Most care home residents 'excluded from modern society' by lack of internet access

Taken from the Telegraph:

Only around one in six of the 20,000 care homes in the UK provides internet access to residents, according to research by carehome.co.uk, a recommendations website. It comes despite evidence that using sites ranging from Facebook to online shopping resources is can actively reduce isolation and improve people's quality of life.

Records compiled by the site from most care homes in the country suggest that only around 3,400 out of 20,000 provide internet access to residents, or 17 per cent. Baroness Greengross, chief executive of the International Longevity Centre, said:

"This is an area that really needs to be addressed to ensure that care home residents are fully included in today's society. Technology can stimulate creativity and trigger reminiscence. It is so important for the intellectual and emotional well-being of older people enabling them to connect through friends and family by email, Facebook and Skype. I would urge all care homes to have ICT as an integral part of their homes as it is a vital part of residential care."