Auzosare, technology and community action against the social isolation of elderly people living alone

admin on 29 November 2021

Image from Freepik.

Intelligent technological platform that allows for the detection and knowledge of situations of solitude and social isolation among the ageing sections of the population, and for effective responses from the community and social services.

Auzosare has developed a Big Data Risk Assessment system, which allows the organization, storage, manipulation, analysis and modelling of large amounts of data from the real world and linked to a spatial reference. It identifies people older than 65 who live alone and catalogues them at different levels of vulnerability or risk based on physical and health indicators, relational, economic, housing, basic resource distance and aid, etc. It feeds on information from the sponsor, the cadastral and municipal social services; as well as information identified by agents of the person’s community network (Beharis), previously trained in social gaze.

The smart tool is targeted at three different profiles of people: fragile elderly people who are in a solitude situation that negatively impacts on maintaining their autonomy; community volunteers who, through simple training, participate in identifying situations of vulnerability; and municipal professionals who incorporate new technology tools and exploit the community’s potential for social intervention.

The platform is based on knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the community networks and key agents of each municipality or territory, and is being implemented experimentally in both urban and rural municipalities of Euskadi. It includes a technological tool that allows the situations of social isolation to be detected; a community activation program and key actors from each territory; and an app that allows connecting to municipal social services.

Characteristics of innovation

Aging, Bank of innovations, Fully inclusive cities, Group intervention, Independent living, Information and planning, Lab, Link with the community, New model of intervention, New technological tool, Personalization of the service, Pilot project, Prediction and prevention, Proximity care, Self-management and participation

Location

Euskadi (Orozko, Urduña, Amasa Villabona, Basauri, Santurtzi and Hernani)

Partners/Funders

City Halls of participating municipalities, UE-Interreg-Poctefa, BBK.

Genesis

Auzosare emerges as a response to the socio-demographic reality of Euskadi, characterized by widespread ageing of the population, the impoverishment of Community links and an increase in unwanted solitude situations in the elderly, both in rural and urban areas.

This is a technological solution that has been developed within the framework of the European cross-border BERTAN project, which addresses the challenges of the progressive ageing of the population in rural areas and the difficulties in accessing public services in the cross-border areas of Euskadi, Navarre and Iparralde.

Level of implementation

Auzosare is yielding good results in all the municipalities and regions where it is being implemented: Errenteria, Hernani, Oiartzun, Legorreta, Zestoa, Elorrio, Sakana… The project allows for its adaptation to local needs through its implementation in different phases.

Further information

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Alella Poble Cuidador, a community support network in loneliness, illness and the end of life

admin on 4 November 2021

Picture taken from Alella Poble Cuidador’s web.

Community network that promotes the articulation of collective action to care for people in the municipality who suffer from loneliness, a chronic illness or are at the end of life, and their families, so that they feel cared for and accompanied , whether they live in their private home or live in any of the health and social entities in the village. The goal is to create a safe, friendly, and caring community environment for these people.

Alella Poble Cuidador acts in three areas of intervention: care and support, training, and education and awareness. In each area of intervention it has structured a set of resources (families, social and health centers, schools, companies, etc.) to promote the development and use of personal and community skills and resources for the care and the accompaniment, and to assert, throughout the life cycle, the values, beliefs and practices for good living and good dying.

At the same time, it carries out activities such as care and support; group meetings of bereaved people and caregivers; training of professionals and caregivers; support for the preparation of the advance directives document; exchange of orthopedic and sanitary equipment; support for the organization of farewell ceremonies; intergenerational musical encounters; and theatrical lectures.

Emotional and professional support available to everyone.

Citizens of the municipality can participate in the network by registering, at no cost, to benefit from the services offered; becoming network partners and participating in working groups; becoming network volunteers; collaborating financially; or following current affairs and network news.

A consultancy has externally evaluated the results of the program, which can be consulted on the web. Proponents of her case have been working to make the actual transcript of this statement available online. The network has, in addition to volunteers, a team of specialized professionals.