Contact person
Camilla Evensson
Projektledare
Contact Camilla
Höganäs forges international ties to solve the care challenge
Fewer professionals will have to care for more elderly people. To ensure that there are enough care staff and resources in the future, digital solutions and new working methods are needed. Höganäs Omsorg has taken this to heart.
"We face a major demographic challenge in Europe. In Sweden, the municipality of Höganäs is experiencing a steeper curve than the rest of the country. We have fewer and fewer residents of working age and more and more who need our support. We talk about this and work on the issue all the time," says Viweca Thoresson, CEO of Höganäs Omsorg.
The Skåne municipal care company is one of 14 project partners in the North Sea region participating in a project that addresses precisely this issue – meeting the challenges facing the care sector. The aim is to enable more elderly people to continue living at home for as long as possible. The ACE project, Accelerating the Home Care Innovation Ecosystem, brings together the public sector, business, civil society and academia in the various countries.
"What we do is bring together all stakeholders so that they can be more successful in introducing digital solutions and services in elderly care," says Mona Jonsson, responsible for communication regarding ACE at RISE, which is the lead partner for the project.
“A great learning journey”
Höganäs Omsorg sees the international aspect of ACE as absolutely essential. The challenge they face is not an isolated Swedish problem, nor can it be solved by Swedish municipalities on their own.
“The ACE project is an opportunity for us to look beyond Sweden. What are others doing? What solutions are others working with that we can also use? What working methods can we adopt? This is a learning journey for us, but also an opportunity to establish contact with other municipalities and companies. Even researchers, who can help us work in an evidence-based way", says Linda Macke, investigation strategist and coordinator for the ACE project at Höganäs Omsorg, continuing:
"We must change, work in different ways and think differently in order to keep up with developments. That is why it is very interesting to look at how other countries are tackling this issue, because it is challenging. Not least when it comes to making decisions about new ways of working."
Working together with other organisations and companies is a necessity
The goal: scaling up smart solutions
Today, there are many digital solutions that can increase security and independence among older people that are not being utilised, according to Camilla Evensson, RISE's project manager for ACE. She explains that Swedish municipalities are good at testing innovations, but in many cases this does not result in upscaling and actual use in operations. The hope is that the ACE project's user-driven approach will change this.
By listening to staff, elderly people and their relatives, as well as pensioners' organisations, we can identify the most pressing needs. We then match these with companies that sell various types of digital solutions for home care and nursing. The technology must meet the needs that exist, says Camilla Evensson.
– Working methods and adaptation are also important aspects of this project. When implementing new technology, it will be necessary to change the working methods of care staff. It is also important to remember that seniors and their relatives need support and guidance in adapting to digital solutions, says Mona Jonsson.
It was the user-driven perspective and needs identification that attracted Höganäs Omsorg to participate in ACE. It felt important to take the opportunity to work with companies that can create solutions based on a real starting point.
"We want to base our decisions on the needs of our municipality. And we don't believe that the needs of our residents differ significantly from those of residents in Denmark or Germany," says Viweca Thoresson.
Solutions in the individual's living environment
So, what digital solutions could be rolled out in connection with the project? One example is so-called empathetic homes, which means that the home "takes over" some of the tasks of the care provider and supports older people in their everyday lives through aids such as light and sound signals. Project partners in the Netherlands are working on this.
“There is also an idea to better coordinate efforts from civil society. Today, actors such as pensioner organisations, family organisations and the Church of Sweden take on a great deal of responsibility for the elderly population. Technology could facilitate cooperation between these parties. Then, of course, it is a matter of matching existing digital solutions with actors such as Höganäs Omsorg", points out Mona Jonsson.
"Through this project, we can remove many obstacles and make it easier for companies to sell their solutions in more countries. At the same time, we are making it easier for municipalities and other care providers to access smart solutions that are available in countries other than their own," she says.
"What we have learned so far is that we need to collaborate. Working together with other organisations and companies is a necessity. We want to learn more and at the same time contribute with what we can," says Viweca Thoresson.
More partners welcome
The ACE project will run until June 2026, and Camilla Evensson would like to see more stakeholders join in to share their own experiences, but also to benefit from the knowledge and solutions developed and tested within the project.
"Healthcare and care providers, older people, researchers, civil society and suppliers of digital solutions – everyone is welcome to participate in events and online discussions to jointly develop the digital solutions of the future for healthcare and care in the home."
Age Tech helps meet the needs of older people
Age Tech refers to technological solutions and innovations designed to meet the needs of older people. It includes products and services aimed at improving quality of life, independence and well-being. Examples of Age Tech solutions include medication robots, home monitoring technology and communication tools.
