For years, "activity time" in many Irish nursing homes and day care centres has meant the same short list: bingo, a sing-song, maybe a jigsaw on the day room table. Staff do their best with the time and tools they have, but the options are limited — and residents living with dementia or reduced mobility are often the hardest to keep meaningfully engaged.
That's the gap interactive touch technology is starting to fill. Ireland's nursing home sector is already investing in this space: Mowlam Healthcare, one of the country's largest independent nursing home providers, recently installed interactive "magic table" technology in its Memory Care Centre in Adare, Co Limerick, specifically to support residents living with dementia. It's a sign of where the sector is heading — and it's the same shift Manico's FunTable and FunBoard are designed for, just built with a wider range of care settings in mind.
The objection is usually about relevance, not technology itself
Ask a care manager about "screens" for elderly residents and the hesitation is understandable. Most technology in a care setting has historically meant a television in the corner, or a tablet handed to one resident at a time — neither of which does much for a room full of people, some of whom may have limited dexterity, reduced eyesight, or advanced dementia. The concern isn't really about technology; it's that most technology wasn't built with this group in mind.
That's precisely the problem Manico's format solves.
A shared surface, not a solitary device
FunTable and FunBoard are large, multi-touch interactive screens designed for group use — several residents can touch, tap, and play at the same surface at the same time, rather than queuing to use one device alone. For care settings, that changes what "activity time" can look like:
- Group engagement — several residents can take part in the same game or activity together, which supports social interaction and reduces isolation, rather than one person disengaging with a screen on their own.
- Low barrier to use — large-format touch interaction requires far less fine motor control and hand-eye coordination than a tablet, mouse, or remote control, making it far more accessible for residents with dementia, arthritis, or reduced dexterity.
* Reminiscence and cognitive stimulation apps — content built around memory, music, nature scenes, and familiar imagery, which research into similar interactive table technology has linked to reduced agitation, lower boredom, and improved mood among residents with dementia.
- Built for the space, not the other way round — FunBoard can be used on any surface, including flat on a table for seated group activity, wall-mounted, or floor-placed, and rotated to suit residents with varying physical or cognitive needs. Where mobility is a bigger concern — residents who use wheelchairs, or who move between the day room, dining area, and their own room — an optional motorised tilt and elevation stand is available, letting staff bring FunBoard to the resident and adjust the height and angle at the touch of a button, rather than the resident having to be positioned to suit the screen.
- Genuinely durable — hardened, anti-reflex glass and a robust housing mean staff can let residents explore it freely, without the anxiety that comes with handling a fragile device.
What it means for staff, not just residents
The benefit isn't only to residents. Activity coordinators and care staff are stretched thin, and one-to-one engagement isn't always possible. A shared interactive surface lets several residents engage meaningfully at once with minimal staff supervision, freeing carers to support the residents who need more direct attention — while still giving everyone in the room something to be part of.
From caution to confidence
As with any new technology in a care setting, the instinct is often caution first: will residents actually use it, will it suit people with dementia, will it just sit unused in a corner. The pattern in care homes already using this category of technology, in Ireland and abroad, tends to be the same — caution gives way to curiosity once residents see it in use, and then to genuine enthusiasm once staff see quieter, more withdrawn residents drawn out and engaged in a way that older activities couldn't manage.
🎥 See the motorised tilt and elevation stand in action: https://vimeo.com/1022416549
See it in your setting
If you manage activities, care, or facilities in a nursing home, day care centre, or elderly care service in Ireland, the best way to judge Manico's technology is to see it in action. Get in touch with Marko for a free video demonstration and to have your questions answered — no obligation, just a look at how FunTable and FunBoard could work in your setting.
Book your free demo by clicking here.