This partnership has contributed to transfer knowledge on innovative solutions for Active and Healthy Ageing between both regions.

In 2019, the Basque Country was  awarded a Reference Sites with four stars and was also granted the “recognition of excellence” by the European

Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (EIP on AHA). The European Commission (EC) highlights the efforts of the Basque Country to promote regional innovation for active and healthy ageing, improve the quality of life of the ageing population, enhance the provision of healthcare and social care services and the boost financial growth and competitiveness.

The EC, through EIP on AHA, also launched in 2019 a call to support Twinning initiatives between regions distinguished as Reference Sites. Kronikgune, which represents the Basque Country, has been granted funds to twin with Andalusia, which is also a four-star Reference Site. The Basque Country was responsible for sharing the innovative experiences and solutions that encourage the coordination of the healthcare system and social sector.

On 28 and 29 November, a delegation of the Department of Healthcare and Families and the Department of Equality, Social Policies and Work-Life Balance of the Andalusian Government visited Bilbao. The purpose of this visit was to learn about the social and health care coordination of the Basque Country and, specifically, the tools and activities that have been developed.

The Basque Government, through the Strategic Priorities of Social care and Healthcare 2017-2020, showcases the importance of acting on medium and micro levels of the social and healthcare systems. It uses a comprehensive approach with a coordinated action that focuses on the social care and healthcare needs of people and their quality of life. The need to establish a common language between the health and social fields, and the possibility to develop a shared evaluation of these needs has resulted in the creation of InterRAI-CA tool, which is the acronym for Resident Assessment Instrument (in its Inter version), Contact Assessment, and other innovative solutions, such as Beti ON Telecare service or the access to the Electronic Health Record from Nursing Homes.

As an example, during the twinning the Basque Country presented InterRAI CA, an instrument for the screening of adults with social and healthcare needs that, through this evaluation, can provide a diagnosis of the situation and the social and healthcare needs of an individual. Spearheaded by the social and healthcare coordination of the Basque Country, the deployment of the instrument began in 2016 with a multidisciplinary approach destined to primary care and social services professionals (physicians, nurses and social workers, mainly).

InterRAI CA and other innovative solutions presented to the Andalusian Delegation aim to gather all the work of the professionals that intervene in the scope of social and healthcare. They also facilitate a shared diagnosis of individuals and allow defining a shared attention plans. Likewise, these tools help to bring together and increase interoperability between the social and healthcare systems focusing on a shared social and health background.

If you would like to learn more about the Twinning of regions, click here.