In five virtual teams, the students devoted themselves to the following topics from the field of outpatient care: "Digitalisation in the care landscape"; "Counselling interviews in outpatient care"; "Training rate in care", "Personnel recruitment in times of shortage of skilled workers" and "Intergenerational management culture". The students were supervised by Prof. Dr. Daniel Schallmo and Prof. Dr. Sylvia Schafmeister. A method of Applied Design Thinking developed by Prof. Schallmo was used, which is also used in industry and the service sector. The method is based on a process model with seven phases, which enable the development of customer and user-oriented solutions. "An open eye for the actual needs of people in need of care and their relatives and the creative methodology led to new problem solutions for the very specific care situations. A real enrichment and great achievement by the students", says Prof. Schafmeister.
"Valuable and practical results" for nursing
The solutions developed include: a social media concept, including samples for recruiting new trainees; an innovative and integrative trial work concept for future professionals; an approach to putting together care services by those in need of care and their relatives; a concept for dealing specifically with employees' concerns; and a concept for a laboratory to test new technologies and products with those in need of care and employees.
For illerSENIO (opens in a new window)'s project manager, Karolin Lotz, Head of Outpatient Services, the project with the Neu-Ulm University of Applied Sciences was a complete success: "I am still fascinated by how the students managed to produce such valuable and practical results within just a few days. We are very pleased about innovative and modern approaches to solutions for our customers and our colleagues in nursing".
All solution models were presented by illerSENIO to the participants, who were then able to ask questions. Due to the current situation, the event was conducted 100% online. "The special feature for us was to ensure smooth communication and cooperation between all those involved - I am very pleased with both the commitment of the students and the solutions developed", says Prof. Schallmo.
Interdisciplinary cooperation
"Working in an interdisciplinary team with students from the health care sector has not only enriched my knowledge in this field enormously, but also showed me how much one can benefit from each other in mixed teams. We all started the week with completely different levels of prior knowledge and almost completed it as experts. Design Thinking was the optimal method to combine the existing competences in the team and to integrate them into our results in an optimal way", says Gina Weiß, student of information management and corporate communication.
About the Caritas Association Illertissen
Started over 50 years ago in Vöhringen as a pioneer in the care of the elderly, the Caritas Association Illertissen, with around 500 employees and its two brands illerSENIO (opens in a new window) and illerGASTRO, is now a permanent fixture in the care landscape of the Ulm/Neu-Ulm region. Two nursing homes, soon to be six day-care facilities and five social centres, form the basis for many supplementary services relating to getting older and living in old age. Here too, the Caritas association has become a supra-regional innovator in the design and realisation of residential quarters especially for senior citizens.
Contact us: Prof. Dr Daniel Schallmo, Prof. Dr Sylvia Schafmeister, Prof. Dr Klaus Lang
