Patients at Pinewood House are being encouraged to use iPads to support their mental health and wellbeing.

Staff at the mental health rehabilitation unit in Treorchy have purchased two iPads to allow patients to access online support, including apps and websites which can help them with their recovery.

The iPads are also an opportunity for patients to look at how to manage everyday things, such as bank accounts and shopping, and have been used during group sessions to access useful external resources that have helped with discussions.

Staff are also hopeful that the technology will allow individuals who have home visits to be able to Skype staff at the unit should they need some extra support at home.

Claire Goatson, Ward Manager, said:

“We are living in an age where people are able to use technology to communicate in everyday life and we want to be able to support our patients to use it to their benefit.

“We are using the iPads to help them access support apps, such as mindfulness, self-help and relaxation apps which have proven to be really beneficial. It’s about enabling people to access the kinds of things they might find useful in day to day life.

“We hope that we will be able to broaden the use of the iPads to support those on home leave who might want to use Skype. This would mean they could access visual support quickly from our staff and get the support they need while away from Pinewood House.”