Reducing social isolation through Smart TV Connectivity

Barriers to Development or Adoption:

• Low digital literacy among elderly residents.
• Physical or cognitive impairments limiting the use of conventional devices.
• Limited staff capacity to facilitate and supervise technology use.
• Variable digital infrastructure across care homes.
• Lack of suitable, intuitive interfaces designed for this demographic.

Target Audience and End Users:

The primary audience is elderly residents in care homes, especially those with limited digital skills or physical impairments.  Secondary users include families, carers, and healthcare professionals who benefit from improved communication channels.  Care home managers are also key adopters, seeking scalable and cost-effective tools to enhance resident wellbeing and reduce operational strain. Other markets for the solution include social housing (sheltered schemes) for the elderly, domiciliary care providers, and in-community virtual wards where the Chatta TV system could play a vital role to allow hospital consultants, GPs, and other clinicians to easily video call, diagnose, and support patients remotely at home in the context of an increasing drive to reduce hospital admissions. 

 

Sector Operators and Suppliers Involved:

• Care Messenger Ltd: Developer of the Chatta TV platform, delivering the hardware and software solution.
• South Lanarkshire Council and South Lanarkshire HSCP: Host care home environment and integration partner.
• LG: Global TV manufacturer supporting direct integration of the Chatta platform within professional smart TVs.
• David Walker Gardens Care Home: Pilot site and key implementation partner, including staff and families.

Implementation Approach:

• Smart TVs were installed in resident rooms at David Walker Gardens, replacing existing sets with high-definition, professionally networked LG units.
• Residents were selected based on digital confidence or their ability to benefit from supported use with carer or family assistance.
• Families were onboarded through in-person and virtual training sessions to download and use the Chatta mobile app.

Care staff were trained on using the Care Messenger Manager Portal to send updates, initiate video calls, and share information.

Technical Requirements:

• Reliable connectivity via in-room fibre broadband or 5G (tested in two rooms as a backup solution).
• LG smart TVs with embedded Chatta functionality, supporting remote access, firmware updates, and system diagnostics.
• Manager Portal (web-based) for staff to manage communication with residents.
• Chatta mobile app for families and external users.

Network Options and Considerations:

• Fibre Broadband: Preferred option at David Walker Gardens, delivering consistent performance.
• 5G: Trialled as a backup and viable solution where fibre was unavailable. Performance was dependent on local signal strength.
• Advantages: 5G enables rapid setup and flexibility in less connected environments.
• Limitations: Coverage strength and indoor signal penetration can impact performance.

Key Enablers:

• Familiar TV interface requiring no digital literacy.
• Professional-grade audio and video quality for accessible communication.
• System usability with a single remote control, including large buttons and auto-switching functions.
• Remote management of TVs for updates and troubleshooting, ensuring minimal staff disruption.

Energy Consumption and Safety:

• Modern LG TVs used in the project are energy-efficient and comply with healthcare safety standards.
• Chatta TVs replaced older models, improving energy performance and picture quality.
• Carers facilitated setup and supported use for residents with cognitive impairments to ensure safe operation.

Integration Potential:

• Chatta TV is already integrated with major IoT platforms (e.g. Archangel, Verkerk Novi).
• The system has capacity to integrate with additional technologies, including patient monitoring platforms (e.g. Docobo) and falls detection systems (e.g. Smplicare).
• Supports long-term vision of unified digital care environments with TV as the central hub. 

Image

CM Manager portal showing prepared message ready to send to all TVs

In addition to these above, this proposed collaborative R&D project aims to demonstrate that the use of LoRaWan technology can reduce the set up and ongoing costs associated with legacy damp and mould monitoring due to reduced need for fixed wired/broadband or sim packages, offering a more financially sustainable model for both service providers and their customers.  These would be of significant benefit due to financial pressures on local authorities and housing associations.

Licensing and Service Offering:

• Per-Unit Subscription Model: Each Chatta-enabled TV is licensed on a per-unit, per-month basis, which includes software access, system maintenance, security updates, and customer support.
• Managed Service: Care Messenger provides ongoing monitoring, remote updates, and troubleshooting as part of its fully managed service. This includes the Care Messenger Manager Portal for care staff and the Chatta mobile app for families.
• Hardware Procurement: While the software is central to the service, Chatta TV typically includes hardware provision through partnerships with LG, offering discounted rates for professional-grade smart TVs pre-configured with Chatta.
  
