The Companion
The Companion Project is a unique, innovative, imaginitive means of ensuring digitally excluded older people are socially included into a modern e-city world.
The Companion provides their shopping, monitors their care, mobility and medications, communicates with family and friends, screens their visitors at the front-door by means of a ready-to-use tracking system, an essential and exciting appliance for all housebound, isolated citizens.
This project initiates an entirely novel approach to a major social challenge of caring for our ageing population and one that with greater resources could be expanded through a variety of e-networks. A preliminary survey around the UK exposed a national concern to identify how to help the housebound older citizen with their shopping when their independence is becoming seriously threatened.
The Companion Project was started by a small charity, the Dolphin Society founded in 1749 to provide support for the elderly, disabled and disadvantaged living in Bristol. For over 250 years this Society has held an annual appeal to raise funds from local citizens to continue their work helping people remain safely living in their own homes. The Project evolved through interactive collaboration with Professor Heinz Wolff at Brunel University, Professor James Barlow at Imperial College London, Bristol City Council and Somerfield plc.
The Companion connects Bristolians through the digital world of wireless broadband communication and has the potential to send and receive any type of information. This small black box should become a routine item of equipment in the home of all older people, particulary those intimidated or unable to cope with computer keyboards. Its development is still evolving but the Dolphin Society as a small charity does not have the resources to explore all its possible contributions in an e-city environment.
For more information contact Mary Breeze, Bristol City Council
Mary_breeze@bristol-city.gov.uk, Tel 0117 9037012
