Who we are
Learn more about who we are and how we all come together to improve informal care and voluntary assistance networks within service delivery in the North Sea Region.
1. The University of Agder (NO)
The Centre for eHealth and Healthcare Technology of the University of Agder is an interdisciplinary research center with proven experience on the quadruple helix model (government, industry, academia and civil participants). The center has expertise in human-health-technology interaction, integrated care and business process management. It runs high-fidelity usability and simulation laboratories and has competence evaluation capacity. Close collaboration takes place with Norwegian municipalities, health care services, volunteer organisations and policy makers.
2. Abertay University (GB)
University of Abertay Dundee has developed ICT tools for elderly and care givers in several North Sea Region projects using the principles of life long living. It has experience in using co-design to understand the motivation and needs of users in healthcare and daily living, and to develop novel interactive tools to enable learning and comprehension in special user groups. This work involves co-design workshops, usability testing and translation of results through academic and industrial and public sector collaborative links.
3. Kristiansand region, Knutepunkt Sørlandet (NO)
Kristiansand Region (formerly Knutepunkt Sørlandet) is a region consisting of 7 municipalities with 150 000 inhabitants in the south of Norway where Kristiansand forms the gravitation centre regarding transport system, culture, business, jobs and population. The main goal is that the region should be one of the most attractive regions in Norway to live and work in.
There is a long tradition in Norway of collaboration between public authorities and voluntary organizations in public health work. Many organizations have public health as a specified work area, like organizations within outdoor recreation, humanitarian and non-profit and cultural. Use of voluntary effort is a current topic in both network for dementia, for relief and for active coping.
4. CMO STAMM (NL)
CMO STAMM is an organisation for social development (advice/research), and coordinates the provincial Expertise Centre Informal Care (in 21 municipalities). Competences are regional networks informal/formal care, optimal support care givers, care volunteers, based on personal needs, participation of citizens/family participation in formal care institutes (elderly houses/healthcare centres), collaboration with SMEs (living at home innovations) and participation of young informal carers.
5. Värmland County Administrative Board (SE)
Länsstyrelsen Värmland (Värmland County Administrative Board - VCAB) is a national authority with supervisory responsibilities and a public service authority. It has experience with implementing the quadruple helix model (government, industry, academia and civil participants) in the North Sea Region and is responsible for the development of the DANS Model, which is especially suitable to innovation processes where citizens’ needs are central. VCAB will implement the model as a working method within In For Care and develop it towards the areas of informal care and voluntary assistance, creating participation and engagement.
6. University College Syddanmark (DK)
University College Syddanmark (South Denmark) has established partnerships with a number of municipalities and SMEs in the region and has supported the public sector with innovative and high professional standard solutions contributing to the development of the health sector. The benchmark is within health promotion, health education and welfare technology. UC South is experienced in organizing projects and processes, which involve both health professionals, public administrations, SMEs and end-users.
7. City of Turnout (BE)
Stad Turnhout (The City of Turnhout) is a local government. Main expertise in this project is on informal care, poverty and elderly care. The city founded LiCalab, a living lab, which is testing and validating innovative care solutions (products, services and policy measures) using a test panel of +/- 1000 elderly and 600 care givers in the region. LiCalab has run projects on strengthening the informal care networks of vulnerable elderly and stimulates informal care in local communities.
8. City of Aalst (BE)
Stad Alst (The City of Aalst) has a Living lab, "Ageing in Place Aalst", developing new concepts supporting active ageing and ageing in place through co-creation and real life testing with end users and SMEs. This project has delivered insight in the needs in panel management (how to recruit, retain of panel members/volunteers) and on the needs and expectations of (elderly) citizens towards the local government. Aalst recently redesigned the office structure (customer-based approach) and will develop a care front office.
9. County Council Värmland (SE)
Landstinget i Värmland (County Council Värmland) has a development and innovation unit working with patient and end user involvement, as well as user- and service innovation. We use service design as a tool and approach to understand people's needs, envision new solutions and facilitate co-operation to make it happen. We bring a solid experience, knowledge and network within the field of health care service innovation, end user involvement, identifying needs, co-creation activities, and service design thinking.
10. Provincie Drenthe (NL)
The Province of Drenthe is a regional governmental organisation and the first province in the Netherlands to be accredited as a ‘care-friendly organisation’, a forerunner in promoting ‘awareness for working caregivers’. In that role Drenthe encourages and stimulates municipalities and SMEs to raise awareness with regard to the number of employees combining work with caregiving tasks, and the impact of this on a personal, business and community level, but also within the EU.
Co-beneficiaries:
Frameworks AS (NO)
Frameworks is a climate neutral web agency which delivers sustainable and usable solutions for the environment, eHealth and education sector. It develops web, concept, graphical and interaction design with a focus on usability and user experiences. A team of skilled and experienced webdevelopers mastering a variety of development platforms and modern web technology. Framework has among other things developed an interactive online and mobile clinic solution for Evjeklinikken AS in Norway.
Municipality of Grimstad (NO)
The experience of recruiting volunteers in general and especially of recruiting young students to be a volunteer in for example a nursing home is of relevance to In For Care and can be used as a model for Grimstad. In addition, Grimstad has experience in how the different key actors involved can work together with the municipality, defining which tasks can be centralised and which have to be managed locally.
Municipality of Hoogeveen (NL)
Gemeente Hoogeveen (The municipality of Hoogeveen) has lots of experience in supporting informal care, and is obligated by law to support family caregivers and voluntary caregivers and to reward family caregivers. We provide services such as information, psychosocial support, home care, respite care (temporary care for a care recipient so their primary caregiver gets some adequate off time), training on self-care skills, support groups etc.
Municipality of AA en Hunze (NL)
Gemeente Aa en Hunze (Municipality of AA en Hunze) is responsible for the policy of informal caregivers and volunteers investing in adequate support for informal caregivers, Thanks to the efforts of informal caregivers, deprived persons may function independently for longer and remain at home, preventing the use of heavier care. For the implementation of the tasks, the municipality works closely with Impulse, a welfare organisation which manages the volunteer support centre and has experience with assisting the target groups.
University Medical Center Groningen (NL)
The University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) is one of the largest hospitals in the Netherlands and the largest employer in the Northern Netherlands. More than 10.000 employees provide patient care, are involved in medical education and perform cutting-edge scientific research, focused on "healthy and active ageing" applied research into social-societal effects of disease and health. The department of Applied Research in Care (ARC) will be involved in and did several studies about informal caregivers and their burden.
Park Management Association Emmen (NL)
Vereniging Parkmanagement Bedrijventerreinen Emmen (Park Management Association Emmen - VPG Emmen) has experience with the combination of work and informal care since 2010. In 2012 it was recognized as the very first industrial area in the Netherlands which supports informal care. The VPB Emmen works closely with its committee “Sustainable Employability”. Members with various areas of expertise work within the committee in order to help employees (11,000 FTEs) remain employable for the job market.