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

Publications Bank of innovations

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

Ajuntament d’Alella, Fundació Sant Francesc d’Assís and Fundació La Caixa

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.

Alella, poble cuidador

Banc d’innovacions

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Cuppa, virtual meetups for unpaid carers

Cuppa is a video call program aimed at carers with the goal of sharing experiences and building community.
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ATENEA is an adapted device that contributes to the digital and technological transformation of social services, focusing on the most vulnerable citizens

e-NABLE, network of 10,000 volunteers making prosthesis with 3D printers

Publications Bank of innovations

e-NABLE, network of 10,000 volunteers making prosthesis with 3D printers

e-NABLE

Image from Enable the future Instagram profile

Online community of 10,000 people worldwide who voluntarily use their 3D printers to create hand and arm prostheses for adults and children who need it.

Individuals and organizations who wish to collaborate with the cause access the web to find users from more than 100 countries who need a prosthetic and have posted photographs showing and explaining the required prosthetic. The voluntary, then, contacts this person, downloads all the necessary information from the website, and adapts the available designs, which are in open source and free of rights, to the specific need of the person who will benefit. Once the prosthesis is printed, the voluntary person disinterestedly forwards it to the final beneficiary, who often lives in another country or continent.

In this way, through domestic manufacturing technology, people with low resources who cannot access a prosthetic because of their high price and/or the need to adapt them to children’s growth can have a free and customised prosthetic.
As an online portal, each can connect with people demanding from all over the world, although also can easily find plaintiffs living nearby and deliver the prosthetic to them personally.

e-NABLE

Banc d’innovacions

Imatge d'una persona amb necessitats d'accessibilitat digital

Acctua, a technological solution promoting digital accessibility on the Internet

Acctua is a technological service that promotes digitial accessibility and digital inclusion.
Soy yo literal, a Digital Platform for Youth Mental Health

Soy yo literal, a Digital Platform for Youth Mental Health

Soy yo literal is a digital platform promoting mental health among young people
Fokus PI

FOKUS PI, an application that facilitates digital social planning

FOKUS PI is a a decision-making support tool for professionals in the social, healthcare, and educational sectors
BCI

BCI, a device that restores communication in patients with neurodegenerative diseases

The BCI is a technological innovation that restores communication in patients with neurodegenerative diseases
CUPPA

Cuppa, virtual meetups for unpaid carers

Cuppa is a video call program aimed at carers with the goal of sharing experiences and building community.
ATENEA

ATENEA, device adapted to combat the digital divide

ATENEA is an adapted device that contributes to the digital and technological transformation of social services, focusing on the most vulnerable citizens

Gillie.AI, artificial intelligence that monitors patients at home

Publications Bank of innovations

Gillie.AI, artificial intelligence that monitors patients at home

Gillie.AI

Image taken from Gillie.AI’s website

Cloud service that, thanks to Gillie.AI technology, analyzes the medical and welfare data of people with long-term care needs, to turn them into practical information and personalize their attention.

Artificial intelligence allows those who take care of patients at home to constantly monitor their physical and mental wellbeing through a platform that monitors the condition of patients remotely.

Gillie.AI’s software analyzes the reports that workers produce when visiting patients and draws conclusions: if there has been an improvement, if the patient’s situation has worsened in a particular aspect… By doing this, risk patterns can be easily identified and urgent needs can be anticipated.

In addition, professionals can organise patients’ visits according to how critical their state is and receive direct notifications to their smartphones in case of emergency.

