ICT and Environmental Support for Patients with Frailty Syndrome: CareWell Project, Focus Project and SUNFRA IL Project

Abstract

Maintaining wellbeing and independence by elderly people results from implementing the rules of “successful aging” , based on activity and participation in professional and social life, as well promotion of healthy lifestyle. Increasingly greater importance is attributed to frailty syndrome among patients of old age. These patients are characterized by increased sensitivity to stimuli, impaired ability to cope with inner and environmental stressinducing factors, and they also have limited ability to maintain the state of physiological and psychosocial homeostasis. In such cases it is necessary to provide the patients with integrated care based on the support of the environment and the latest technology. Providing the residents of Lower Silesian Province with high quality of life, adjusting social services to residents’ needs, and social integration alone are compliant with The Strategy of Social Integration in Lower Silesia. For that reason, supporting such patients with technology in Lower Silesia was started with the CareWell and WRP® pilot projects. The use of the latest technologies requires a social campaign, media-distributed information, and awakening social interest or even a trend related to their use. It will allow the refining of new services, reduce costs and improve safety for people. Instead of costly specialist care, elderly patients will receive individualized care located within the environment, which will be less costly but more intensive. The FOCUS project deals with reducing the frailty syndrome load in the population of elderly Founpeople in Europe, taking note of enhancing the environmental support. The purpose of the SUNFRA IL project is to improve the identification, prevention and management of frailty, and care of multimorbidity by regional centers and institutions in EU countries of people aged 65 years and over living in the local community.