CrossCare Mid-Term Presentation Conference

28 September 2018

Predonzani Room, Friuli Venezia Giulia Region

(TRIESTE) – CrossCare represents an “observation lab of the needs of older people and the evolution of the dimensions of active ageing”. This was pointed out by Orietta Antonini, president of the Social Cooperative Itaca, during the mid-term conference held in the Predonzani Room of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region Palace in Trieste on the 28th of September. “Elderly care is a delicate moment that often results in institutionalization solutions that CrossCare aims to overcome. The project sees the nursing home as a place of interception of social needs on the territory”.

Among the project objectives, there is the elaboration of a cross-border Memorandum of Understanding which will promote a new model of elderly care for older people and their families. “CrossCare is characterized by a very high quality – it was highlighted by Sebastiano Callari, Councillor for the Public Function of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, – as it places older people at the center of family care interventions. The Region is proud to give its contribution to this project, as it strongly believes in active ageing and in the need to create a services’ network on the territory”.

Over 400 operators have been already trained and 9 PSAs – Service points for older people and their families – were opened in the Italian and Slovenian residential structures involved in the project. “Trieste is a laboratory on active ageing,” said the president of ASP ITIS, Aldo Pahor. “With CrossCare we really took a step forward, collaborating with crossborder territories. The project has allowed us to get to know each other and from these interactions new ideas and new projects are born“.

“The goal in Slovenia is to create an integrated system based on home care” – stated Polona Dremelj of IRSSV -. “We have been working on this objective for years with the presentation of four draft laws addressing the Ministry of Health. Following these proposals, a Health Directorate was created and the testing phase of pilot projects began. CrossCare itself can be considered a pilot project that involves the experimentation of new figures including the care manager “.

The general director of the AUSD 4 Veneto Orientale, Carlo Bramezza, stressed that “in Veneto, we already started the reorganization of all elderly care services during the previous administration, an objective that has come back with the new social health plan. Nursing homes need to be a point of reference on the territory”.

The director general of the Asas Friuli Venezia, Giorgio Simon, highlighted that “projects like this arise as a result of periods of system crisis. We need to give a structured response involving all the territorial subjects. CrossCare represents the opportunity to compare different systems “.

The project started in October 2017 and now we are at 2/3 of its development, told Anna La Diega, vice president of the Itaca Cooperative. “CrossCare gave the opportunity to enroll new qualified personnel, including the care managers. The first step of the scientific committee was the preparation of a first draft of the cross-border protocol. A large amount of joint training courses involved more than 400 operators, who were trained on Gentlecare, Validation and Basal Stimulation methods. Project activities are also accompanied by multiple awareness activities on the territory of the various stakeholders. Another key moment was the opening of the PSA during the summer. We have collected a sample of 120 older people who will be involved in the experimentation. Within the 9 PSAs, the care managers are already working for the elaboration of personalized paths supported by ICT applications including television and sensorial media”.

Concerning the cross-border Memorandum of Understanding currently being drafted, Daniele Dal Ben, director of the Francescon Residence in Portogruaro (Ve), pointed out that “it has both the objective of identifying a flexible and adaptable system in the various territories, and identifying evaluation tools that are recognized and validated. Home care becomes the cornerstone of the protocol and it acts directly on the challenges dictated by active aging”.

Cinzia Canali of the Zancan Foundation brought a summary of some preliminary results. “In the case of CrossCare experimentation, operators are focusing on sharing measures and highlight the needs of older people by considering not only the cognitive ones but all aspects of life. With regards to the evaluation of outcomes, we have shared a multi-dimensional needs assessment and a common language with particular attention to the evaluation of the service not only from a performance point of view but from a quality life perspective”.

“Home care must take a central position on the territory as they are closer to people’s needs” – said Miha Kranjc of DEOS -. “We are carrying out experimentation in our five Service Centers and we are receiving only positive answers, which makes us understand that we are on the right track”.

Fabio Bonetta, general director of Asp Itis Trieste closed the morning conference. “It is crucial to urge institutions to get out of the illusion that technology can save us from the need of hospitals. Older people represent the true wealth of the territory and must be protected. With CrossCare we share the idea that institutionalization responses do not represent valid solutions”. Hence the invitation to both the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region and the Veneto Region to “seriously consider the paths suggested by the protocol that aims to overcome traditional health care approaches”.