GILLIE Healthcare

Banc d’innovacions

Imatge d'una persona amb necessitats d'accessibilitat digital

Acctua, a technological solution promoting digital accessibility on the Internet

Acctua is a technological service that promotes digitial accessibility and digital inclusion.
Soy yo literal, a Digital Platform for Youth Mental Health

Soy yo literal, a Digital Platform for Youth Mental Health

Soy yo literal is a digital platform promoting mental health among young people
Fokus PI

FOKUS PI, an application that facilitates digital social planning

FOKUS PI is a a decision-making support tool for professionals in the social, healthcare, and educational sectors
BCI

BCI, a device that restores communication in patients with neurodegenerative diseases

The BCI is a technological innovation that restores communication in patients with neurodegenerative diseases
CUPPA

Cuppa, virtual meetups for unpaid carers

Cuppa is a video call program aimed at carers with the goal of sharing experiences and building community.
ATENEA

ATENEA, device adapted to combat the digital divide

ATENEA is an adapted device that contributes to the digital and technological transformation of social services, focusing on the most vulnerable citizens

TippyTalk, a solution for people with a verbal disability to communicate

Publications Bank of innovations

TippyTalk, a solution for people with a verbal disability to communicate

TippyTalk

Kids using TippyTalk on a tablet. Picture taken from TippyTalk website.

Application that allows people with nonverbal autism to express themselves through images representing elements of everyday life. By choosing different icons, they can decide who they want to talk with – their mother or father, for example – and tell them what they need, how they feel or what draws their attention. Parents, or the caregiver, receive a text message that allows them to understand what the person with autism cannot explain by words.

The person who takes care of someone with autism can download the app from the App Store or Play Store, and create several items that will be chosen by the person who uses it. These can be your own photos, drawings or any image, and anyone doing this will also be able to write the text that you will receive via SMS according to the selected items. For example, when a fridge is pressed, it means that the person is hungry. In addition, you can also typeset a sound or a word that sounds each time an item is selected.

Currently, the application is only available in English, although you can change settings to put the words in any language. In terms of subscription, TippyTalk is a paid application, but they offer 14 days of free trial.

TippyTalk

Banc d’innovacions

Imatge d'una persona amb necessitats d'accessibilitat digital

Acctua, a technological solution promoting digital accessibility on the Internet

Acctua is a technological service that promotes digitial accessibility and digital inclusion.
Soy yo literal, a Digital Platform for Youth Mental Health

Soy yo literal, a Digital Platform for Youth Mental Health

Soy yo literal is a digital platform promoting mental health among young people
Fokus PI

FOKUS PI, an application that facilitates digital social planning

FOKUS PI is a a decision-making support tool for professionals in the social, healthcare, and educational sectors
BCI

BCI, a device that restores communication in patients with neurodegenerative diseases

The BCI is a technological innovation that restores communication in patients with neurodegenerative diseases
CUPPA

Cuppa, virtual meetups for unpaid carers

Cuppa is a video call program aimed at carers with the goal of sharing experiences and building community.
ATENEA

ATENEA, device adapted to combat the digital divide

ATENEA is an adapted device that contributes to the digital and technological transformation of social services, focusing on the most vulnerable citizens

MK360, immersive technology for the care and welfare of older people

Publications Bank of innovations

MK360, immersive technology for the care and welfare of older people

Broomx and Grup Arrels

Users of the Grup Arrels enjoying an immersive experience. Retrieved from Broomx’s website.

Projector that allows immersive group experiences of 360 degrees to the range of services, residences, and open centres for older people to perform cognitive, physical, sensorial, and emotional stimulation activities with great therapeutic power.

Thanks to the collaboration between the Catalan company Broomx and the Foundation Grup Arrels, they have fostered diverse experiences of application of immersive technology MK360 in old users of different services: treatment of people with cognitive disorders, dementia and Alzheimer’s; the creation of relaxing spaces where music and images surround the users; funny and energizing experiences, such as the projection of a roller coaster tour; or the recreation of city sites in an immersive way, an experience that has been especially useful during the months of residential confinement due to Covid-19.

The 360-degree images that the Grup Arrels projected through the projectors MK360 of Broomx were recorded by the group’s own socio-sanitary professionals, using their mobile phones, in community and neighbourhood spaces (parks, markets, streets, etc.) in the city of Barcelona.

