Space assets for tackling social isolation and loneliness

In Europe, around 75 million people are socially isolated. The ESA-coordinated Assure project using GNSS seeks to link people suffering from social isolation and loneliness closer to their care network in order to reduce the physical and mental effects of chronic social isolation.

Source: European Union

The Assure service aims at tackling the physical and mental effects for chronic social isolation and loneliness by facilitating the link between the sufferer and their care network, especially amongst the elderly, through the use of GNSS so that if someone becomes excessively house-bound, help can be more easily offered. The target community for Assure are those users who have an elderly relative or friend who is not close by and for whom they are concern that they are socially isolated and suffering the effects of loneliness. Assure is reliant on GNSS coverage to determine if the person being cared for has left a geo-fenced area for a set period of time – indicating potential social isolation. As a person’s life can be dynamic, GNSS data will enable this geo-fence/time limit to be altered dynamically to account for changes in circumstances and routine.