Madrid te Acompaña, a project to combat loneliness among older people

Ferran Benito on 25 February 2025

Photo that combat loneliness among older peoplepersones grans

Project to combat loneliness among older people

Photo that combat loneliness among older people

Madrid te Acompaña is a mobile application that allows people over the age of 65 registered in the city of Madrid to request accompaniment for different activities.

The project has the collaboration of Voluntarios por Madrid, a programme promoted by the City Council in which people from the city offer their support and help. Through this application, individuals over 65 that require some kind of assistance can contact volunteers to help them with daily tasks, such as going shopping, going for a walk, accompanying them to a medical appointment, and assisting with various administrative tasks.

The City Council coordinates the application and allows the network of volunteers to receive and manage requests in an automated way. Volunteers can classify services according to the needs and characteristics of the people requesting them and their area of residence. Additionally, the application includes a space where people benefiting from this support can comment on and rate the assistance received, while volunteers describe the progress of the person they are accompanying.

The use of the application is very simple and at the same time contributes to the digital inclusion of older people in the city, thus addressing the generational digital divide. By fostering these connections, personalized care is provided to tackle unwanted loneliness and improve the quality of life for people over 65 in the city.

Characteristics of innovation

Bank of innovations, Aging, Innovative organization, Link with the community, New model of intervention, New service, Personalization of the service, Self-management and participation

Location

Madrid

Partners / Funders

Madrid City Council, Volunteers for Madrid

Genesis

The project was created in 2021 through the promotion of the City Council of Madrid and the collaboration of the Voluntarios por Madrid volunteer network.

Implementation Level

More than 18,000 volunteers and over 665,000 elderly people who live in the city of Madrid participate.

More information

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