The Thessaloniki Active & Healthy Ageing Living Lab (Thess-AHALL) and the Assistive Technologies and Silver Science (ASOSS) Research Group of the AUTH Medical Physics Laboratory are trying to mitigate the impact of the CoVid-19 pandemic on the social life and mental health of older adult members (60+ y.o.) of Lab’s “Collaboration & Research Community for the Independent Living”, introducing a series of in-person phone calls and group phone sessions (the so-called “eCoffee” sessions).
The aim of this initiative is two-fold: one the one hand to maintain a regular communication with Community’s members, so as to identify possible needs and concerns of older adults due to the CoVid-19 era, providing support and advice, whenever is needed, and on the other hand to keep the “bonds” of the Community strong, bringing all of its members together, even virtually, to share their experiences, everyday routine tips and self-care advice, during the pandemic period.
The Collaboration & Research Community for the Independent Living has been built upon the mutual trust, the sincere human interest and the strong collaboration and support among its members and the research team. In addition, this is the “secret sauce” of Community’s sustainability and continuous growth. Currently, it counts more than 70 active older adult members, a number that expands more and more from time to time.
To manage the Community and its online gathering more effectively, the Thess-AHALL and the ASOSS Research Group have speeded up the release of the first version of Lab’s Panel Management Tool; an initiative that has started a couple of months before the CoVid19 period to meet the communication and stakeholders’ management needs of the Living Lab and AUTH MedPhys Lab. The first testing of the Tool under real circumstances and its first official release during the pandemic period have been proven a valuable asset for Lab’s researchers to contact and handle the different needs and communications with older adults, as well as to organize flexible group phone sessions on Skype or Viber (up to 7-8 people each) and to face older adults' low level of digital skills and absence of related equipment at home (smartphones, cameras, laptop).
Soon, the Panel Management Tool will be available for testing and review to interested affiliations. So, if you would like to learn more and be part of it, having a free of cost trial within your organization and your network, please, contact us at: thessahall@gmail.com.
Research Group: Assistive Technologies and Silver Science (ASOSS)
Funder: SISCODE H2020 project resources and self-funded
Type of Partner: Leader