Equinoxe

France

1986

The main aim is supporting disabled and old people live independently.

The main driver driving the association activities is the will of listening, based on the French association law number 1901, which legislates listening to users and respecting their desires, supervise and geo-locate older people. Another driver is to fulfill the needs of its customers.

Equinox’ specificities are:

• The quality and the close relationship between the subscribers, volunteers and professional home maintenance;

• The professional and personalized listening teams;

• The solidarity committee for the study of specific situations;

• The committees environment (family, neighbors).

 Care Recipients
 Informal carers
 Paid assistants
 Formal carers

The main beneficiaries of the service are older people with cognitive and physical impairments, who live alone, but need constant supervision.

 Independent Living
 Information and learning for carers
 Personal Support and Social Integration for carer
 Care coordination

Equinoxe France provides three types of services:

1)Helpline, which is a monitor for home support. This is the core business since the association’s foundation.

2) Geo-location, which is a service that ensures freedom and safety for people who get lost.

3) Service Equinox Téléassitance Internal (SETI), which is a hotline to support the daily living of residents in the host institutions.

One main device is needed for geo-location service: a bracelet with GPS technology for the geo-location of older people suffering from dementia, who get lost. The GPS Bluegard strap is capable of transmitting its position only when it is outside. The transmission depends on GSM and GPRS networks (over the network is good and the positioning will be accurate). The strap is fitted with a protected closure. The security key is given to the caregiver during installation.

Three main devices are needed for the telecare service:

1. Fall Detector: waterproof, it detects a fall, will vibrate, the call is supported by a listener with an indication that there is a fall detection. By simply pressing the transmitter, the user can initiate a call.
2. Smoke detector: directly connected to the central Equinoxe, it sends an alert supported by listening and direct help supplied via telephone by operator.
3. The case shielded key: allows you to store a bunch of keys which environment or emergency services will have access by a PIN.

 

A telephone line is required to be reached by the helpline.

Both public and private

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

• Supplemental Retirement Benefit Plan

• Mutual Insurance

• Personal Autonomy Allowance ( APA)

• Disability compensation

• Regional Health Insurance Fund (CRAM)

• French Alzheimer’s Association (according to previous agreement with Equinox)

 

Private out of pocket: users pay the service by themselves

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Geo-location service:

-Cost of subscription for: €69/month

-Setup fee: 150 €

-Additional option (battery or additional base): € 8 / month

Telecare service:

-Cost of subscription: €25/month

- Installation costs: supported by Equinoxe or its partners.

-Deposit: 50 € (cashed and returned at the end of the subscription).
-Supplements:
The 2nd transmitter: 5 € / month
Sensors: 8 € / month

The housing shielded key: 5 € / month
The GPRS transmitter: 8 € / month
Adaptation handicap cost using the necessary equipment

The initiative appears sustainable due to the collaborations and conventions, such as allowances, assurances, that the partners created with the third sector to gather resources and share their experiences. The availability of private and public funding is another support for sustainability.

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

Not available

The provider is a NGO involving many volunteers.

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

Teams comprised of volunteers, employees and directors, ensure better responses to customer requests.

The Equinoxe Association has a solidarity Commission that meets monthly to:

• Examine requests for the preferential tariff of subscribers who are in greater financial difficulty. These rates are applicable through a solidarity fund partly covered by donations.
• Collaborate with the supplementary pension funds to manage financial difficulties of subscribers.
• Provide personalised follow up of subscribers in social difficulty.
• Coordinate telephone support of volunteers.

The Equinox teams share all values ​​of the association and work in complicity and standing nearby.

• Technicians perform installations at home, repair and rework equipment. They are attentive to the needs of customers and respect their lifestyle.
• The administrative officers in each delegation assist customers requesting a reduction of the subscription cost.

The phone support operators contact new subscribers a few days after installation. They reassurance and remind them to use the Helpline. A call is automatically made ​​each quarter to subscribers.

Volunteers are part of the solidarity commission: 20 volunteers mainly provide phone support, but are also responsible for administrative tasks and help with daily update committees. These volunteers underwent 120 hours of training by Equinoxe, followed by continuous training with stakeholder emergency services. The website dedicates a large space to display the experience and skills of volunteers.

501 - 1,000

630 users are reached by the service.

The main promotional tool is the website and brochures that can be downloaded. However information about the service is also provided by partners through their communication channels. Furthermore, Equinoxe sends a letter to its customers, 2 times per year, that describes the activities of the association, the latest news, information and the testimony of a selected subscriber. These letters are collected and published in the journal “Les Nouvelles” (http://www.equinoxe-france.com/fr/lettre-les-nouvelles). The website has a page with subscribers’ testimonies http://www.equinoxe-france.com/fr/temoignages

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Strengths

1. Service provider staff members are highly trained and skilful and there is a close relationship among subscribers, volunteers and professionals and this reflects on the quality of the delivered help.

2. The professional and personalised phone support teams.

3. The solidarity committee that addresses difficult situations.

Weaknesses

1. The lack of an impact assessment.

2. The webpage is only in French. This should be solved for the transfer to other countries or to address non-French speaking users.

3. A confused person who gets lost, could potentially rip the geolocating bracelet off.

Opportunities

1. Equinoxe’s competitive advantage, differentiating it from other providers, is its social and human dimension in addition to the emergency response. This advantage could to potentially help it find more users and gain additional finance support.

Equinoxe is fully integrated in the social care system with 8 offices across France covering all regions (for a map see http://www.equinoxe-france.com/fr/implantation-equinoxe). Due to its user friendliness and flexibility, the service could be transferred to other countries if public authorities finance it, private companies provide technology and volunteers participate. However, the website should be made translated into other languages.

Publications:

Equinoxe France, Les Nouvelles, available at http://www.equinoxe-france.com/fr/lettre-les-nouvelles

Free Number: 0800 9411 10

Equinoxe Association

Address: 163, de Charenton street, 75012 Paris
Telephone.: 0033 01 44 73 87 77
Fax : 0033 01 43 43 06 94
E-mail : contact@equinoxe-france.com

Each Region has its contacts available at http://www.equinoxe-france.com/fr/contact