An €8.7million cross-border project has been launched, which is designed to enable older people with long term conditions (LTCs) to take the steps needed to live well, safely and independently in their own homes.
Of the €8.7 million, €3.5 million has been allocated to the border counties of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. This allocation to the border areas has been secured by the Co-operation and Working Together (CAWT) Health and Social Care Partnership and the project partners which are the HSE, the Southern Health and Social Care Trust, Western Health and Social Care Trust, Public Health Agency (NI) and the Health and Social Care Board (NI)
Funded by the European Union’s INTERREG VA Programme and managed by the Special EU Programmes Body, ‘mPower’ aims to empower patients to take control of their conditions at home by using technology, while simultaneously freeing up GPs and other healthcare professionals so that they can treat more people.
Damien McCallion, National Director Emergency Management, National Ambulance Service and Director General of CAWT said: “The HSE is delighted to be a partner in the mPower project, along with partners in Northern Ireland and Scotland. This project will utilise both innovative technology and social support to enable our older citizens to manage their health and wellbeing in their own communities and homes. This project complements and supports the direction of the health services. It is about supporting people who are living longer, often with long-term health conditions to be able to remain at home and connected to their community for as long as possible.”
The project will be implemented by the HSE in Donegal via the Finn Valley Primary Care Team and in Leitrim via the South Leitrim Primary Care Team. The HSE will also be delivering the project in the Dundalk area linking to Carrickmacross/ Castleblayney.
From late 2017 to December 2021, mPower ‘Community Navigators’ will be employed to work with people referred from health and care services to develop wellbeing plans connecting them to activities in their community as well as to new technology to enhance support for health and wellbeing. Over the course of the project, mPower will support a total of 2,500 people through the development of wellbeing plans, and a total of 4,500 people through technology / eHealth interventions.
