Lend-a-Hand
What’s your idea?
A messaging tool for people needing support and care, or carers, so they can ask family, friends and neighbours at the same time for help with urgent tasks and unplanned events such as popping out to the shop or changing a light bulb.
The aim is to reduce the frustration and isolation people can feel by drawing on their offline relationships.
Based on an online account, it provides quick communication via SMS, email, twitter, with a trusted group of supporters. Supporters join by invitation only and a credits system covers costs.
Users could opt into micro volunteering or information and advice services.
What inspired you to come up with your idea in the first place?
The idea is inspired by my personal experience of caring for an older person and lending a hand to a carer. The tool is new in that it is based on existing offline networks and unlike other online communities for people with care needs and volunteering websites, there is no need to find time or learn to maintain an online presence or vet volunteers.
What can we do for you?
Mentor to guide the process to the pilot project stage at least.
Developers to create the software.
Funding expert with experience of partnership funding.
Technical partners to provide the infrastructure.
This idea was submitted by Catherine Macrae
This looks potentially interesting in that it removes the direct connection between request to fulfillment of request. It leaves a space for the respondee to make a decision to respond without direct contact with the person making the request. A feedback loop would be required so that the person responding to the request let others in the network know and lots of people did not turn up to do the task at the same time. It would also leave an audit trail of the number of requests made in general – this might potentially inhibit the person making the request and/or make it apparent to the full network just how much support was being requested and who was providing it.
Requests for hep may be more about requests for contact and the personal telephone contact element may be lost.
Hope this is helpful.
What an excellent idea! Really respects the independent nature of older people – well anyone who finds it difficult to ask for help! Presumably you could add or withdraw yourself from the system easily eg, if you are unable to help through illness, other commitments etc.
Think people would really appreciate this – a great way of being a good neighbour without being intrusive. I would use it!
Point above is good though – poor Mary will get a bit ticked off if 20 folk turn up at her door to change a lightbulb, as will person 20!!!
Good luck and let me know how you get on!
This would also be fantastic for people with fluctuating health conditions, who might usually be able to fend for themselves, but sometimes need help – even something as small as popping by with a loaf of bread and pint of milk would be a godsend sometimes, but as you don’t know all your friends and families plans you don’t know who is best placed to help.
Facebook messaging or similar might be one way of stopping 20 folk turning up – the person helping could reply to all, or the request maker could have a way of cancelling the request once someone has promised to fulfill it.
Good luck!