DigiCare4CE

 DigiCare4CE: Digital Transformation of Elderly care in central Europe

The DigiCare4CE project addresses the challenges posed by a rapidly aging population and the increasing demand for elderly care. It focuses on supporting the digital transformation of long-term care facilities by introducing innovative solutions that enhance the efficiency of caregiving staff and improve the overall quality of care.

The main objective of the project is to integrate digital technologies into operational workflows in healthcare and social care institutions. This enables healthcare professionals to dedicate more time to direct patient care rather than administrative tasks or routine procedures, ultimately improving both medical and psychosocial outcomes for patients.

The project brings together 10 organizations from 7 Central European countries (Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Slovenia, and Northern Italy) to jointly explore the potential of digital tools and strengthen innovation capacities in elderly care.

Participation of the COGSYS Team at CIIRC CTU

On the Czech side, the COGSYS team from the Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics at the Czech Technical University (CIIRC CTU) is actively involved (team members: Lenka Lhotská, Michal Huptych, Petr Novák, Vítězslav Mergl, and Jaroslav Cibulka – active until August 2025).

As part of the pilot initiative, a modular system consisting of three interconnected subsystems was successfully tested:

• A sensor system for monitoring movement and activity of elderly users,
• Cognitive games to support mental health and memory training,
• A social petbot, serving as an interactive companion aimed at reducing loneliness.

These technologies were piloted in a real-life environment at the Gerontology Centre in Prague, with a focus not only on technical performance but also on user acceptance by caregiving staff and the impact on their daily routines.

International Scope and Pilot Programs

DigiCare4CE includes seven pilot actions aimed at integrating digital solutions into client care in long-term care settings. These pilots fall into two categories:

• Deployment of advanced technologies in client care processes (e.g., intelligent sensor systems for detecting hazardous events and monitoring health status, virtual reality tools for therapeutic engagement),
• Digitalization of healthcare and social care documentation processes (e.g., mobile solutions for chronic wound documentation and treatment, digital workflows for rehabilitation).

The goal is to scale up technologies that not only relieve the workload of caregiving personnel but also enhance the quality of life for older adults.

Student Involvement Opportunity

The COGSYS team is seeking students interested in developing these technologies. If you’re passionate about the intersection of hardware and software and want to contribute to research with real-world impact, opportunities are available for bachelor’s and master’s theses, as well as semester and final-year projects.

Contact:
Assoc. Prof. Ing. Lenka Lhotská, CSc.
lhotska@cvut.cz

Stay Connected
Project updates and news can be found on the official website and LinkedIn:

 https://digicare4ce.eu/homepage
 DigiCare4CE – Interreg Central Europe on LinkedIn

Annotation:

Society is aging fast and taking care of the elderly is becoming a challenge. Digital solutions offer support to nursing staff but the potential of digitisation is still underused. The DigiCare4CE project promotes innovative solutions that improve care quality and develops a transnational strategy for the digital transformation of care facilities. The partnership tests the deployment of new technologies in pilot actions and elaborates action plans for their broader implementation.

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