Telegerontology-Telegerontología

Spain (the region of Galicia, the municipality of La Coruña)

2005

Reduce the burden of informal carers through technology and education.

The main driver was to allow older people to live home for as long as possible. Another driver was the need to promote cognitive appraisals on-line and personalise therapeutic interventions using a conventional telephone line, TV set and a “home bridge” of self development ("residential device") i.e. a system connecting the old persons' home with the care centre through audio-visual communication.

 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 provides different services listed below (all details at http://gerontologia.udc.es/investigacionL/proyectossubvencionados/proyectos/telegerontologia.php?lan=en)

1. “Telecognitio”, consisting of videos and live broadcasts for rehabilitation, cognitive stimulation and managing medical records to assist older people, with or without cognitive impairment, to slow their physical and psychological/cognitive decline;

2. "A-Compaña" is an online training course for informal carers.

3. Videoconferences with health care and rehabilitation professionals.

4. Tele-alarm and finder system for indoor and outdoor: a wrist watch worn by old person is connected with a mobile and/or a home remote device for sending alarm in need of help or localizing old people also when they go out of home.

5. Emergency help: an alarm is transmitted from old persons' home to the care centre and immediately starts the videoconference for checking the person’s conditions. In case of danger the emergency team goes to the elderly residence.

6. Collection of biomedical parameters (blood pressure, glucose, saturation) for monitoring chronic illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes, cardiac disorders, lung diseases.

Conventional telephone line, a TV set, a residential device and a wristwatch device for tele-alarm and finder system (where required).

Public only

Public service funding: Government, Regional, Local Authorities, non-profit public entities

Spanish Government and Social Services and IMSERSO: Spanish Institute for older people.

Other: please specify

Not applicable

Not applicable

The project, which was created to provide a new ICT-based training for informal carers, is fully developed in Galicia, in collaboration with a consortium of local stakeholders and institutions. Over time the number of users has increased. Results of the on-line training courses showed that in 2010 more than 300 users in the Municipality of La Coruña benefited from this service. The initiative highlighted the potential for future use and integration of ICT to improve the quality of care for older people, including those with cognitive problems, in their homes. The interest of the local authorities to include such services in the care public system, with positive effects on savings and more effective use of care public resources, was also underscored. As far as sustainability is concerned, the following need to be developed: integration of biomedical devices; integration of domotic devices; the user friendliness of devices used; economic resources.

The Municipality of La Coruña has allocated additional funds for the services. Both the Spanish Government and the Autonomous Region of Galicia could provide further funding.

€ 50,000 - 500,000

€80,000 in 2005-2006 for setting up the service.

 Authorities
 Private Care Sector
 Health and Social Care Systems
 Third Sector
 Private Companies

Obra Social de Caixa Galicia from the Health and social care system.

Private Companies are Televés telecommunications, a Galician company; Supercomputing Center of Galicia.

Among the organisations involved, the service’s creators were:

• the Gerontology Research Group of the University of La Coruña;

• the Gerontological Complex "La Milagrosa";

• the Association of Pensioners and Retired Persons (UDP) of La Coruña.

The University of Vigo took part in creating the network.

Not involved

 Informal Carers
 Health Professionals
 Social Care Professionals
 Privately-Hired Care Assistants (inc. Migrant Care Workers)
 Volunteers

The Gerontology research Group at La Coruña University has many types of professionals in its team and it is multidisciplinary. It carried out research studies through publically funded projects of neurodegenerative diseases and new communication and information techniques. The service professionals participate in managing the Gerontologic Complex La Milagrosa located in La Coruña, the Gerontology research group took part in different national and international events sharing their research achievements and receiving contributions which were published in scientific magazines and books.

During the project, professionals developed a prototype web application, to allow users and personnel to communication. Subsequently, they designed an assisted home prototype, configuring hardware and software, which was subsequently installed in the homes of users. Professionals are in charge of the call center, the video conferences and cognitive training (see service provided session).

Not applicable

501 - 1,000

Not available

Since the information on the English language webpage was not exhaustive, it was hard to investigate this item. The service takes part in many research programmes and collaborations, and promotes exchanges of university students and surveys. Many of its results are published in specialised reviews, journals and books. On the website there is also a news section.

The service positively impacts on the quality of life of:

Informal carers, by allowing them to reconcile care and work, to communicate with others, leading to feeling less alone, more competent and with a reduced care burden (Schmidt et al., 2011).

