T’Activa: Active Aging in Terrassa

Challenge

The Consorci Sanitari de Terrassa (CST) presents, within the framework of the Territorial Competitiveness and Specialization Project (PECT) called Health Care Innovation Lab Orbital 40, the program “T’Activa: Terrassa Activa y Saludable”. This initiative aims to encourage innovation around the development of a mobile application that connects citizens and motivates them to improve their health in order to make Terrassa a healthier city.

To develop this project, the CST contacted Spora Sinergies, to request a consulting service on the competitive surveillance action in the city of Terrassa with regards to Europe and the rest of Spain.

What are the needs and possible technological answers in terms of health and active aging of the city of Terrassa?

Answer

First of all, an analysis of the social reality of Terrassa in relation to aging is performed to obtain an overview of the situation of the municipality. To do this, a report is prepared that presents the most relevant data on territorial characteristics, socio-demographic characteristics, mortality, morbidity, lifestyles, social support and existing resources. As a result of this approach to the social reality of aging in Terrassa, the problem of isolation and unwanted solitude is identified as one of the growing challenges among the city’s largest population.

Second, a competitive surveillance action and a theoretical framework focused on the main health challenge identified in the city of Terrassa is developed. A comparative map of technological responses to isolation and unwanted loneliness is drawn up. It specifically identifying the initiatives that are being carried out in Europe and the rest of Spain. Although these technological solutions are designed with the same objective, they differ in several aspects and, therefore, they are organized according to 4 main points of analysis:

1. Relations: pre-existing private network, new community network, care services or professional promotion.
2. Thematic: caring tasks, promoting activities or establishing relationships.
3. Target population: old people, caregivers or the network of care (old person-family-caregiver).
4. Objective: Loneliness or isolation.

Finally, an analysis session on tackling unwanted solitude in Terrassa is conducted with the City Council’s technical workers. On the one hand, this session allows to account for the current situation of tackling unwanted solitude in Terrassa. The analysis reflects the main challenges the technical body is facing when it comes to this issue, as well as the intervention actions they are implementing. These challenges are organized into 5 different areas: Prevention and Awareness, Case Detection, Housing, Mobility and Information. On the other hand, this session is also useful for thinking about how a cross-cutting strategy should be implemented by the different technical areas of the City Council to address this social problem.