Broomx

Banc d’innovacions

Imatge d'una persona amb necessitats d'accessibilitat digital

Acctua, a technological solution promoting digital accessibility on the Internet

Acctua is a technological service that promotes digitial accessibility and digital inclusion.
Soy yo literal, a Digital Platform for Youth Mental Health

Soy yo literal, a Digital Platform for Youth Mental Health

Soy yo literal is a digital platform promoting mental health among young people
Fokus PI

FOKUS PI, an application that facilitates digital social planning

FOKUS PI is a a decision-making support tool for professionals in the social, healthcare, and educational sectors
BCI

BCI, a device that restores communication in patients with neurodegenerative diseases

The BCI is a technological innovation that restores communication in patients with neurodegenerative diseases
CUPPA

Cuppa, virtual meetups for unpaid carers

Cuppa is a video call program aimed at carers with the goal of sharing experiences and building community.
ATENEA

ATENEA, device adapted to combat the digital divide

ATENEA is an adapted device that contributes to the digital and technological transformation of social services, focusing on the most vulnerable citizens

Easy Reading, making webpages accessible to people with cognitive disabilities

Publications Bank of innovations

Easy Reading, making webpages accessible to people with cognitive disabilities

Athena, Dart, FunkaNu, JKU, KI-I, PIKSL, Texthelp, TUD, W3C

Test of the Easy Reading software. Retrieved from the Easy Reading website

Software for Internet users with cognitive disabilities that offers a wide tool package to make it easy to read and understand any existing web page. It can be installed on the computer of those people who need it, and Easy Reading is responsible for adapting the content of web pages in the way most useful way for the user: making the structure simpler; changing the colours and design; explaining the content with symbols, videos or images; defining the words that the text includes; passing the text to a voice; etc. The software offers all these functions semi-automatically, as they require a certain interaction with the user.

To develop the project, “peer research” has been used to take into account the real needs of users, involving those who will use the end product, in this case people with cognitive disabilities. These are the main target group of Easy Reading, but not the only one, as it can also benefit old people with cognitive disabilities or other people with cognitive difficulties.

Easy Reading

Banc d’innovacions

Imatge d'una persona amb necessitats d'accessibilitat digital

Acctua, a technological solution promoting digital accessibility on the Internet

Acctua is a technological service that promotes digitial accessibility and digital inclusion.
Soy yo literal, a Digital Platform for Youth Mental Health

Soy yo literal, a Digital Platform for Youth Mental Health

Soy yo literal is a digital platform promoting mental health among young people
Fokus PI

FOKUS PI, an application that facilitates digital social planning

FOKUS PI is a a decision-making support tool for professionals in the social, healthcare, and educational sectors
BCI

BCI, a device that restores communication in patients with neurodegenerative diseases

The BCI is a technological innovation that restores communication in patients with neurodegenerative diseases
CUPPA

Cuppa, virtual meetups for unpaid carers

Cuppa is a video call program aimed at carers with the goal of sharing experiences and building community.
ATENEA

ATENEA, device adapted to combat the digital divide

ATENEA is an adapted device that contributes to the digital and technological transformation of social services, focusing on the most vulnerable citizens

OKencasa, support for non-professional carers

Publications Bank of innovations

OKencasa, support for non-professional carers

OKencasa

Woman taking care of a dependent elderly man. Retrieved from OKencasa website.

Platform for the support aimed at non-professional carers caring a relative dependent at home. Through the Zaindoo app it offers permanent accompaniment from a care specialist, online training, tools for organizing care tasks, and discounts or advantages in services of physiotherapy, legal advice, home adaptation, etc. The aim is to improve the quality of life of the carers and to make their job easier, that is to say to look after the carers.

OKencasa periodically evaluates the physical, emotional and psychological well-being of the care-givers and, accordingly, offers them a personal plan of improvement and support that can be readjusted in time. The professionals in the service ensure that the caregiver is always accompanied and listened to with regard to the burden of their care tasks.

OKencasa also provides information to public social services so that they can provide better support for families and provide more efficient socio-sanitary care. The application is currently available in Euskera and Spanish.

