Glasses for virtual reality, assistance robots such as the Paro seal or interactive cycling in front of a large screen - which systems can contribute to participation in old age? Which IT tools make the day-to-day work of care staff easier? In the "Di-PAS st" project, mpool consulting GmbH and Fachhochschule Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts are looking for digital solutions in the care sector.
"We are focusing on specific everyday challenges that we identify with the care services and facilities," explains Prof. Dr. Sabine Sachweh. The computer scientist is the spokesperson for the Institute for the Digital Transformation of Application and Living Domains (IDiAL)(Opens in a new tab) at Fachhochschule Dortmund. "We are not developing a new tool, but rather trying to find the right solution for a problem on the market. Because there's already a lot out there."
It's often about organization. In a retirement home, for example, there is now a digital form for ordering meals, with real photos of the dishes from the kitchen. Thanks to "Di-PAS st", the end of paperwork has been heralded. This brings relief on several levels: The nursing staff no longer have to read out the menu plan. The kitchen no longer has to manually evaluate the paper orders. The residents can better recognize the dishes from the photos.
Digitalization still falls by the wayside too often
Another example: For a care service, the "Di-PAS st" researchers have selected a digital key box that automatically documents who has collected and returned which apartment or car key and when. Handwritten lists and handovers are no longer necessary. "In care, a lot of things are still noted and documented in analog form," reports Leon Sachweh, research assistant at IDiAL. His colleague Marcel Mitas adds: "Too often, there isn't enough time to search for and implement IT solutions in day-to-day care. Digitalization falls by the wayside, even if it saves work in the end."
That's why the researchers at Fachhochschule Dortmund want to address even more care facilities with concrete ideas in the second half of the project until mid-2026. To this end, they are offering free workshops at IDiAL and attending trade fairs. During the discussions, Professor Sachweh and her team also made it clear that the time required for digitalization projects in the care sector does not have to be as great as companies usually think. The everyday lives of residents can often be improved with just a few resources.
Another example: The researchers experimented with virtual reality (VR) glasses at a senior citizens' center in Iserlohn. They took virtual tours of the ancient city of Petra, San Francisco and the depths of the sea. "Even residents who were skeptical at first didn't want to take the VR glasses off again," says Leon Sachweh. In the meantime, the home's advisory board has decided to purchase its own VR glasses.
"With this technology, we can expand the residents' spaces of experience and add another dimension to life in the retirement home," emphasizes Professor Sachweh. She is also thinking of 360-degree images of her hometown, the Christmas market or an important family event. The VR glasses could enable people with limited mobility to experience a degree of participation. "It's a bit of work at the beginning, but it brings a lot," says the scientist. Relatives or volunteers could provide 360-degree recordings or entire tours. "The coronavirus pandemic has given us a lot of technology for online meetings, for example, which is also easy to use. We can now extend this to other areas," Professor Sachweh is convinced.
The best-practice examples that emerge from the project are collected, evaluated and cataloged by the researchers - both in the Metaversum, a new type of presentation in a virtual world, and on a traditional website. The goal is clear: to find imitators in order to advance the digitalization of care, but also of life in old age. The Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs is funding the "Di-PAS st" project, as is the European Union via the European Social Fund.