  An example of efficiencies in a care home context is presented in the table below based on a care home of 50 residents. 

Image

The Chatta system enables enhanced engagement between residents, their families, and care staff in ways that were not previously possible. Families can send photos and personalised messages directly to a loved one’s television, while care staff can use the platform to share updates or prompts to support daily routines. This creates a more connected and reassuring care environment, reducing anxiety and isolation, and strengthening relationships across all those involved in the individual’s care.

Scalability and Expansion:

• The commercial model allows phased rollouts, enabling care homes to start with a pilot and expand as needed. Following the success at David Walker Gardens, an additional 30 systems were installed to cover the full facility.

Future expansion may include integration with local HSCP systems, other IoT technologies, or additional care facilities within South Lanarkshire and beyond.

Size of Market: 
UK figures alone: 450,000 in care homes; 1.2m in sheltered housing; 950,000 receiving domiciliary care at home.  All are potential opportunities for Care Messenger.  And with international market access facilitated by LG as a global TV player, this replicates proportionately across the world as other countries experience the same social and communications problem in their elderly demographic and would benefit from the same solution. 

Cost Effectiveness:

• The model delivers measurable returns through:
  • Reduced staff time facilitating communication.
  • Fewer physical visits required for non-clinical support.
  • Enhanced resident wellbeing and family engagement, reducing distress and related health issues.

Timescales to deliver impact:
Allow up to 30 days from installation for residents to familiarise with their new TV, for staff training and family inductions, impact is very early and immediate.  As a communications tool, as soon as families download the Chatta app and start calling or messaging, and staff start using the Manager portal to send messages there will be activity and engagement with residents with benefits evidenced from the evaluation which took place only 3-4 weeks following installation of the system.  

Funding and Investment:

• The initial deployment was supported through the 5G SCSP Innovation Fund (circa £84,000).Care Messenger is engaging with councils, health boards, and private sector housing providers to explore longer-term procurement opportunities, often supported by digital transformation or technology inclusion budgets.
• Demonstrated savings in operational efficiency and improved inspection outcomes (as noted during a DWG inspection) strengthen the business case for wider adoption.
• Path to Sustainability:
• The hardware lifespan, minimal maintenance requirements, and positive feedback from families and carers all contribute to a strong foundation for sustained use.
• The ability to use fibre or 5G for connectivity ensures flexibility for deployment in a variety of digital infrastructure contexts.
• The service is already generating commercial interest from other care settings, with DWG now serving as a showcase site for wider adoption across the region.

Image

For Residents:

• Reduced Loneliness: 80% of residents reported feeling more connected to family, even those living abroad, with some describing the TV-based system as “life changing.”
• Improved Wellbeing: Participants noted clearer communication, more stimulation, and an increased sense of inclusion, all contributing to improved mental health and quality of life.
• Accessibility: Unlike tablets or smartphones, smart TVs are familiar and easy to use. The large screen and single remote with simplified buttons made it easier for residents to engage, even those with limited digital literacy or cognitive challenges.
• Independence: Residents able to operate the remote independently experienced greater autonomy in maintaining family connections.

For Families:

• Enhanced Communication: Families highlighted the ease of use and emotional comfort in being able to see and engage with loved ones via a full-screen, high-quality video call.
• Greater Peace of Mind: Real-time visual connection reassured distant relatives about their loved one’s health and wellbeing.For Care Staff:
• Operational Efficiency: Carers no longer needed to facilitate or supervise video calls using tablets, freeing up time for other care tasks.
• Improved Engagement: The ability to send group alerts, quiz questions, or wellbeing messages across the home allowed staff to reach residents more effectively and interactively.

• Ease of Use: The Chatta platform received 100% positive feedback from carers on usability and value.

  For the Care Home:

• Regulatory Impact: During an unannounced inspection, the presence of Chatta TV contributed to high scores. Inspectors indicated it could have pushed David Walker Gardens from a ‘5’ to a ‘6’ (the highest score) had it been fully rolled out at the time.
• Digital Inclusion: Enabled residents previously excluded from digital interactions to engage in the digital world via a meaningful and familiar device.
• Wider System Benefits:
• Supports NHS Net-Zero Goals: Reducing in-person visits and travel for both families and professionals contributes to sustainability targets.