OKencasa

Banc d’innovacions

Imatge d'una persona amb necessitats d'accessibilitat digital

Acctua, a technological solution promoting digital accessibility on the Internet

Acctua is a technological service that promotes digitial accessibility and digital inclusion.
Soy yo literal, a Digital Platform for Youth Mental Health

Soy yo literal, a Digital Platform for Youth Mental Health

Soy yo literal is a digital platform promoting mental health among young people
Fokus PI

FOKUS PI, an application that facilitates digital social planning

FOKUS PI is a a decision-making support tool for professionals in the social, healthcare, and educational sectors
BCI

BCI, a device that restores communication in patients with neurodegenerative diseases

The BCI is a technological innovation that restores communication in patients with neurodegenerative diseases
CUPPA

Cuppa, virtual meetups for unpaid carers

Cuppa is a video call program aimed at carers with the goal of sharing experiences and building community.
ATENEA

ATENEA, device adapted to combat the digital divide

ATENEA is an adapted device that contributes to the digital and technological transformation of social services, focusing on the most vulnerable citizens

DigiContact, remote and immediate social care service available 24h

Publications Bank of innovations

DigiContact, remote and immediate social care service available 24h

DigiContact

DigiContact worker attending a client. Retrieved from the DigiContact website

Remote and immediate 24h care service for people with long-term care needs: disabled people, elderly people with dependency, people with mental health problems or addictions, etc. The service allows extra respite and support to these people’s non-professional carers, avoiding their saturation, and also offers them support if needed. Users can enrol in the service either individually or through social entities. The service adapts to the needs of each user (for example, calling to remind him of a medication, wake him up in the morning, etc.) according to what is established at the time of contracting the service; and, depending on the needs of the person, DigiContact complements online care with presence visits.

DigiContact works through an app that is very easy to use: only by pressing a button it does the call (with image) to be able to receive remote support and attention. The camera is located in the middle of the screen, making it easier to have a sense of proximity and making it possible for professionals to read the verbal and nonverbal signals of the user.

Professionals working in DigiContact (psychologists, nurses, social workers…) have a specialized training to meet all kinds of needs users can have online.

The DigiContact service has proved especially useful during the lockdown times of the Covid-19 pandemic. It is currently a service only available in Dutch.

DigiContact

Banc d’innovacions

Imatge d'una persona amb necessitats d'accessibilitat digital

Acctua, a technological solution promoting digital accessibility on the Internet

Acctua is a technological service that promotes digitial accessibility and digital inclusion.
Soy yo literal, a Digital Platform for Youth Mental Health

Soy yo literal, a Digital Platform for Youth Mental Health

Soy yo literal is a digital platform promoting mental health among young people
Fokus PI

FOKUS PI, an application that facilitates digital social planning

FOKUS PI is a a decision-making support tool for professionals in the social, healthcare, and educational sectors
BCI

BCI, a device that restores communication in patients with neurodegenerative diseases

The BCI is a technological innovation that restores communication in patients with neurodegenerative diseases
CUPPA

Cuppa, virtual meetups for unpaid carers

Cuppa is a video call program aimed at carers with the goal of sharing experiences and building community.
ATENEA

ATENEA, device adapted to combat the digital divide

ATENEA is an adapted device that contributes to the digital and technological transformation of social services, focusing on the most vulnerable citizens

Hero Arm, an affordable bionic arm made with 3D Printing

Publications Bank of innovations

Hero Arm, an affordable bionic arm made with 3D Printing

Open Bionics

Cameron Millar with his Hero Arm inspired in Star Wars. Retrieved from Open Bionics

The most functional and affordable prosthetic arm in the market today, as it is made with 3D printing. It is designed for both adults and children with amputations below the elbow. Hero Arm is a myoelectric prosthesis that uses the muscle cues of the rest of the arm to function and have the grip function.

One of its particularities is its uniqueness, as it is designed according to the exact measurements of the person carrying it, making it very easily adaptable to each person and that each prosthesis is unique. This is possible thanks to 3D technology, which allows first to make a scanner of the limb to obtain the exact measurements of the person, and then to use 3D printing to print the prosthetic. This reduces production costs, while at the same time increasing speed, and it becomes possible to make a prosthetic arm in just one day.

