First stage of GRandis project completed

The GRandis project is a partner of GRaCE-AGE seeking to develop education and training materials for use by older people and their carers, to help them use technology to improve their lives when living at home.

In June, the first stage of the GRandis project was concluded with a meeting in Aston. The four partner countries - the UK, Ireland, France, and Hungary - each produced national reports to compare the role of technology in older adults' care, and the accompanying vocational education and training required.

The reports analysed the social care policy and legislation in each country; the education and training given to social care workers and the gaps to be addressed in current curricula; the increasing demand for care through population aging, and the existing types of technologies used to meet this demand. Information on the technologies currently in use, including the number of companies and the sophistication of sensor hardware and software, suggests that technology for at-home care is an area ripe for exploitation.

Additionally, an online survey of over 500 older adults across the four partner countries investigated their needs, attitudes and abilities when living at home. Results showed that older adults are ready to adopt new technology for interacting with their care network, including for consultations, receiving test results, and alerting services to emergencies. They also see the benefit of new technology in helping to offset increasing loneliness that often comes with age.

The GRandis research has demonstrated a strong need for new technology to help care for older adults, and a willingness in older adults to engage with healthcare technologies. But the research also highlights the need for new training materials for care workers to teach them how they can use technology in their care role, and how they can train older adults to use this technology, too.

A compelling case must be made to carers as to how technology can improve their work and offset the effects of demographic change, and then they can be offered the materials to learn how to use it.