TeReS is looking for caregiving relatives to test the app Find support – easily from home

Oberbergischer Kreis. Do you care for your partner at home, organize a walker for your mother, or support a close person in everyday life? Then you are needed: The TeReS app is currently being tested in the Oberbergischer Kreis. The research project is seeking additional caregivers and individuals who support others in their home environment. Your experiences will help determine how digital support should be designed to truly assist in daily life.

TeReS has been tested in practice for eight weeks. Feedback for the scientific accompanying study is being sought until November 13, 2026. It doesn’t matter whether someone handles caregiving alone, shares responsibilities with others, or primarily supports daily tasks, organizes appointments, and aids in decision-making.

TeReS offers digital access to senior and caregiving advisory services. Through the app, users can describe their current situation and learn which support and relief options might fit their individual circumstances. The service can be used anonymously and without an appointment. Filling out the questions takes about 15 minutes. The information is then forwarded to the appropriate advisory office.

Most people in need of care are cared for at home—primarily by relatives. For them, caregiving often involves significant time, physical, and psychological burdens. TeReS aims to help identify suitable assistance early and simplify paths to relief.

Digital technology supports counseling—personal advice remains indispensable

The project examines whether and how digital technologies can expand the capacities of senior and caregiving advisory services and facilitate access to assistance. TeReS combines an app for those seeking advice with a digital counseling tool that supports professionals in processing inquiries. The project also explores how AI functions can help process inquiries faster and promote digital knowledge management.

Personal counseling remains indispensable: All inquiries are still handled by advisors. Digital technologies are intended to support professionals, not replace them.

A prototype that grows with users' experiences

TeReS is in the pilot phase. The goal is to determine how a digital offering should be designed to be understandable, practical, and helpful. Is the app easy to use? Do the questions and recommendations match users' personal situations? Does the digital access simplify the path to appropriate support?

“We want to further develop TeReS together with the people for whom the app is intended. For this, we need your support: Try out the app and share your experiences with us. Every piece of feedback helps us understand what already works with the app, where hurdles arise, and how the offering can be better tailored to needs,” says Christine Prinz, professional coordinator of senior and caregiving advisory services in the Oberbergischer Kreis. “The app can be used throughout the Oberbergischer Kreis, and inquiries are processed by the three participating advisory offices in Bergneustadt, Gummersbach, and Lindlar.”

The trial in the Oberbergischer Kreis is accompanied by the Gesundheitsregion KölnBonn e.V. TeReS is also being tested in the city of Cologne in the Rodenkirchen district. The scientific evaluation is conducted by the Institute for Nursing Science at the University

of Cologne. The system was developed in collaboration with the gewi-Institute for Health Economics e.V. and NursIT Institute GmbH.

TeReS stands for technology-supported regional care community. The research project runs until June 2027 and is funded by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia with funds from the EFRE/JTF program NRW as part of the call for funding “Gesünder.IN.NRW.”

Further information at www.teres.care