Become my buddy!

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Become my buddy!: Neighbourly services in the domicile

Gdansk, PolandGdansk
Project Stage:
Start-Up
Budget: 
$10,000 - $50,000
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Project Summary
Elevator Pitch

Concise Summary: Help us pitch this solution! Provide an explanation within 3-4 short sentences.

Our aim is to restore former custom of neighbourly help. We are going to link a volunteer with the elder people from Gdansk and provide seniors with electronic system of telecare. In case of danger older person will be able to connect with 24/7 alarm centre by pressing the button on the necklace or wrist watch. Teleasistant is responsible to notify the caregivers - volunteer, member of a family or appropriate emergency services.

About Project

Problem: What problem is this project trying to address?

Did you know that 70% of falls at home happen during bathing time where access to the phone is not possible? 40% of people after the age of 65 cannot move on their own after falling; so they cannot reach their regular phone to call for help. More than a half of people in the situation of stress and danger cannot dial the correct emergency number.

Solution: What is the proposed solution? Please be specific!

Participants will be equipped with the electronic system of telecare, which contains portable trigger (necklace of wrist watch) and base unit (installed on the telephone line or with inbuilt SIM card) In case of emergency (fall, fainting, fear, burglary, fire etc.) the user just push the button on a hand and in a few seconds is connected to the Intervention Centre. According to the information sheet, which is filled by user before installation, every incoming notification is not anonymous. Using this system Teleasistant knows from who and where the notification is coming. In addition we will know what is the health history of the user and we can assume possible problems. Teleasistant is responsible to notify the caregivers.
Impact: How does it Work

Example: Walk us through a specific example(s) of how this solution makes a difference; include its primary activities.

In case of the positive verification of the research hypothesis (the neighbourly care connected with the telecare is more effective socially and economically than traditional forms of providing care services) the quality of life of seniors will grow. Thanks to the application of the system of the telecare they will gain very valuable feeling the self-reliance, independence and the personal dignity. Elderly people are often ashamed to ask their neighbours or the family for help, because they don not want to be a burden to surroundings. Finance charges of getting the help will be also reduce.

Spread Strategies: Moving forward, what are the main strategies for scaling impact?

Program in the current version - with the module of the telecare met neighbourly services oneself with an great interest of social institutions - including social Assistant Centre in Gdańsk, being a consortium partner, as well as a specific technical moralizer of the proposed innovation. Leader of the Project after the project implementation to the own cost and with exploiting the own potential (completion of care services on areas of 7 units of the welfare) will implement the program relying on findings of this examinations.
Team

Team

Polish Red Cross - PRO: 1) Coordinator of the research and pilot phase Katarzyna Strzała - Osuch: supervision of the methodological side of conducted examinations, with correct structure of research tools, analysis of gathered data, drafting reports; 2) Specialist for accounting and finan in the project Halina Piórkowska. Duties: organising and carrying out all action associated with project finances, in particular: cooperation with coordinator, supervision of describing invoices and other accounting documents in connection with the cost schedule approved for the accomplishment. Makamed LCC: coordination of work of 5 operators supporting the Centre of Intervention, getting back applications from charges, notifying volunteer/family in case of the need to provide assistance, servicing telecare devices. Leader along with Partner are complementing each other in their abilities.
About the Lead Co-Creation Partners
Organization:
Makamed LLC
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LEAD SOCIAL-MISSION ORGANIZATION
Type of organization (e.g. NGO, association, not-for-profit, foundation, social enterprise)

NGO

Total Number of Full-Time Employees

13

Lead Contact First Name

Katarzyna

Lead Contact Last Name

Strzała - Osuch

Title

Mrs

Country

Poland

Twitter URL
Facebook URL

https://www.facebook.com/pckgdansk

Website

http://pck-gdansk.pl/

LEAD CORPORATE PARTNER
Organization Name

Makamed LLC

Total Number of Full-Time Employees
Lead Contact First Name

Marek

Lead Contact Last Name

Wojda

Title

Mr

Country

Poland

Twitter URL
Facebook URL
Organization Website

http://www.makamed.pl/

Basic Info
Project Starting Year

2014

Primary European Country where this Project is creating social impact

, PM, Gdansk

Additional European countries where this Project is creating social impact
Select the category that best fits the type of your project:

New products & services: Entries in this category develop and offer essentials product and services that address needs currently unmet, Last mile distribution: Entries in this category focus on solutions that enable the physical delivery of life-changing services to people with restricted mobility or restricted access (senior people, people with disability, remote or difficult areas, etc.).

