The first steps with Joice
My first experience with the Joicebox happened about a year ago. In addition to having small children, my parents live in the countryside about four miles from Malmö. Not too far away, but just far enough so that we don’t see each other that often.
My parents are now retired and spend a lot of time in front of the TV, which made getting a Joicebox the best possible choice.
Given my parents’ age I wanted to be able to see them and make sure that they were ok. I know that besides watching a lot of TV that they also have appointed times when they, among other things, see the News and then I know I can reach them and check in on them.
It has happened that I’ve called a little too late and interrupted them while they are watching the News, but they just push the red button to block the call. They see my picture on the TV so they know that I have called. After the news they call me back. They never need to remember our telephone number since they can just click on the picture of me.
If I am not at home and they want to reach me, then I forward Joice to my mobile telephone. I know that my parents can reach me 24 hours a day if anything were to happen. I don’t worry as much and I don’t constantly have a bad conscience about time not being enough to visit them as often as I would like to. I am much calmer now that I have this unique possibility.
As the mother of small children, a 4 year old and a six month old, I am busy from morning to night. When I call my parents they get the chance to see Lycke and Tindra. Getting the chance to see their grandchildren has become the highpoint of my parents’ day.
My parents were able to see, for example when Tindra took her first steps. Previously these moments and experiences have gone unseen. Sometimes Tindra asks me to call up her grandparents so that she can show them something. My parents not only have contact with me, but are able to follow their grandchildren’s’ development in a fantastic way!
When Tindra turned two we organized a birthday party with all of her friends with cake and party bags and all. My parents were unable to come, but they saw the party via their TV.
The Joicebox has opened up many new possibilities that I would never have dreamed possible before. It has also caused my stress and worry to decline radically. Now I don’t need to constantly harp on my parents to move closer to the city. We see and speak to other anyway!
Jessica Eckerstein
