One Page Summary

CerQana improves autonomy and social inclusion of seniors and depending people, adapting any smartphone to their specific capabilities, and adding a set of new features that allows relatives or caregivers to check on their wellbeing remotely.

Society is more technology-dependent than ever, and technology has a huge potential to improve our lives. These statements are obvious for almost everyone. But what about those who cannot adapt to it? They are left behind.

CerQana has two main goals: improve technological inclusion of seniors and people with disabilities that are left behind because they cannot adapt to technology, empowering them and allowing them to be an active part of their communities, and connecting relatives; and allow them to be more independent, while being safe and able to ask for help when needed, or even automatically when they are at risk.

CerQana allows anybody to use a regular smartphone, adapting it to their specific capabilities, so it gives access to the same technology everyone is used to. User is immediately empowered, as it becomes an active part of the community, and is connected with their relatives, who can also check on their wellbeing remotely. And thanks to this technology, CerQana turns the smartphone into a powerful tool to improve the current care assistance solutions, providing intelligence and data analysis.

We have the strong opinion that if we really want to achieve social inclusion and equality, we must help those who connot use technology to access to it, not create any special technologies for them.

CerQana was born as a personal project due to a personal experience, and became an actual startup when some social entities show their interest in contribute and use the platform. We have worked since the beginning with all the stakeholders involved: social entities' managing staff, social workers, families, seniors and dependent people; as they are who know what is actually helpful. So CerQana was initially designed following their directives.

The platform is already working in Spain, where it is helping two different collectives: seniors and young people with cognitive or intellectual disabilities. CerQana helps seniors to access to a regular smartphone, allowing them to be always connected with their relatives, but also safe, as CerQana notifies the proper person in case any situation is detected. This way, seniors can delay or even avoid the need of entering a nursing home. CerQana also helps young people with disabilities, mainly people with autism and Down syndrome. Giving a teenager a smartphone, just as the ones any other child uses, has a huge inclusive value. But CerQana also helps them to prepare for adult life, and to enter the job market. With CerQana they can be more independent, as relatives or caregivers can monitor remotely their wellbeing.