Platform lets isolated seniors read bedtime stories to children during the pandemic

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many seniors living in nursing homes or assisted care facilities were feeling alone and isolated. Likewise, having to stay at home was also being very challenging for children. The Goodnight Zoom platform was created to fulfill the needs of engagement and connection of both senior and children, by allowing seniors to read bed time stories to the kids.

Both parents and interested seniors can sign up to participate at the platform. The team behind the project is responsible for the screening of the participants, to make sure the experience is positive all around. Most of the senior involved in the process have been referred by their nursing home or assisted living facilities, who identify the people most suited for the project. Any senior who apply without being referred have to go through a more thorough screening process, which includes interviews.

The storytellers and the children connect via videoconference and the senior can either tell a story from memory or from a book they have but the platform also provides digital copies of popular bedtime stories that the seniors can read from. The service is completely free and the parents can chose to sign up according to their own schedule and chose with which storyteller they want their children to interact. The platform sees this project as an opportunity for children to enjoy “storytime from diverse voices around the world”. On of the storytellers, for example, is Maha, who’s descriptions reads “Maha is a beekeeper living in southern India. He loves to tell Indian mythological stories.”

More information: goodnightzoom.com