MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE

the VIRTU project´s newsletter #1

MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE

-the VIRTU project´s newsletter

In this issue:

Creating new services in the social- and health care sector

”The VIRTU channel brings stimulation and joy to my everyday life”

Municipal decision-makers are encouraged to decide about the continuation of the

service

Municipalities in Turku and in Åland are developing the elderly care together

with the Universities of Applied Sciences

The VIRTU channel develops the communication between generations in Sipoo

municipality

Communicating on the VIRTU channel provides the elderly a feeling of security

in Kuressaare

How does the VIRTU channel work?

Virtu devices in the homes of the VIRTU channel users and at the service centers

Creating new services in the social- and health care

sector

Dear reader,

I’m happy and proud to introduce you to the first

Newsletter of the VIRTU project (Virtual Elderly

Care Service on the Baltic Islands)! The Virtu

project aims to develop new kind of virtual services

in the Archipelago areas of Finland, Åland and

Estonia. Together with municipalities, universities

and other stakeholders we try to support elderly

people’s living at home and develop new working

methods for the social-and health care sector. You

can read more about our activities in this issue.

As anywhere in Europe, also in the Baltic Sea area we can see huge future challenges

with demographic change, public financial management and insufficiency of educated

personnel especially in the social- and health care sector. The Virtu project seeks answers

to these questions by developing new virtual services.

It is essential that local municipalities are committed to the project because they are the

key service producers. As important it is that universities are able to educate personnel

who are familiar with new working methods and can take advantage of them. We’re glad

to have these both kind of organizations involved in our project. Development of totally

new innovations is challenging, but it’s also rewarding, interesting and opens new

viewpoints. We welcome you to join our journey!

Heidi Tuominen, Project Manager

”The VIRTU channel brings stimulation and joy to my

everyday life”

(An interview with VIRTU channel user Viljo, 91 years)

Viljo, a 91 year old man from Naantali, has right from the start actively participated in

the activities on the VIRTU channel. The VIRTU channel users in Naantali are divided

into two different groups: The Goldeneyes group consists of people over the age of 75

who are living by themselves. The Terns consist of family cares and rehabilitation

patients. Viljo is one of the twelve participants in the Goldeneye group. Turku University

of Applied Sciences has activities for the group three times a week. Once a week

Kummeli, the service center in Velkua,

offers activities to the group.

Viljo says that he actively and eagerly

participates in the activities. He finds

the activities meaningful. “I like the

entertaining broadcasts the most,

because due to pain in my shoulder I

can’t fully participate in the

operational activities such as chair

gymnastics”, Viljo says. ”The device

is really easy to use”, Viljo points

out about the touch screen device

that looks like an ordinary television.

His device has been working well and

reliably all the time.

The home care visit Viljo on a daily basis and has also been virtually in contact with

Viljo through the VIRTU channel on regular basis for a couple of months. In addition

Viljo’s daughter often goes to see her father. According to Viljo, participating in the

activites four times a week is a nice addition to the daily routines, and a new opportunity

to social activity. “The VIRTU channel feels like an interesting new opportunity and it

brings stimulation and joy to my everyday life”, Viljo states in the end of the interview.

Municipal decision-makers are encouraged to decide

about the continuation of the service

(An interview with nurses Jaana Vasama and Johanna Aarnio / Rymättylä, home care,

Naantali)

Three of the total 20 VIRTU channel users in Naantali are Rymättylä home care clients.

The VIRTU channel users in this area have the ability to participate in the interactive

programs five times per week: in singing sessions, quizzes, and chair gymnastics or in

different discussions with experts in various fields, such as a pharmacist and lawyer.

“We have also tested one-to-one contact with the clients. Talking through the device was

natural, and it certainly saves time when you do not have to go there, “says Jaana. Jaana

and Johanna believe that the elderly in need of social contact will benefit the most from

the service. “In addition one could for example through the VIRTU channel follow up

that the client remembers to take their medication”, Johanna ideas.

Both are hoping that they more easily could incorporate the new way of working in their

own work. “At the moment, we have so much filed work that there isn´t enough time to

adopt this new way of working.” Both, however, believe that when resources will be

properly targeted, there will also be time to learn new things.

Rymättylä home care clients have responded positively to the new kind of service. “One

of the clients got familiar with a VIRTU channel user on Åland and soon they found out

that they also had common friends”, Jaana says with a smile. Jaana and Johanna wish that

the decision-makers in Naantali would decide soon whether the service will continue

even after the project. “We hope that the municipal decision-makers would inform us as

early as possible if the service model in Naantali will be permanent. That way we would

also know what to tell our clients who are wondering what will happen with the

equipment after the project and whether they can keep the device or not.”

Municipalities in Turku and in Åland are developing

the elderly care together with the Universities of

Applied Sciences

(An interview with lecturers Ann-Maj Johansson and Marina Grunér at Novia University

of Applied Sciences, Turku and Inger Nygård, project manager at Åland University of

Applied Sciences)

In the VIRTU project the municipalities and the Universities of Applied Sciences

cooperate very closely. The universities of today take, in addition to their educational

responsibility, part in the social and economic development of the society. The VIRTU

project is a good example of this cooperation, where the municipalities and the

universities are jointly developing the eldery care, while the education adapts the students

to the new demands on the labor market.

