to look at it and be hands-free."