Advice for staying connected during lockdown with Facebook

Lockdown can be a lonely time for our elderly and vulnerable as they are encouraged to stay at home, often with the only connection to the outside world being visits from the Bluebird Care team.  Family members aren’t allowed to visit, trips to the shops are limited and social events are cancelled.  So how can our elderly community stay connected with friends and family and continue to keep in touch with loved ones?

There are many options available such as video calling via the likes of Zoom or Houseparty which provide a great way to see and chat to one or many people at a time.  However, many of our customers prefer a softer approach that doesn’t rely on them being on-screen and, one where they can dip in and out at a time that suits them.  

With this in mind, the social media platform Facebook seems to fit the bill.  

Whether you or your loved one is Facebook-curious or has never seen the little blue icon before, our guide provides the absolute basics to getting involved.  

What is Facebook?

Facebook is a website that allows you to connect with other people who are registered on the site.  It is a social network where you can keep in touch with people you already know in real life.

Why should I join?

In general, facebook is an easy-to-use tool that enables you to keep up to date with the lives of friends and family.  You can see their photos, comment on them, chat and share your own pictures and videos.  

• You can share information about what’s going on in your life by sharing pictures or words
• You can see what’s going on in your friends lives by seeing their updates and commenting on them.  
• You can chat with friends by sending public or private messages 
• You can view photos and videos posted by your friends
• You can join communities that you’re interested in and join in with discussions.  

How do I join?

1. Firstly, you need to visit Facebook www.facebook.com and register. This will involve providing some basic details, including your name, date of birth and email address. You will also need to create a password. 
2. You will then be asked to add people which tends to be taken from your email account.  Feel free to skip this stage.  
3. You should then information to your own profile page such as a picture and other personal information such as where you went to school.  All of this is optional, but it does help friends and family to find you.  You can come back at any time and update or add to this information.  
4. We recommend looking at your privacy settings as these dictate who can see what you post.  To do this, click the cog symbol on the top-right corner of the screen and choose ‘privacy settings’ from the list.  Then click ‘edit’ on the right-hand side.  This will take you to options to change who can see your posts from ‘public’ to ‘friends’.  You also have the option to change other privacy settings.  
5. You’ll then need to find people you know.  To do this, you can type their name into the search box at the top of the screen.  Once you find them, click on the symbol that appears next to their name to add them as a friend.  They’ll receive a notification that you have asked to be facebook friends.  Once they’ve confirmed, you’ll be able to see their posts and chat.  
   Please think!!
   You will naturally want to add in older children or grandchildren so you can keep up to date with their lives and what they’re up to.  Just be prepared that, if they accept your request, their posts might be a little dis-tasteful! :) 
6. Enjoy and have fun.