More information
Description
The goal of the project is to establish an innovative model of distant chronic disease management - teleassistance, based on the use of modern information and communication technologies /ICT/ in Vratsa, Vidin and Montana regions. This will improve the access of vulnerable lonely people with chronic diseases and permanent disabilities to professional medico-social support including beneficiaries in remote and rural areas. The new service will build on the activities of the Home Care Centers /HCC/ providing home-based medico-social services in Vratsa region which are envisaged to be expanded to two new regions in the course of the present project - Vidin and Montana. Thus, following the Norwegian experience, the activities of all seven HCCs in the three regions will be gradually combined with teleassistance services, providing for the establishment of a system of 24-hour response (call-centre to be based in Vratsa) and recruitment and training of the staff accordingly. The piloting of teleassistance services in Bulgaria aims at reaching the most vulnerable members of our society and thus, adjusted to their needs, to make them feel safe and allow them to remain in their own homes for as long as possible. The target group includes people aged 50+ with chronic diseases and disabilities including Roma and other ethnic minorities. The project will also seek to elaborate effective models of social inclusion and integration of low-educated, long-term unemployed persons incl. representatives of Roma and other ethnic minorities through provision of vocational training and qualification and creating employment opportunities in the area of community-based medico-social services.