Scalability: The system can be replicated across care homes and social housing, offering a scalable, cost-effective solution for tackling social isolation.

Image

CM Manager portal showing status of a message sent to TV by care managers for each resident ie ‘pending’, ‘delivered’, or ‘read’ 

CEO, South Lanarkshire University Health and Social Care Partnership 

“Social care and healthcare is all about the connections that we enable people to have with one another - the connection our service users or patients have with the staff who provide care to them and the connections we’re able to foster between them and their own families and the communities that they are part of.  The Care Messenger project is a way of digitising that in our care homes to enable residents within their own rooms to connect easier with the staff who have responsibilities to look out for them on  a much more responsive basis but also for them to continue to maintain those connections with their family regardless of where they live, whether it be within Scotland, the UK, or indeed further afield”. 

From residents 

“... It helps me feel connected to my family who used to be nearby and now are far away, especially my daughter who lives in Dubai.  I think the Chatta TV is fabulous”

From DWG senior care staff 

“You can be in a room full of people and be lonely.  Seeing distant relatives on a big screen whether they are far away or just not able to visit due to being ill, for example, makes all the difference.  It is the key part of the system”.

“We have had calls from the younger generation to the residents, from Canada, Australia and Dubai.  We should have one from New Zealand soon”.

“Sending messages are great for notices, such as daily menus, or particular visits e.g. the mum and baby group who come regularly to meet our service users”

From family members 

“I think the system is absolutely fabulous, it’s allowing me to have weekly video calls with Mum which is great to see her, see how her health is and assess her mood / happiness level”.

“She smiles at the photos and recognising some of the family members. She loves seeing the smiling photos of the grandchildren”

“The carers sent instructions by email, and no-one has had any issue with it.  He [care home resident] isn't very technical but has found it easy, he talks about the messages he's received” 

1. Familiar Technology Encourages Adoption Using smart TVs—a familiar and trusted device for older residents—significantly reduced resistance to digital communication.  Unlike smartphones or tablets, which often require full supervision by staff, residents quickly adapted to TV-based communication, especially when introduced gradually.

2. Engagement from All Stakeholders Is Crucial Early and ongoing involvement from care home management, carers, residents, and families was essential to the success of the project.  Cultural onboarding and in-person training sessions helped build trust and ease the transition.

3. Dedicated Preparation Improves Implementation Having a ‘staging room’ for hardware setup and coordinating installation around resident routines reduced disruption and allowed for a smooth rollout.  Allowing a period for residents to adjust to the new TV before activating communication features proved highly effective.

4. Connectivity Is Key Reliable in-room connectivity (fibre or strong 5G signal) was fundamental. Wibre was available, performance was strong. In areas with weak 5G coverage, service quality was reduced, particularly for video calling, highlighting the importance of assessing network suitability early.

5. Value for Residents at All Levels of Ability The system proved beneficial not only to residents who could independently interact with the platform, but also to those with cognitive impairments.  Carers used Chatta to display videos, family photos, and quiz content, stimulating engagement even among more vulnerable residents.

6. Improved Experience for Families Families found the system intuitive and deeply valued the ability to stay connected.  Features such as full-screen video calls and multimedia messaging significantly enhanced the quality of communication, especially for those living overseas.

Image

7. Carer Efficiency and Reduced Workload The platform saved staff time by reducing the need to supervise calls or operate tablets.  It also enabled efficient information sharing, including menus, entertainment updates, and resident feedback collection.

8. Integration Potential with Wider Systems Chatta TV's ability to integrate with other IoT technologies (e.g. Docobo, Smplicare, Archangel) opens new opportunities for enhanced, connected care—transforming the TV into a central hub for wellbeing and virtual care delivery.

9. Implementation Timelines Must Factor in Governance While the approval process was expedited in this case, compliance (DPIA, legal) took longer than anticipated.  Future projects would benefit from running approvals in parallel with preparation to prevent timeline compression.

10. Full-Home Rollout Amplifies Impact Having Chatta TV in all rooms, rather than selected pilot spaces, allowed the care home to create a consistent communication ecosystem.  This significantly enhanced operational efficiency and user experience.

Image

Screen shot of Manager portal showing entertainment message ready to send from Care Home to Residents’ TVs