- Paid assistants: the service has the same effect as mentioned above (Schmidt et al., 2011).

- Older people: due to the higher quality of care they receive and ageing in place, helping to avoid hospitalisation, the service improves their health and social relationships, as they are more autonomous and self-confident (Schmidt et al., 2011).

Other benefits are:

-the acceptability of the ICT by carers and older people through the integration of new technologies [ICT] in everyday life of the elderly users;

-communication among informal carers;

-training of informal carers.

(Schmidt et al., 2011)

The service positively impacts on:

- Private organisations that provide care due cooperation from care centers for older people, Universities and public and private stakeholders (Schmidt et al., 2011).

The service helps save money: home caring costs €37.5/month compared to €1,200/month in a residence (Gerontology Research Group of the La Coruña University, 2006).)

Strengths:

1. The provider is fully integrated in the network of organisations that deal with gerontological issues and collaborated with different research centres and social services. Some of them are the University of La Coruña, FADEMGA-FEAPS (Federation of mentally disabled people associations), the ISAVE - Health Institute of Alto Ave and the Institute for Health Sciences (University of La Coruña, NW Spain).
2. There was wide cooperation among care centers for older people, Universities and public and private stakeholders to implement the initiative, who highly appreciated the availability of an online training service for informal carers.
3. The innovative "Telegerontology" is considered a good practice by IMSERSO (Spanish Institute for the Elderly and Social Services) and is linked to the other abovementioned specific ICT service, the "Telecognitio" (see section on services).

4. The service is fully developed in Galicia (Gerontology Research Group of the La Coruña University, 2006) and this allows to deliver in community services according to the recent approach of the “ageing in place”, deemed effective for ensure a better quality of life to old people.

Weaknesses:

1. The integration of biomedical and domotic devices, the improvement of some functions and economic resources to continue with development are lacking (Gerontology Research Group of the La Coruña University, 2006)

Opportunities:

1. Monitoring showed that the main problem implementing the initiative was to improve the users’ employment of ICT applications. Therefore, the project partnership is working to simplify and make the service more user-friendly for older people. This could increase the number of users.

Threats:

1. A future challenge is to constantly improve the service’s use by means of research and development on the ICT applications, with associated dedicated funding. With regard to the care system the integration of the service in the local Galician welfare system is advanced and the initiative is considered good practice. Nevertheless, it needs to be spread to other territories and this depends on policy makers of other local Spanish communities and on a possible specific national Government strategy.

The service has a local coverage and is operatively mature. The "Telegerontology" initiative, piloted in the "La Milagrosa" Complex and in some areas of the Municipality of La Coruña, was extended throughout the network of city community centers and it is fully integrated in the Municipal Home Care Program and its services were gradually provided in the entire Galician autonomous community. Considered the tested range of provided services, the number of connected ICT applications, the good achieved and the allowed savings for the public care system, the project could be easily implemented in other Spanish territories and internationally. Anyway its extension in other national end/or international contexts depends on the local stakeholders’ policy choices and on collaborations with the initiative promoters.

References:

Gerontology Research Group of the La Corunna University (2006), available at http://gerontologia.udc.es/investigacionL/proyectossubvencionados/proyectos/telegerontologia.pp?lan=en

Schmidt A., Chiatti C., Fry G., Hanson E., Magnusson L., Socci M, Stückler A., Széman Z., Barbabella F., Hoffmann F. & Lamura G., Analysis and Mapping of 52 ICT-based initiatives
for caregivers, Deliverable 2.3, The CARICT project - ICT-based solutions for caregivers:

Publications:

Millant Calenti JC. (2013), "Telegerontología®" en: Preparando Nuestro Futuro, Xunta de Galicia. Consellería de Traballo e Benestar. Secretaría Xeral de Política Social (66-73). ISBN: 84-695-6662-8 (in Spanish)

Resources:

http://www.centrolamilagrosa.org/

Address:

C.G. La Milagrosa

Avenida de Cádiz nº 5,

15008, A Coruña

Teléfono: 0034 981 169 075

Teléfono 2: 0034 981 169 174

Fax: 0034 981 169 131

E-mail: administracion@centrolamilagrosa.org

Website: www.centrolamilagrosa.org

Gerontology Research Group

Faculty of Health Sciences. Department of Medicine

Edificio Universitario de Oza, Campus de Oza, E-15006, A Coruña, Galicia, NW Spain

Telephone: 0034 981 167 000 x 5865

Fax: 0034 981 167 120