The REACTION project promotes the concept of a domestic support network for senior citizens, via a “community-based support” system.

The specific goals of the project are:

• trialling of a joint Italian-Swiss model aimed at strengthening the support system via the use of technology
• development of a shared system of territorial governance and diffusion of services also in outlying locations

The project target market are senior citizens over the age of 65, caregivers and Family and Community Nurses (IFeCs) operating in the municipalities of the healthcare clinic of Santhià, southern suburbs and urban centre of Novara, in the Italian sector, and in the districts of Locarno and Vallemaggia in the Swiss sector.

Beginning with an analysis of the local context carried out jointly by the partners and stakeholders, it will be possible to establish a layered model of social-health needs with appropriate action strategies (common to both sides of the border) that involve IFeCs in a coordination role. To support the implementation of shared working methods between the IFeCs, a training path will be designed and supplied as part of health education. Updating of skills, a shared definition of assessment tools, and the support of new technologies at the home of the senior citizen, will all have a positive impact on the individual and family capacity for self-management.

Italian Coordinator: Università del Piemonte Orientale – Department of DIMET                                                                                                                                  Swiss Coordinator: ALVAD - Associazione Locarnese e Valmaggese di Assistenza e cura a Domicilio
Partners: Local Health Authority of Novara, Local Health Authority of Vercelli
External Partner Università degli Studi of Turin

Work Package WP1 – Coordination and Management
The activity of WP1 is aimed at guaranteeing the correct technical and administrative coordination and management of crossborder activity, through a series of integrated and recursive phases, which involve all the partners.

Task leader: Università del Piemonte Orientale

Work Package WP2 – Communication
The WP2 is designed to plan the Project communication in accordance with the “Guidelines for information and communication”. All the partners will participate in the communication activity, under the supervision of the Italian task leader (responsible for communication of the entire partnership)
Task leaders: Università del Piemonte Orientale and the Local Health Authority of Novara

Work Package WP3 – Analysis of the territorial context and definition of action plans
The WP3 comprises various stages:

• the first stage involves the adoption of a shared methodology for data collection on social-health needs of vulnerable older people, of the services provided by partners in the field of this project, and of services or projects already activated in the life contexts of senior citizens living in their own homes
• the second stage regards the aforesaid data collection in territorial contexts involved in the REACTION project
• the third stage involves the analysis of this data by the Università del Piemonte Orientale, which will compare the different territorial situations, integrating the data with that already collected in the preliminary planning stage.

Task leaders: Local Health Authority of Vercelli and Università del Piemonte Orientale

Work Package WP4 – Implementation of experimental studies
This WP is dedicated to implementation of the experimental studies. Experimental interventions are previously-identified action plans, supported by the development of a network and application of technological devices.
Three main stages are involved:

1. the activation of training courses for Family and Community Nurses (IFeCs) working on both sides of the border
2. development of a network, an essential factor for the success of the project and a tool for intercepting and responding promptly to conditions of vulnerability that could accelerate the senior citizen’s autonomy/quality of life, or herald chronic conditions/disability
3. implementation of new technologies

Task leader: ALVAD

Work Package WP5 – Project Evaluation
The project evaluation is concerned with two aspects: the process and impact.
Evaluation of the process regards the working group: respect for deadlines, initial objectives established in the planning stage, and the achievement of results by partners, in order to identify problems and positive factors that can help improve the project.
The evaluation of impact and sustainability is performed to measure the results of REACTION, allowing the partners to reflect on the transferibility and sustainability over time of the Project, understand the effects of programmed actions on all those involved and their key roles, and draw conclusions that can be applied in general terms to other target groups.
Task leader: Università degli Studi di Torino