DAPAS

We talk to Dr. Elisabeth Bourkel of the DAPAS (Deploying AAL Packages at Scale) project, which is creating an innovative solution based on the best outputs from previous projects aimed at supporting older adults. The DAPAS system can transform the way older people manage their lives, stay in contact with family and keep to routines, driving a sense of well-being and independence.

Empowering the older generation with technology

There have been several AAL (Active & Assisted Living) projects funded by the EU’s AAL programme, all focused on the goal to improve daily routines and to assist people, particularly who fall into the 65+ age bracket. The aim is to create market-ready products and services that the older generation can and will use to support their independence.

This is an important area of research for Europe because, taking into account higher life expectancy and lower birth rates, over half of the EU’s total population is estimated to be over 65 by 2070. We need to adapt healthcare infrastructure and policies to address the needs of older people, to better meet the challenges posed by demographic change.

Taking the best bits

A challenge of the often awkward pairing of the older generations and new technology is that the chosen technology must be useable and genuinely helpful. The ideas have to be attractive, intuitive and beneficial enough for widespread adoption and market success. However clever an application is, if there is no take up, if it does not fundamentally appeal to the end-user, then it will fail. This is where the DAPAS project comes in, which is taking a broad look at existing studies, the outcomes of previous projects and the latest technologies – analysing them and handpicking the best ideas for the next step in innovation. To reach a stage where you can comfortably scale this kind of technology, you need to get it right on all counts for the end-user.

“A lot of projects have been done in this funding scheme and unfortunately their products often don’t come to market. So, an idea of this project was to integrate several successful solutions from different previous projects that could be distributed on a larger scale,” explains Bourkel. “In the DAPAS project the technical solution has three versions of an android app designed for a tablet, with a cloud backend, smart hardware components and a voice assistant. There is the starter version, the value version and the premium version. The end users are important partners in our research and the development of the app. After the participants use each version, we always collect feedback on what they think about it and give it directly to the organisations’ developing these solutions. They try to integrate what they learn from the feedback as soon as they can, to make the system more useable. That is one of the ideas of this project.”

To gauge usability of the different parts of the app, the versions were trialled by 120 older adults from Austria, Luxembourg and Portugal, as well as caregivers. The carers were important for inclusion in this study, because the app has the potential to take the burden off of intensive care management, for trained nurses and for untrained family members, who are time starved in other areas of their life because of their commitment to care.

There are many benefits that the app is exploring.

Bourkel elaborates: “On the app you have messaging and video, so a key benefit is to really stay in touch with your family. It promotes communicating a lot more with family, also via video, for instance.”

The communication aspect of the tablet and app gives the users a lifeline to family, friends and carers, something that is implicitly understood for its value, in the Covid-19 pandemic.

As well as easy messaging and video calls, the app can help stimulating cognitive ability for users via some clever and fun games on the tablet.

“We provide specially developed cognitive games and from my observations, the users seem to like the games. They are convinced that playing them improves their concentration and memory. My background is that I am a clinical psychologist involved in this kind of topic, so I know keeping your brain active will be important for people aged 65 and over. There are opportunities to train your memory in a structured way. One of the games is called Word Bingo – where you have to memorise words and recognise them.”

Importantly, this solution allows users to test and work on improving their cognitive ability in the comfort of their own home.

“The DAPAS system also creates an agenda, with a calendar, to follow for organising one’s life – medications reminders, meeting people, important times of the day to do things. In short, it drives them to be more self-assured and confident, it develops their sense of well-being. People can set reminders for things like drinking regularly, to stay hydrated, and checklists to encourage themselves to use one of the several features integrated in DAPAS. We also have a voice assistant, Emma, who you can talk to and who can answer your questions.”

Some of these features are already widely used, but what makes our system special is that the information, which is often considered sensitive, is not sold to third parties or companies. This is a dedicated enduser support platform that does not treat personal data as a commodity.

A voice to connect with

“One interesting point,” adds Bourkel,“is the integrated telecare system, which can be used for increasing safety in the homes of older adults.”

The voice recognition part of the system could prove important for health and safety reasons.

“With the value version of the DAPAS system, people received a base station where they learned how to communicate with the voice assistant, Emma. The idea of just using your voice is a benefit for older people, as you don’t have to type anything.”

This could also prove a potentially critical benefit if an older adult took a bad fall in the home, or was having a stroke, and could only rely on their voice to raise the alarm.

“If you have serious movement restrictions you don’t have to move, you can just talk to use the system. There is also

a lamp installed with it, and a sensor, so if you enter the room Emma knows that you are in the room and she delivers messages and reminders. The lamp also switches on as soon as the person receives a message. Having a voice assistant can almost be like having someone around which could potentially lessen that feeling of isolation.”

The possibilities of this assisted living with helpful technologies, of primarily a tablet and a corresponding app, could open up important opportunities for the older generations. In the future, people coming up through the generations will be increasingly technology savvy for a truly seamless introduction to the new support services for a self-determined life.

In short, it drives them to be more self-assured and confident, it develops their sense of well-being.

“In Austria, the premium version also includes a door opener. With this functionality, the door can be easily opened by family members or caregivers in case of emergency. People can also get activity trackers which measure stress levels and physical activity. Both features can be displayed on the DAPAS app – so you can see how you did compared to last week, if you moved more or less, to encourage you to move more. During my work with the DAPAS system I noticed that some people that have received the tablet are getting more and more used to it and just using the tablet had a big impact on their daily life.”

Ultimately, for all those who need structure to routines, remote access to family and friends and for those seeking more autonomy, the innovation can make getting older less lonely, less confusing and more manageable. One of the biggest drivers for developing the DAPAS system is it builds self-esteem for those who might be struggling a little in their senior years.

When rolling it out and scaling it up, the hope is that, the system will become a standard piece of equipment around Europe and maybe the world, leading to a happier, fuller, more connected and structured life for those embracing its functionality and support.

Deploying AAL Packages at Scale Project Objectives

Active & Assited Living (AAL) aims to improve older adults’ life through the use of information and communication technology (ICT). In this context, the project delivers an innovative solution, which is based on the needs of older adults and their caregivers. The project brings together successful outputs of previous AAL projects.

Project Funding

DAPAS is co-funded by the European AAL program (Active and Assisted Living - ICT for aging well, Call 2017)and is supported by the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR) (INTER/AAL/17/11747168).

Project Partners

• https://dapas-project.eu/consortium/

Contact Details

Project Coordinator : Exthex GmbH, Graz, Austria. Dr Elisabeth Bourkel, PhD Stëftung Hëllef Doheem BP 1878 L-1018 Luxembourg Luxembourg T: +352 40 20 80 6722 E: elisabeth.bourkel@shd.lu W: https://dapas-project.eu/ W: http://www.aal-europe.eu/projects/dapas/

Dr Elisabeth Bourkel, PhD

Elisabeth Bourkel has a doctoral degree in Psychology. She works as research officer at Stëftung Hëllef Doheem (SHD) since November 2020. Her fields of expertise are gerontology, neuropsychology as well as clinical and health psychology. She also worked in a pluridisciplinary centre, on the prevention of age-related cognitive and physical decline. At SHD, she is coordinating several research projects, focusing on aging, health and technology.