Care on call

Care on call

The Tele-Angel from Małopolska region is the largest tele-care project in the area (Lesser Poland) and one of the most original projects of this kind in Europe. It consists in providing remote care services with the use of the latest technologies, as well as traditional services provided at home.

The project is addressed to those residents of Małopolska who are not able to perform at least one activity associated with day-to-day living on their own due to their age, health or illness. Having met relevant requirements, a project participant receives a “life wristband” free of charge, which enables him or her to get through to the Tele-Care Centre easily and in no time.

After a call is made, the participant is identified by the system, and a medical rescue worker determines whether the caller’s life or health is at risk. This assessment is easier thanks to access to automatic information about the person calling. If necessary, the caller is provided with professional medical assistance. If the situation is not serious, the Centre contacts the person’s closest family or neighbours. The person in care may also be redirected to a psychologist on duty or a tele-care assistant. These specialists will provide information on available forms of social assistance, as well as social, physical activity and cultural participation. The duration of conversations with the assistants or psychologists is not limited – anyone feeling lonely and willing simply to talk to somebody is welcomed.

Life-saving wristband
Apart from allowing direct contact with medical staff, the life wristband monitors heart rate (measured every 30 minutes), registers falling incidents (via a built-in detector) and follows the patient’s location (with the use of a GPS tracker). This data is available to a medical rescue worker on duty, making it easier for him or her to assess the caller's health status.

‘What distinguishes us is our comprehensiveness as, apart from tele-care services, we also provide traditional home care services. These services are provided by professionals or as part of neighbourly help,’ says Dawid Konina, the project coordinator. ‘This means help in attending to personal hygiene needs, as well as support in everyday activities, such as shopping, preparing meals and house cleaning. This may also mean spending time together and going for a walk. Under this initiative, support may be granted to even 10 thousand residents of our region.’

Project: Małopolska Tele-Angel
Project cost: PLN 38.2 million, including PLN 32.4 million from the European Social Fund, Małopolskie Regional Programme