Free Gulfport program helps nursing home residents stay connected through technology

A free Gulfport program is helping nursing home residents use technology to stay connected with family and friends.

Gulf Coast Connection Services provides one-on-one technology assistance to residents at Gulfport Care Center.

Founder Vanessa Welch helps residents make video calls, adjust accessibility settings, and troubleshoot their phones and other devices.

She says those tools can make a big difference for residents who have trouble hearing.

Welch recently helped one resident use closed captions during a video call with his sister. “I was able to turn on the closed captioning so he could read it as she was saying it and they were able to just have a conversation.”

Welch volunteers her time and Gulfport Care Center residents and their families are not charged for the service.

She hopes to eventually expand the program to other nursing homes along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.