Plugged in: Edgbaston care home joins forces with college for technology event

Residents at a care home in Edgbaston have welcomed a local college for a workshop exploring the world of technology. 

Care UK’s Metchley Manor, on Church Road, hosted students from Queen Alexandra College for an engaging and insightful talk on artificial intelligence as part of the Bett UK ‘Educational Technology for the Future’ initiative.

The interactive session brought different generations together to explore how AI is shaping everyday life.

Led by two students Hamza Naveed and Kobe Edwards, the fun-filled morning included demonstrations of AI-generated images and videos, as well as a look at how '50s and '60s soul vocals can be blended with modern-day music using AI tools.

Resident Maureen Jordan, aged 91 said: “It was wonderful spending time with the students. I loved learning about YouTube and discovering what my phone can really do. The talk about AI was especially interesting.”

This talk followed a week of informative activities at the home, including a session with Black Country Living Museum volunteer John Homer, who explored the evolution of technology through the years.

Kim-Marie Newton, Home Manager at Metchley Manor, said: “Our technology session was an absolute hit and residents loved learning all about the evolving world of technology with the students from Queen Alexandra College. 

“The event was a wonderful opportunity to bridge generations. Technology plays a significant role in everyday life, so residents found it extremely insightful to learn about the changing digital landscape and ask the students questions. It certainly sparked many wonderful conversations about the past, present and future of technology.

“We’d like to say a big thank you to John and Queen Alexandra College for joining us!”

Designed to enable residents to lead active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence, Metchley Manor incorporates plenty of space for hobby and leisure activities. Its expert team provides full-time residential and dementia care, as well as short-term respite care, while the building has been configured into a series of neighbourhoods to facilitate the creation of close-knit communities and encourage social interaction among the residents.