Porto Pilots

Challenge:  How to decrease the loneliness of the elderly?
Tele Visit – The family goes home

In the City of Porto there are a large number of elderly people who live alone in social neighbourhoods. They often face health and well-being challenges, namely the under provision of critical goods and services, such as health care, food, medicines, due to the lack of mobility and autonomy. Furthermore, many of them are economically vulnerable and digitally illiterate. The present project from the Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto (FEUP)  aims to support the elderly in the Municipal public housing Area of Urban Rehabilitation (ARU) of Corujeira, in the parish of Campanha and their families, namely those with less resources, allowing the communication between them in safety and thus contributing as a prophylactic effect at three levels: 1) avoid a possible catastrophic event, especially among the most vulnerable people; 2) improve the mental health of the elderly; 3) support the interface with their family members.

Mental health needs to be valued, due to the context of loneliness, anxiety and depression that add to the difficulties in understanding the situation. The lack of mental health is associated with morbidity, reduced cognitive reserve and disability in older people. The negative impact of physical illness and depression increases disability and is associated with increased mortality. According to the WHO, Telemedicine is based on the use of information and communication technologies, allowing increased access to health care. The use of telemedicine can be seen in several areas, being applied in the USA by more than 60% of health organization and it is present in the area of mental health in 49 states. After obtaining an opinion from the Ethics Committee, the concept of telemedicine will be applied to facilitate tele visits by families to their elderly relatives, adopting technologies similar to those used for health care. FEUP – Engenharia Voluntária will provide technological support in terms of installation and training, with operationalization being carried out essentially through the voluntary intervention of the FEUP community. 10 seniors living alone in the Area of Urban Rehabilitation (ARU) of Corujeira will be involved. For each home, a survey of needs will be carried out, with the technology selected according to the needs identified.

Challenge: How to decrease the loneliness of the elderly?
PortoPilot – Digital technologies to decrease loneliness

Technology plays a crucial role in society. Not being part of the “connected society” promotes inequality and social exclusion. Portugal is rapidly ageing: in 2021 more than 2,4 million people, 23,4% of the Portuguese population was 65 years old or older. Unfortunately, senior citizens are among the most info-excluded groups, in 2020 only 39% of the population between the ages of 65-74 used the internet. Many reasons can explain such a fact, including low literacy levels, ageism, no contact with technology during their professional careers, lack of interest, motivation, or perceived usefulness. Ensuring that seniors can benefit from technology includes involving them in its creation, informing them about its use and guaranteeing that they feel safe and at ease while using it. At Fraunhofer AICOS we have been developing technology for seniors and with seniors for several years, employing a human-centred approach that includes final users throughout the several development phases of a product. Fraunhofer Portugal AICOS is experienced in understanding user contexts, co-designing inclusive and meaningful technologies and investigating its final impact in real environments. We propose to use our expertise to reduce loneliness among seniors by understanding how and which technologies can help elderly citizens feel more integrated in society and ease any feelings of isolation. Based on the literature and our prior experience, we know there is no one-size-fits-all solution to tackle loneliness in older age. Therefore, we propose to discover the most suitable technologies together with the beneficiaries of the technology. To do so, we will conduct focus groups with seniors from day care centres so that together we can identify unmet needs and challenges that can be tackled with the use of digital technologies.

Challenge: How to decrease the loneliness of the elderly?
WeSolve, Inclusion of the Elderly

The golden years of life should be embraced as an opportunity to fully engage with one’s community and city. This can be accomplished through a variety of enriching experiences, such as connecting with individuals from different age groups, sharing personal stories and knowledge, learning new skills, and gaining fresh perspectives on the world. Through the platform built by WeSolve ApS, elderly people can participate in a wide range of activities by creating a sense of belonging and providing dedicated activities and resources for senior citizens, the platform aims to alleviate feelings of isolation and promote social connectivity within the community and a brighter future for everyone involved with a particular attention to elderly individuals needs. WeSolve can be used as a powerful tool by municipalities to enhance the level of elderly engagement in order to create a more connected, and more engaged community. By empowering elderly people through community-based initiatives and promoting social cohesion, WeSolve platform results as the means through which municipalities can reduce the likelihood of social isolation and create a brighter future for elderly individuals. We Solve provides tools for elderly people to come together, connect with one another, and participate in activities that are meaningful and impactful.

Through the participation of various activities, it is possible to enhance the inclusion by removing barriers such as language and socio-economic status. By removing such barriers, WeSolve is able to enhance inclusion and create a sense of belonging for all participants. This sense of community is essential for the well-being of elderly people, as it provides them with the support and encouragement they need.

Challenge: How to increase the autonomy of the elderly?
Empowering Elderly by Hoivita

The safety and comfort of the elderly has been the driving force of the Hoivita since incorporation. Hoivita currently caters to customers in the South Karelia, Pirkanmaa and Uusimaa regions of Finland with ongoing pilots with Spanish hospitals. With our automatic, easy-to-install solutions combined with the Hoivita One View platform, we have saved the lives of many elderly clients by tracking their movements at their homes and providing objective data to the caregivers to take corrective measures early. In Challenge 2, “How to increase the autonomy of the elderly?” Hoivita targets clientele who don’t have pets, live alone or with their spouse, live in a studio, two-bedroom or three-bedroom apartment.

Expected Outcomes:
• Increased awareness on the wellbeing of the elderly without intruding their daily routines
• Provides a more holistic view of the elderly to the caregiver ensuring their wellbeing is monitored round the clock
• Provides objective data for caregivers to take corrective measures when necessary
• Help caregivers to determine if the right amount of care is being provided (or if transfer to an assisted living facility or hospital is required)