Summary of the niCE-life project

The central European health and care systems are facing great challenges because of an ageing population, higher occurrences of neurodegenerative and chronic diseases that lead to social exclusion of citizens, and the slow integration of new technologies, but also because of the limited interoperability of solutions across borders. 

The niCE-life project fosters social inclusion and care coordination of the elderly with cognitive medium-low deficits, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases and other chronic diseases. It developed an innovative health care model by using progressive, key enabling technologies such as sensor technologies, ICT and data analysis techniques.

This prevents frailty of the elderly, enhances their quality of care and supports independent living, social contacts and assistance after hospital discharges. 

The intelligent monitoring platform, new health and care solutions and the organizational changes to care practice were designed and tested in pilot actions. This was complemented by local action plans that take into account national health and social care systems and local conditions. Together with targeted trainings this will contribute to strengthening capacities and competencies of public authorities and health and care providers to efficiently address pressing social challenges and foster an independent living of the elderly.

Project main objective

The main objective of the niCE-life project is to advance social innovations in health and care practise and support social integration and independent living of frail elderly suffering from different stages of cognitive deficits (including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases) and chronical diseases through the introduction and pilot testing of transnationally applicable model of health and care services building on the e-Care network operated in Italy and other best practises and the development and testing of novel technical ICT-based support solutions and revamping of organizational, economic and care conditions for frailty patients discharged from hospitals and assistance continuity. The designed novel technical and care models and targeted trainings will aim to reinforce competences of public authorities and health and care centres to tackle social challenges posed by the demographic change. Local action plans encompassing practical implementation steps will pave a way for efficient and smooth introduction of the new health and care models, services and technical solutions in other regions not involved in the project. Finally, the niCE-life project also strives for averting social segregation of the frail elderly and increasing of their autarky by the development of solutions enabling their independent living and reduction of risk related to the frailty.

Expected project results

The project seeks to change the attitude of public authorities and care providers and prove that the introduction of novel health and care models and solutions can be also based on inexpensive technical solutions and offer a roadmap for their introduction through the local action plans. Above that the niCE-life project aimed to overcome defiance of frail elderly towards the application novel solutions and prove their benefit for them by their testing in daily practise and foster their social interactions, contacts and self-confidence. The developed transnationally replicable health and care model, powered by intelligent monitoring platform and novel technological solutions in health and care of frail elderly, but also targeted trainings and local action plans strengthened capacity of local/regional authorities and care providers to efficiently tackle social challenges stemming from the ageing of the society and increased frailty of elderly persons. Additionally, new health and care models allow more efficient coordination of health and care of frail elderly and chronically ill patients discharged from hospital and better communication with them.