This Thursday the Barcelona Aging coLLaboratory (BALL) visited the “En Bones Mans” program, specialized in health, health education and quality of life of Onda Cero Catalunya.
This program included an interview with Jordi Vilaró, vice dean of Postgraduate Studies and Research at the Blanquerna Faculty of Health Sciences of the Ramon Llull University and member of the BALL. Specifically, he participates with Grup Efebé in the development of the HoOP project within the framework of the Barcelona Aging coLLaboratory.
The objective of the Barcelona Aging coLLaboratory
The Barcelona Aging coLLaboratory (BALL) seeks to age with the highest quality of life and the best health and social care. It is the first Living Lab focused on providing innovative solutions for older people that is launched in Catalonia and has been promoted by a broad representation of civil society groups.
“There is an increase in older people, we are going to have an increasingly larger number worldwide. Specifically, in Spain it is expected that in 2050 one in every three inhabitants will be over 65 years old. This requires a series of changes at the social level, since now we are not sufficiently prepared. Society is changing. In ten years, the population that is 55 years old today will be very different from the generation that right now is already in the range between 70-80 years old. We must move forward on this path. Many times it is society that sets the pace and we adapt quickly to changing needs,” says Jordi Vilaró.
A few days ago the presentation of the living lab to the media took place. It took effect at the Pere Virgili Health Park, the BALL headquarters.
How did this idea of BALL come about?
According to Jordi, “this idea was born after these different entities collaborated. We had done research projects, we had been doing it for five years, but the pandemic caught us. “We were already studying how to improve the quality of life and health of older people who still do not need to be in a nursing home or a hospital.”
Little by little the idea of thinking about new models that could be carried out arose. “We have a very large network of collaborations in other countries where living labs already existed, a model that is already being implemented around the world.” They are spaces for co-creation, experimentation and innovation linked to citizens.
From here, we connected with the European living lab network and now we are part of it as another element to be able to support each other with other centers worldwide.
How are we going to ensure that the results reach the group of older people?
From the beginning we started co-designing with users. We create a community of practice, which means that professionals, older people, families, caregivers, companies, etc. are involved. In this way, we can detect what the problem is, what the question we want to answer and, thus, begin to design a possible solution.
These ideas are tested with the users themselves. Therefore, we use this way of working as a communication platform towards society. They themselves are the ones who participate and the final recipients of the initiatives and proposals. Furthermore, all the results that we obtain will always be openly available so that any company or health center can replicate and use them. “We believe in a concept that is “open science”: any discovery has to be available to everyone who may need it.”
A humanized robot for those who cannot feed themselves
This first project is being co-created with end users who are decisive in knowing what is needed and, thus, being able to offer a solution that best adapts to their demands.
In addition to providing patients with a personalized tool and greater autonomy, the robot will automate one of the most complex tasks in the healthcare logistics of hospitals and residential cent