WHEN 79-year-old Kay Clarke's granddaughter Claire Scullion went to work in the USA, the close-knit relatives vowed to keep in touch.

Now Kay, of Golborne House residential home at Golborne, and Claire, aged 28, a teacher in Raleigh, North Carolina, have hit on a hi-tech way to bridge the 4000-mile gap -- thanks to charitable care services group CLS.

CLS -- the Cheshire based care provider which runs the 40-bed home -- has installed a video link as part of Golborne House's new internet and email system, so the devoted pair can see each other as often as they want.

"My grandmother is a very special lady, and we are very close, so having this facility means the world to me," said Claire, who used to visit Kay at least four times a week when she was teaching in Leigh. "It's great to actually see her and know she's okay."

Kay's daughter, Kathy Stokes, said: "My mother has memory problems, so being able to see Claire and her husband Mark regularly helps to keep them in her mind. And it's always a very emotional experience to see the delighted expression on her face -- everyone ends up in tears, me and the Golborne House staff included!"

The pilot project at Golborne is part of a long-term programme to provide IT facilities in all CLS's 43 locations with broadband access and a video link and individual email accounts residents.

Another resident Sally Finch, aged 95, regularly contacts relatives in America by email, while Joan Belfield, aged 69, has been in touch with Peter Noone, a 1960s pop star with Herman's Hermits who lives in California.

Home Manager Gill Menguy added: "This computer link is becoming a real window on the world for many of our residents, in more ways than one. It's adding a whole new dimension to their lives."