Kildare nursing home resident (92) in running for top Silver Surfer award

After a record-breaking number of nominations for the 2017 open eir Silver Surfer Awards Doreen Thew from Maynooth has been shortlisted for the awards ceremony on March 28.

Now in its eighth year, the Awards celebrate and recognise the achievements of older people using technology and the internet as well as the volunteers who teach these skills.

A total of 25 nominees from across Ireland were shortlisted across the five awards categories with one Kildare representative.

Ninety-two year old Doreen Thew lives in the TLC Nursing Home in Maynooth, who had to get a wifi booster for her room because there was no way Doreen was going to be separated from her iPad!

Staff and residents alike describe her as an inspiration, using her iPad to keep in touch with family all over the world, to shop online, to identify the birds that gather in her garden and even to snapchat! She’s a terrific nominee for the Silver Surfer Award.

Justin Moran, Head of Advocacy and Communications with Age Action, said: “The open eir Silver Surfer Awards are all about driving home the benefit of being online to older people with the aim of getting more of them to give it a go!

“It is hard to believe but the majority of older people, 53 per cent, have never been online.  Only 3 per cent of those aged 75 and over have used the internet.”

Orlagh Nevin, Commercial Director, open eir, said: “The internet opens up a whole new world to users and we want to recognise, celebrate and reward all of the great things our Silver Surfers are doing.

“Our rural high-speed rollout programme is giving more Silver Surfers in communities across the country the ability to access high-speed broadband keeping families and friends connected no matter where they live or work.”