What awards or honors has the project received?

None

Project Summary
Co-Creation Model: Tell us about your main strategic partners and how the partnership truly create value. For each Partner please include its type (business/social/public), its name, a short description, its key motivation to participate in the co-creation project, and the key contributions it is making in the co-creation project. Please follow the format displayed below:

-Polish Red Cross - Pomeranian Regional Office
-Lead social - mission organization
-The basic mission of the Red Cross is to prevent and to alleviate human suffering and to protect human dignity
-Encouraging voluntary service and being constantly ready to bring aid
-volunteer base and know - how;

-Makamed LCC
-business partner
-providing the Telecare Services for caregivers and their charges
-hardware and experience.

Impact
Impact: What is the impact of the work to date? Also describe the projected future impact. Please specify using qualitative and quantitative data (e.g. # of indirect and direct beneficiaries); help us understand how this solution truly makes a difference.

The proposed innovation in public services has a great development potential. Polish Red Cross - PRO carried in Gdańsk with social Assistant Centre the project "Lets' be a good neighbour" referred to 16 couples - Neighbour and Charge in the period October-December 2013. The project consisted in the completion of neighbourly services in the scope described in this project. As a result of the achievement of the programme dependent charges could stay in their environment. The researches regarding the socioeconomic effectiveness of the implemented program weren't being conducted, and therefore it isn't possible to draw any conclusions.

Sustainability
Funding: How is your project financial supported? [select all that apply]

National government.

Sustainability Plan: Has your project already reached financial sustainability? If not, what is this solutio’s plan to ensure financial sustainability? Do the main partners have enough stake to sustain the solution? If this project requires limited budget, how will other resources be secured to maintain or grow this work?

In March 2014 we have submited our offer to The National Centre for Research and Development (the implementing agency of the Minister of Science and Higher Education in Poland). Now we are awaiting for outcomes.

Team
Founding Story: Share a story about the "Aha!" moment that led the Partners to get started and/or to see the potential for this to succeed.

The landmark was the cooperation between Leader and the social Assistant Centre in Gdańsk from 01.09.2013 to 31.12.2013. The pilot project concerned the delivery of neighbourly services. During the first week of the recruitment we were able to report 16 pairs charge - volunteer. Situation analysis after the completion and for accounting for the project demonstrated the more distant need of the performance of a task, both in Gdańsk as well as other districts creating the Tricity urbanized area. Proposed activities are characterized by a great permanence - from the pilot group until today(4 months after completion of the project) 12 of 16 pairs are still functioning.

About the Co-Creation
Barriers: What main barriers may you have encountered to co-create during the creation and implementation of the project and how did you try to overcome them?

Makamed experiences show that charges demonstrate great dislike and anxieties before setting about using the system of the telecare. Even though the cooperation with paid minders from public means doesn't often meet their expectations, they don't want to give it up. Seniors are afraid that because of telecare services they will be entirely isolated from social life and left to oneself. Therefore, the risk consists on the initial distrust for the new tool. However this problem will be minimized thanks to volunteers, visiting one's neighbours regularly, helping them with everyday activities and keeping company

Governance: What is the type of the relationship between the partners? (e.g. joint venture, contractual relationship, joint project...)

Consortium agreement.

Interaction model: How is the project a transformative partnership? How is the interaction transforming the partnering organizations and their employees/ leadership in terms of creating a new vision, new management practices, new skills and new organizational structures? Please provide for concrete examples

Polish Red Cross - PRO will become more open for applying technological igh-tech solutions in its traditional, basic actions like care and assistance. We will gain the greater elasticity of action. An organizational potential will be improved. However the partner will gain the sensitivity to social problems of elderly people.

How did you find out about this competition?

Through www.ngo.pl portal