“Novia UAS’s unit in Turku wants to be

involved in developing the newest

methods in the social and health

sector. The VIRTU channel gives the

students an excellent opportunity to

familiarize themselves with the future

working methods in primary care“,

says lecturer Ann-Maj Johansson.

Novia UAS cooperates with the

nearby Swedish speaking

municipalities Kemiönsaari and

Parainen and Åland UAS

cooperates with Eckerö and

Brändö municipalities.

The professionals in the elderly care can in the VIRTU project get familiar with the

technology and to explore the possibilities of what this equipment can offer.”The VIRTU

channel could for example be used at discharge, where multi-disciplinary teams together

with the patient and their family are planning on the continuing care. Some of the

supervisory visits and rehabilitation could for example be done through the VIRTU

channel,” Ann-Maj envisions.

Marina Grunér, lecturer at Novia UAS, points out that the objective of this project is to

integrate these activities in the municipal home care services. “All home visits can’t be

and should not be replaced by virtual home visits, but now the staff in the municipalities

can prepare a working model for this form of service containing both home visits and

other activities,” says Marina.

The contact persons in the municipalities

choose suitable elderly living at home

who then participate in the virtual

services offered at the VIRTU channel.

The universities provide, in turn,

support and guidance to the staff in the

municipalities. “Because the

equipment and technology is familiar

to us from the past, we strive to

mentor the staff in the home care in

how to use the equipment and we

also try to encourage them to self-

activity on the VIRTU channel for

example in doing virtual home visits

and other activities,” says Ann-Maj.

In Åland, it is however the first time they try this technique. “It is new for us all, but

Åland University of Applied Sciences still has an important mentoring role. Our

municipalities are small and not everyone has the opportunity to pursue this development

on their own. Åland UAS can offer the municipalities the opportunity to test this new

technology. Together we then develop the service and try out different activities“, says

Inger Nygård, project manager at Åland UAS.

The participating universities are constantly

developing the education and teach for example their

nurse and social care students how to use virtual

technology in elderly care. At each University there is

a studio from which the students have activities

together with the participating elderly and behind

each program is a long planning process. “In this

way, municipalities get stimulating activities for their

eldery, while the students are given the opportunity to

practice their skills and also gain valuable

experience in communication with the elderly” says

Inger. Examples of activities that students at Novia

UAS has had on the VIRTU channel is “The importance of foot care for elderly”,

“Thoughts of All Saints’ “and “Comedy time“.

Similar cooperation and development work is also taken place between the partners

Turku University of Applied Sciences and Naantali municipality and between Laurea

University of Applied Sciences and Sipoo municipality.

The VIRTU channel develops the communication

between generations in Sipoo municipality

(An interview with Helena Räsänen, elderly care manager in Sipoo municipality)

Elderly care manager in Sipoo municipality, Helena Räsänen says that they are glad that this

new kind of wellbeing technology is being tested in the elderly care services. In her opinion a

good thing in this multinational and multicultural development project has been the

cooperation between the project partners

as well as learning from each other.

In the beginning of the project the IT

connections caused problems, delays

and frustration both for the project

workers as well as for the elderly

who were waiting to get the VIRTU

device. When the IT connections

were changed from 3G to

broadband they started to function.

The program activities have now

become a part of the elderly

people’s everyday lives. Helena wishes

that the participating elderly will become familiar with and more and

more confident in using the VIRTU channel and that they will start spreading the word

about the service. The starting point for the activity is to improve the well-being and

activity of the elderly living at home and thereby to improve their opportunities to live at

home longer.Helena sees that the municipality will benefit from that the employees get to

know a new kind of technology, and thus also their attitudes towards information

technology will change.

During the spring 2012 Sipoo will try to get actors from different sectors involved in the

VIRTU activities. The VIRTU broadcast studio is located in the library in Nikkilä. Day-

care groups as well as school children from Nikkilä have participated in the broadcast

activities.

The aim is to bring together people in different ages that would not necessarily otherwise meet. During the spring 2012 they will for example initiate cooperation with the youth workshop and also implement a broadcast series of rehabilitation services. One of the actions in Sipoo is the workshops arranged for the employees in home care, where they discuss the potential use of virtual services in home care in the future.

Helena believes that the possible prejudice against this kind of technique could be reduced among the social and health care professionals by implementing this service in their routines. She hopes that some of the home visits will be replaced by virtual visits in the future. Helena, however, emphasize that the device does not replace people, but it gives dignity to the elderly. The aim is that the virtual services are reality in Sipoo in five years.

