iPad donation and boosted WiFi will help residents communicate with loved ones

Dave Hartley, of Farm Bureau Financial Services, has donated an iPad to the Good Samaritan Society, Postville Center to help those who reside there stay in touch with their families and friends.

Asked about his gift, Hartley said, “I was trying to think of a way to help the residents stay in touch with the outside world while they are quarantined during the Coronavirus event going on now. I have an aunt, who is in another nursing facility, and I thought about how the loneliness is affecting her and her family.  It made think about all the residents in Postville and how I could possibly cheer them up. At first, I thought about getting a large screen television for the residents to enjoy. But, after talking to people at Good Sam and Jesse Swenson at Northeast Iowa Telephone (NEIT) we decided on an iPad.”

Hartley said that Administrator Todd Bunch noted that an iPad would work well for the residents to Facetime, Skype and send messages to family and friends. Bunch was very excited about the gift and said the Center will set up a schedule so all residents will have access to the iPad. Swenson noted that NEIT has agreed to boost the WiFi signal to the maximum power so there will be no problems with the signal when residents are ‘visiting’ with their families.  NEIT has agreed to boost the signal at no cost to the facility or the residents. Those wishing to set up a time to ‘visit’ with residents should call the Center to make arrangements.