Social/Environmental benefit
Research by Minister of Health and Long Term Care shows that interventions to treat or reduce risk of social isolation can improve health outcomes in the community-dwelling elderly. PointerWare’s customers confirm the product’s ability to reduce isolation for the end-user as well as providing family members higher peace-of-mind given the more frequent communication.
Profile
PointerWare’s software makes it very simple and easy for seniors to use computers, communicate with family and friends through email and participate in the new digital society. It also provides them with an ability to view family photos, look up information on the internet and play computer games. The software uses larger font, more intuitive pathways and simple language descriptions to make the internet more accessible to seniors. The software is designed to work with any PC, but can also be used with touch-tone screens and high quality microphones, replacing the need for the user to learn to type on a keyboard.
A technology sponsor, like a family member or staff at an assisted living facility, helps the user customize the product and support the user remotely. PointerWare currently targets seniors in assisted living facilities (retirement, nursing and community centres) or living in their own homes.
The latest research by Ontario’s Medical Advisory Secretariat (an advisory body to the Minister of Health and Long Term Care) shows that interventions to treat or reduce the risk of social isolation can improve health outcomes in the community-dwelling elderly.
The PointerWare co-founders, Raul Rupsingh and Stephen Beath developed the concept while working on their masters degrees in medical biophysics at the Robarts Research Institute in London, Ontario. They quickly recognized the benefits of connecting seniors to other family members using digital networks to more frequently “social network”, i.e. to communicate, plan family events and share photos and comments. They used their undergraduate degrees in computer engineering and access to the senior community through a volunteer program to teach seniors how to use computers to build and test the product.
PointerWare is now helping many families stay in better touch with elderly family members who are isolated by distance from their families or living in assisted-care facilities. Family members report higher peace-of-mind given the more frequent interactions between the senior and several generations of the family, enabled through a wider digital community. Their anecdotal evidence shows that this technological solution does indeed reduce the social isolation of the seniors using it.
PointerWare is a “double-bottom line” company – delivering tangible social impact benefits as well as generating revenues from monthly fees charged to end users or assisted living facilities. PointerWare, which is privately owned, aims to become a key service provider to the senior community, which will also ensure their profitability. In addition, they see other market potential with other user groups—including those with physical and mental disabilities and low literacy.
