Eurocarers
European association working for carers
Hilfswerk Notruf
Summary
The Notruftelefon is a social alarm system provided and funded by the Austrian non-profit organisation Hilfswerk, enabling older people to call an ambulance in emergencies by pressing a button on a wristband.
Users are required to pay a monthly rental fee from 25.40€ to 33.90€ plus the installation fee (21.80 €).
Devices used are sensors, alarms and a simple wristband.
The service supports older people to live independently and gives peace of mind to their family carers. It helps the coordination care by social and healthcare professionals and connects private care workers with public health services. The service has a positive impact on the National Health System (NHS), as the prompt intervention of medical staff avoids hospitalisations
Description
refers to the target users, kind of service provided, ICTs typologies and devices used
The main aim of the service is to maintain the safety of people living alone, in particular older people or those suffering from chronic diseases.
The Notruftelefon was set-up in 1984, as an addition to other services of the Hilfswerk in the field of healthcare and social services. Since then, the Notruftelefon has been provided throughout Austria except for Tyrol and Vorarlberg.
Hilfswerk is one of the largest organisations providing healthcare and social services, child care and support for families in Austria, as well as people in need of help in various regions all over the world.
Care Recipients
Informal carers
Paid assistants
Formal carers
Not available
Independent Living
Information and learning for carers
Personal Support and Social Integration for carer
Care coordination
The initiative mainly provides services for independent living and home safety.
Landline network, hand-held transmitter, fall detector, key safe, electronic door lock, mobile phone for seniors, phone with big keys, phone with image keys (also available wireless), call sign sensor, "carousel" (a medication device), smoke alarm.
Operational Information
refers to the type of funding, budget, sustainability and organisations involved
Not available
- Non-profit funding: charity, volunteers organisations, Non-Governmental Organisations.
- Out of pocket.
Not available
The future funding seems to be very likely according to what the initiative coordinator said (Schmidt et al., 2011).
Not available
Authorities
Private Care Sector
Health and Social Care Systems
Third Sector
Private Companies
Not available
Informal Carers
Health Professionals
Social Care Professionals
Privately-Hired Care Assistants (inc. Migrant Care Workers)
Volunteers
The system allows family carers of the impaired older person to have peace of mind when they are working or travelling.
Healthcare and social service professionals are involved when the user calls an ambulance.
The Notruftelefon is also useful for privately-hired care assistants, because it is an additional monitor of the older person.
Data on employed people specifically dedicated to the Notruftelefon are not available but Hilfswerk employs a total of 9,728 people.
Not involved.
Not available
Hilfswerk flyer.
Hilfswerk Website.
Evaluation
refers to the impact of the service on end-users, care organisations and authorities
This service has a positive impact on informal carers' quality of life, because it reconciles care and work. It also impacts on older people, because it improves their health and safety (Schmidt et al., 2011)
The service impacts positively on:
- Private organisations that provide care, because it helps to save costs and optimise resources.
- Companies and the labour market, because it helps the informal carer to reconcile work and caring tasks (Schmidt et al., 2011).
The service can help the NHS and social services to save the costs of home caring and hospitalisation with prompt intervention (Schmidt et al., 2011).
Strengths
- In Lower Austria the monthly costs are taken over by the government if the customer obtains a care allowance.
- The service allows older people to live independently and enhances their self-esteem.
Weaknesses
- Training courses are not provided, but they could be useful to enhance the level of acceptance of ICTs among older people, who need to become digitally literate.
- The Hilfswerk website has a page in English, but information should be more detailed and exhaustive.
Threats/challenges
- The low acceptance level of technology and low level of awareness among impaired people who think they do not need this kind of support.
- A future challenge could be organising dedicated training courses for older people in order to make them more aware of the service.
It is planned to provide the Notruftelefon in Tyrol and Vorarlberg. Therefore, future funding seems very likely.
More Information
includes contacts, publications and accompanying documents
Publications:
Schmidt A., Chiatti C., Fry G.., Hanson E., Magnusson L., Socci M., Stückler A., Széman Z., Barbabella F., Hoffmann F. & Lamura G. (2011) Analysis and mapping of 52 ICT-based initiatives for caregivers, available at http://is.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pages/EAP/eInclusion/carers.html
Resources:
Hilfswerk project, available on www.hilfswerk.at
Apollogasse 4/5
1070 Wien
Tel. 0043 01 40 442-0
office@hilfswerk.at