Innovative Community Care Models in Favour of People with Chronic Diseases and Permanent Disabilities

About this project

<p>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.</p>

Bilateral cooperation results

The exchange of experience and best practices with KS contributed to spreading the experience of Norway with regard to providing elderly care using welfare technology. Their achievements in this area was promoted throughout the entire project during the national and regional events held, in publicity materials and other visibility activities. National and/or municipal strategies and other policy acts applied in Norway were translated and presented to the Bulgarian public. The cooperation has lead to the establishments of broader connections between Bulgarian project partners and stakeholders with representatives of relevant institutions in Norway, municipal authorities and business companies. For the Bulgarian Red Cross, in its capacity of a Project Promoter, as well as for the Bulgarian project partners, it was an unique opportunity to use Norway's experience for the pilot introduction of tele-assistance services in Bulgaria. The cooperation provided valuable information and advice in the overall process of planning and establishment of the service in Bulgaria, as well as on a later stage in terms of improving its functionality. As planned in the project, official Government representatives as well as other stakeholders from Bulgaria had the opportunity to get acquainted with the service provision in Norway which will facilitate the work dedicated to the elaboration of relevant regulations and standards.

Project partners

• Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities Donor project partner· Norway
• Ministry of Health Project partner· Bulgaria
• Ministry of Labour and Social Policy Project partner· Bulgaria