K4Care: Knowledge-Based Homecare e-Services for an Ageing Europe

Abstract

Increasing longevity and increasing survival to acute accidents and diseases - in addition to the increase in the numbers of elderly people - imply an increased prevalence of chronic morbidity and disability. The elderly population needing full time care is considered as equivalent to the percentage of severely disabled elderly, which in turn is estimated to be 5% for the 65–69 year-old age group, 10% for the 70–79 age group, and 30% for the 80 and over age group [2]; this population can sum up to ten million people in the EU 25 area [3]. The care of chronic and disabled patients involves life long treatment under continuous expert supervision. Moreover, healthcare professionals and patients agree that institutionalization in hospitals or residential facilities may be unnecessary and even counterproductive. Home Care (HC) has been considered as a fundamental component of a network of long term care facilities, capable of reducing institutionalization, expenses and risk of death. The objective of an effective HC has the direct social implication of helping people partially or completely dependent to live in their environment as long as possible, and to contrast the improper use of institutionalization. It has to be considered that the care of the HC Patient (HCP) is particularly complex because of the growing number of people in such circumstances, because of the great amount of resources required to guarantee a quality long-term assistance, and because the typical HCP is an elderly patient, with co-morbid conditions and diseases, cognitive and/or physical impairment, functional loss from multiple disabilities, and impaired self-dependency.