You're never too old to learn how to zoom - just ask Ruth, who at the age of 85 has mastered the computer tablet and is zooming with the best of them.
Ruth, a retired typist and stenographer, lives in Mildura and is loving chatting to her two children and five grandchildren on zoom, as well as a cousin she last saw 20 years ago.
One of her grandsons is in Sydney, and the other day he phoned Ruth on zoom from the laundromat. Ruth didn't actually see whether he washed his whites separately from the colours, but says he's pretty smart so she's sure he would have!
Ruth hired the tablet complete with headset from Uniting AgeWell towards the end of last year and care advisor Leah Stockman taught her how to use it.
It was part of the Uniting AgeWell roll-out of computer tablets for clients with home care packages as well as for residents across aged care facilities in both Victoria and Tasmania.
Ruth quickly got the hang of it, and now Ruth loves it so much she's going to buy her own. And one with more apps!
"It means a lot to me," she says. "It's wonderful to be able to see and talk to the family."
Ruth, who is on a home care package with Uniting AgeWell, still takes in paid ironing jobs twice a week, significantly down on a few years ago when she was doing up to six batches of ironing each week.
She does her own cooking and also loves knitting. She made a bed rug for two of her grandchildren for Christmas.
And after all these years, she can even remember her shorthand!
