Ambient Assisted Living East Groningen

Theme

Ambient Assisted living deals with two themes within DC NOISE:

• Labour market, with sub-theme “Health care”
• Service provision – do more with ICT

Short description of the pilot

The pilot Ambient Assisted living is highly innovative because through the introduction of a unique labour market concept it offers a small-scale, integrated solution, which tackles various aspects (shortage of care workers, elderly people wanting to live longer at their own homes, limited entrepreneurship, little innovative capacity) resulting from demographic developments in the region (the north eastern part of Groningen). The project intends to establish a studio workshop where school-leavers, secondary school pupils and unemployed jobseekers are given an opportunity to develop services and applications that will promote IT use by elderly people. On the one hand these are tailor-made solutions but on the other hand also courses and demonstrations for groups may be given here. The young people are coached by mentors. These are somewhat older, still actively engaged employees and employers knowledgeable in certain areas e.g. IT, installation technology, finance, care, education, entrepreneurship, PR etc. People who enjoy using their knowledge and know-how for these coaching activities and who want to help young people on their way to paid and/or self-employed work.

Main aim

The main aim of Ambient Assisted living is to make more young people interested in working in the care sector in East Groningen and to stimulate self-employment: objectives that will result at the same time in greater opportunities for elderly people to stay in their own homes as they are supported by ICT and new inventions, ideas and devices. In addition, knowledge and skills of older, experienced people is utilised (mentoring, coaching) in the studio workshop.

Expected results

A first furnished and equipped workatelier in East Groningen where (unemployed) young people are trained in ICT applications for the care sector, where new inventions, ideas and devices are devised and from where elderly people are visited and trained (by youngsters).

Co-partners

Main co-partner is the ZorgInnovatieForum. Other co-partners are ROC/Noorderpoort college, Hanzehogeschool (nursing, human technology, sensor academy), TNO [Dutch research institute for applied sciences], RUG [University of Groningen], Patient/client organisations, Senior citizen organisations, Kansrijk Eigen Baas (Q- Modus)[Self Employed with Prospects], KvK [Chamber of Commerce], Rabobank, CWI/UWV [privatised state job agency and social benefit paying organisations], NFTE [Network for Training Entrepreneurship], Various care and welfare institutions (such as thuiszorg, steunpunt mantelzorg etc.)