Communicating on the VIRTU channel provides the

elderly a feeling of security in Kuressaare

(An interview with home care manager Inge Lunkova at Kuressaare Day Care Centre,

Estonia)

Why is Kuressaare Day Care Centre’s interested in doing virtual home visits to

their clients? “We have home care clients who are visited only once or twice a week. Those days when

the client’s caregiver doesn’t go, it is good to keep in touch via the VIRTU channel. The

caregiver continuously reviews the situation and is delighted, if everything is fine with

the client. If there is a need to go shopping, he or she can discuss on the VIRTU channel

with the client what exactly is needed from the store. Such a communication channel is

similar to the phone, but better. Contact is more direct than when talking on the phone,”

Inge explains.

“We have a supported service user in

the social home whose medicine

should be taken at fixed times, two

times daily at 11 and at 15 o’clock.

The local support person in the house

only works part-time and she is not

always present when it is time for

medication. At the VIRTU channel we

have good visibility and can follow the

situation – after all, on the phone you

cannot see whether the medicine is

really taken or not, “says Inge.

What are the benefits of the VIRTU channel for the client? The possibility to communicate continuously visually creates a sense of security for the

clients. Through the video picture the caregiver can see how the clients are feeling and

also their emotions. The caregiver can offer support to raise the client’s mood. Through

virtual broadcasting the elderly can participate in physical and mental training, which

helps them to stay longer active and vital.

What is mainly discussed during a virtual visit? Inge answers:”We are talking about everything that anyone currently has in mind – about

the weather, health, and children. We are sharing sorrows and joys, we are making jokes

and laughing. After the first group gymnastics we received positive feedback from the

clients afterwards… If there have been problems with the devices, they always call us

immediately when the fault is found and the devices are working again.”

What kind of developing plans does Kuressaare Day Care Centre have for virtual

services? We started last year at November, first with 3 group activities – Tuesdays and Thursdays

we had physical exercises, Fridays memory game. Today we have also presentation of

new books which is made together with Saaremaa Central Library and panel discussion

about current topics.

Current topic could be in society widely known event or some issue, which is negotiated

earlier with clients and is interesting for them or close to their heart. So we’ve discussed

the recent strike of Estonian teachers and learnt about local municipality supports for

pensioners. At the Mother Tongue Day we had children performing from preschool group

of Kuressaare Park Kindergarten. Exciting guests are invited to participate in the

programs – for example on the 27th of December Estonian Social Minister Hanno Pevkur

visited the VIRTU channel and discussed with our clients.

Today, we have had first activity done by social care students from Kuressaare Training

Centre (local vocational school), instructed by their teacher Kai Rannastu. Activity was

like a music concert, students and elderly were singing happily together on the virtual

bridge. Between singings students demonstrated chair dancing – into music arranged

excercises which are done by sitting. VIRTU is part of practical learning for the students

– how to guide virtually, how to estimate client’s mood and statement through the screen

etc.

At the moment we have group activities 4-5 times a week. Clients are waiting for them

eagerly. Services are added and developing according to clients’ needs and wishes. The

Finnish partners’ best practices from previous projects are a good framework when

developing new virtual services in the VIRTU-project.

How does the VIRTU channel work?

(An interview with technical expert Mika Arvola, Turku

University of Applied Sciences)

Mika Arvola works as a technical expert in the Virtu project

and as an interface between the project and the technology

supplier called Videra. In the mean of October 2011 Videra

has installed devices for approximately 60 users in the

Archipelago of Finland, Åland and Estonia.

Mika says that the VIRTU device actually is a touch-screen computer. The software runs on the same principle as video conferencing systems used in the business world. “This means that you can be in visual and voice contact with multiple persons at the same time on the channel. The image of the person who is speaking appears bigger on the screen whilst the other eight participants’ images are smaller”, Mika explains. There can be more than nine people on the channel, but only nine images can be seen on the screen simultaneously. The software is managed by a touch screen user interface that is easy to use. “Most confusion in the use of the device is usually caused in the early stages, when the user sees his or her own picture on the screen”, Mika says with a laugh.

The VIRTU device does not require the client anything but a data connection (internet) and an appropriate location for the device, Mika says. The user’s device is the size of a computer screen, so it does not take up much space and can be placed for example on the living room table.

According to Mika, the technique on the VIRTU channel has generally been working well. The major technical problems are due to dysfunctional data communication. “We started testing the devices with

the 3G connectivity and found that it is not reliable enough in the Archipelago areas. Actually we were

forced to change most of the clients’ wireless connections to a wired network. That is why the activities on the channel were delayed”, Mika is sorry to say.

Mika has years of experience working in the same type of technology projects at Turku University of Applied Sciences. He says that clients and professionals usually have a skeptical attitude to the devices, especially if the devices don’t work properly in the beginning. Mika hopes that all the non-functioning connections in Finland would be changed as quickly as possible to wired networks, and that the installations in Estonia will be done, so that each VIRTU channel user could participate in the activities without any problems.

There are also VIRTU channel broadcasting devices in each participating University of

Applied Sciences (Turku University of Applied Sciences, Laurea University of Applied

Sciences, Åland University of Applied Sciences and Novia University of Applied

Sciences).