HOW - Habitat Oltre il Welfare: A technology integrated welfare model for elderly care in rural areas
HOW - Habitat Beyond Welfare is an innovative welfare model developed in Calascio, in the region of Abruzzo, Italy. It combines both technological and community-based solutions to enhance the quality of life for elderly residents who lives in remote areas. The model addresses challenges of isolation, limited healthcare access, and loneliness by integrating digital tools with human support.
Objective(s): To improve elderly well-being, to strengthen community relationships through cooperatives to reduce loneliness. Enhance healthcare services with telemedicine and wearable monitoring devices. To offer daily support services such as home visits, medication delivery, grocery shopping, Use digital infrastructure for real-time health monitoring and management of local resources. In addition to health benefits, the solution also hopes to better manage the tourism flows and energy consumption in remote areas thanks to collected data.
Result(s): Equipped elderly residents with wearable devices linked to a control centre for 24/7 health monitoring to help provide timely medical interventions. Create social inclusion through community cooperatives. Reduced loneliness and enhanced independence. Enhanced the quality of life of elderly. Used data for improving public health strategies.
Practical implications/recommendations: Practitioners can implement this model by establishing partnerships with community and digital cooperatives. While initial investment in digital infrastructure is required, benefits include reduced healthcare costs, improved health outcomes, and stronger community bonds. The approach is adaptable to various rural contexts. However, a few unexpected negative impacts had occurred i.e., technology dependence, privacy concerns, and resource allocation.
Additional information
This prototype in Calascio serves as a replicable model for other rural areas.
Funded by Assimoco and co-created with local inhabitants, the model overcame challenges of integrating technology into rural settings. However, some risks emerged, including the lack of an adequate network, difficulties in identifying a responsible person for managing health data, and a lack of human connection with the elderly population. To address these issues, future steps will focus on strengthening the network, ensuring reliable data management, and introducing social engagement mechanisms such as regular calls, visits, and support services to enhance the model's sustainability and impact.
Empowering rural communities to act for change
Ongoing | 2023-2027
- Main funding source
- Horizon Europe (EU Research and Innovation Programme)
- Geographical location
- Italy, Spain, Germany, Finland, Belgium, Austria, Greece, Croatia, Ireland, Netherlands, Sweden, Cyprus, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Ukraine