PROCare4Life Winter 2021 Newsletter

And suddenly 24 months have passed since PROCare4Life started and we are so happy with what we have achieved! The project progressed positively, albeit more slowly than planned, given the added challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic that has accompanied the project almost from the beginning. Still, the PROCare4Life consortium has maintained a resilient and positive attitude and is committed to continuing on the path to the project’s success.

At the end of September, the second review meeting took place remotely, attended by the whole consortium, the Project Officer and the reviewers. It was an excellent opportunity to present the project’s developments and carry out a demonstration of the PROCare4Life prototype in operation. The reviewers’ feedback was positive and their recommendations are very important for the consortium to validate and optimise action plans for the success of the project.

We would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a pleasant Winter break and a healthy and happy 2022!

Do you remember we told you we were creating an animation series for the project?

The communications team, led by IFIC, have developed a compelling series of animated videos to successfully help in the dissemination of the PROCare4Life project. The objective of the animations is to outline the PROCare4Life project in a comprehensible means and to engage with the project stakeholders. The team works closely with the other project partners to establish the aims of the animation series, taking into account all the feedback to form a creative brief and expectations of the videos.

The PROCare4Life animation has created a persona who will journey with us throughout the entire project and of whom we can create different episodes of their life, where our PROCare solution makes a positive impact on their life. The series has been created where our protagonist and their informal caregivers start using the PROCare app as advised by professionals and the PROCare system is recommended to their group of friends of the same age who have other conditions, recognizing the benefits of PROCare4Life.

The series will follow our main character Maria a 67-year-old retired teacher. She lives alone, is very independent and connected to her family and recently has presented with symptoms of mild cognitive difficulties. Viewers will also be introduced to her daughter Francesca who wants her mother to stay at home for as long as possible but is concerned about her wellbeing and suggests they talk to her GP, to see if there is any assistance they could get for her. Maria’s doctor suggests using a new solution – the PROCare4Life solution.

The Target Group

The target group of these pilots are older people and older adults across 5 pilot sites in Europe. In Spain and Italy the target group is formed by people over 65, with a diagnosis of a Parkinson's disorder or Parkinsonism.

Autonomy in everyday life is limited by motor and cognitive limitations due to comorbidities linked to the disease and age (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity, risks associated with smoking). Depending on the clinical profile, the person may need supervision for indoor activities (cooking, dressing, housework, remembering medications) and outdoor activities (walking outside, climbing stairs, grocery shopping).

The Scope

The scope of these pilots is to:

Make a good alignment between user needs, requirements and technical development through testings and co-production/participatory design sessions.

To test the feasibility (including people’s satisfaction, people’s perception of utility and safety) of the general recommendation provided by the system.

To evaluate the usability of the monitoring devices (measurements made by sensors and wearable and fixed devices, application functionality) in the real life of older people with PD, AD and OD, their caregivers and healthcare professionals.

To collect data, during iterative testing, that feed the system and allows developing other functionalities of the system.

To evaluate the characteristics of the metrics generated by the PROCare4Life platform in real-life conditions.

To get conclusions on the benefits of PROCare4Life approach towards integrated care and improved well-being and quality of life of older people, indicating possible ways to address frailty, cognitive impairment and prevention of neurodegenerative and other chronic diseases across different settings and institutions.

The PROCare4Life Protocol for all partners to implement preventative measures when working due to COVID19

The main mechanism of transmission of this virus, according to the information available, is by direct contact with respiratory droplets larger than 5 microns (Flügge), which do not remain suspended in the air and are deposited between 1 and 2 metres; through hands, surfaces and objects contaminated with these secretions, followed by contact with the mucous membrane of the mouth, nose or eyes.
Nosocomial transmission has also been described in health centres. Close contact takes place
in social health centres, so prevention and control measures to prevent infection are of great
importance. The following infection prevention and control recommendations are based on the current scenario in which COVID-19 infection develops and on the latest available information, taking into account that the main objective is to protect the population group most vulnerable to COVID-19 infection.

The aim of this protocol is to implement homogeneous measures that guarantee that all partners of the consortium establish preventive measures when carrying out actions (e.g. installation of technological devices, follow-up visits) in the homes of the participants, and in any clinical/ rehabilitative centres, within the framework of the PROCare4Life project. This protocol takes into account the application of the instructions and protocols established by the local health authorities and their updating.