Hero Arm is a robust but lightweight prosthesis, as well as comfortable and breathable, making it easier to adapt and at the same time remove it for cleaning, charging, etc. It is designed to be as intuitive as possible for the person thanks to vibrations, lights, buttons and sensors. In addition to being the most affordable prosthetic of this type in the market, it also has a number of different covers to choose from. This way each person can choose the model that is closest to their style, from simple designs to bionic arms inspired by Iron Man, making this prosthesis an empowering and functional element, especially for children.

Open Bionics

Banc d’innovacions

Imatge d'una persona amb necessitats d'accessibilitat digital

Acctua, a technological solution promoting digital accessibility on the Internet

Acctua is a technological service that promotes digitial accessibility and digital inclusion.
Soy yo literal, a Digital Platform for Youth Mental Health

Soy yo literal, a Digital Platform for Youth Mental Health

Soy yo literal is a digital platform promoting mental health among young people
Fokus PI

FOKUS PI, an application that facilitates digital social planning

FOKUS PI is a a decision-making support tool for professionals in the social, healthcare, and educational sectors
BCI

BCI, a device that restores communication in patients with neurodegenerative diseases

The BCI is a technological innovation that restores communication in patients with neurodegenerative diseases
CUPPA

Cuppa, virtual meetups for unpaid carers

Cuppa is a video call program aimed at carers with the goal of sharing experiences and building community.
ATENEA

ATENEA, device adapted to combat the digital divide

ATENEA is an adapted device that contributes to the digital and technological transformation of social services, focusing on the most vulnerable citizens

Personal budgets, a new model that facilitates the autonomy and decision-making capacity of people with disabilities

Publications Bank of innovations

Personal budgets, a new model that facilitates the autonomy and decision-making capacity of people with disabilities

Flemish Agency for Persons with Disabilities (VAPH, Flemish acronym), Support-Girona Foundation

User creating his Personal Budget with the help of an adviser

A system targeted at disabled people who need long-term care and support, which enables the individual to decide which services he or she wants to receive and how he or she wants to receive them. This is thanks to a Personal Budget that is allocated to him and that the person himself can decide how to spend it.

First, the person, who needs to be over 17 years old, makes a personal budget request, making an application to indicate what activities he wants to do, what support he has currently, whether these are sufficient or not to meet his needs, what are his strengths and weaknesses, etc. Once the request is made, a multidisciplinary team issues a report in which they objectively assess the needs of the person and the Personal Budget that would fit him best.

Once the Personal Budget is granted to the person, they will be able to decide freely, firstly, whether to receive it in the form of coupons or bank transfer. Secondly, what type of services they want to invest in: direct home care, participation in therapies, obtaining an individual supervisor for one day trips, hiring a transport company to manage their mobility, etc.

In this way, the Flemish system of Personal Budgets allows for long-term care which provides greater autonomy for disabled people in deciding how to meet their own needs on the basis of the range of services available.

VAPH

Banc d’innovacions

Imatge d'una persona amb necessitats d'accessibilitat digital

Acctua, a technological solution promoting digital accessibility on the Internet

Acctua is a technological service that promotes digitial accessibility and digital inclusion.
Soy yo literal, a Digital Platform for Youth Mental Health

Soy yo literal, a Digital Platform for Youth Mental Health

Soy yo literal is a digital platform promoting mental health among young people
Fokus PI

FOKUS PI, an application that facilitates digital social planning

FOKUS PI is a a decision-making support tool for professionals in the social, healthcare, and educational sectors
BCI

BCI, a device that restores communication in patients with neurodegenerative diseases

The BCI is a technological innovation that restores communication in patients with neurodegenerative diseases
CUPPA

Cuppa, virtual meetups for unpaid carers

Cuppa is a video call program aimed at carers with the goal of sharing experiences and building community.
ATENEA

ATENEA, device adapted to combat the digital divide

ATENEA is an adapted device that contributes to the digital and technological transformation of social services, focusing on the most vulnerable citizens