Social Cooperative Enterprise of Collective and Social Benefit (OIKANOS)

OIKANOS Social Cooperative Enterprise (KOINSEP) was founded in 2017 and is based in Heraklion, Crete, active in the field of social care and home nursing. It is the only organization in Crete that provides free psychosocial care and home nursing services to vulnerable groups in their familiar natural and family environment, based on an advanced and person-centered care model. More than 1,500 home visits are conducted monthly, serving over 380 beneficiaries in the city of Heraklion and 26 remote villages in the Heraklion region. OIKANOS collaborates with more than 15 Civil Society organizations across Greece that are active in home nursing. This collaboration enhances the geographic and technical scope, as well as the quality of the organization's actions, and allows the exchange of knowledge and best practices in the field of home care and support. Additionally, OIKANOS is a founding member of the Hellenic Association of Nursing Companies (ELEKON), with its President serving as the General Secretary. The Association, which consists of 35 registered home nursing companies nationwide, plays a pivotal role in shaping policies and procedures related to home nursing at every level (individual, social, logistical, administrative). OIKANOS' interdisciplinary staff includes social workers, psychologists, nurses, and other healthcare professionals, as well as specialized scientists in the field of sustainable development. They are continually trained and educated on social and environmental issues, ensuring that the services provided are always modern, safe, and adapted to the evolving needs of our beneficiaries. OIKANOS is also the name of the modern care, counseling, and solidarity network that responds promptly, with empathy, respect, and professionalism to the needs of vulnerable groups and their families The vision of Oikanos is independent and dignified living for all. Its mission is to create a flexible and inclusive society that meets the needs of vulnerable groups. Its goal is to provide high-quality services in the field of social care for the elderly, children, people with disabilities, patients with chronic illnesses, and generally people from vulnerable groups who need support and relief, offering effective person-centered care. It aims to provide the opportunity for dignified living and approach to their individual needs without unnecessarily displacing them from their familiar environment, and emphasizes sustainable development, with a different approach to providing social care and health services. For this reason, it develops partnerships, invests in new services and human resources, thus enhancing its continuous evolution and development. An area that enhances the organization's overall experience and quality of services is its participation in European Union-funded projects. Specifically, OIKANOS participated as a partner in the Erasmus+ (small scale) project "HealthCare 4.0" about migrant integration through enriched CLIL, with ID 2020-1-DE02-KA. The project took place from 2020 to 2021, with a budget of €28,885 (Coordinator: Europcare GmbH). After the successful implementation of this project, in cooperation with the consortium we were able to upgrade and develop the project to a "cooperation partnership" scale, the KA220-VET project "HealthCare 4.0 goes mobile" with ID 2021-1-DE02-KA220-VET-A25D829A. The project took place from 2021 to 2024, with a budget of €290,739 (Coordinator: Europcare GmbH). A key outcome and deliverable of the program was the creation of a free app in three languages (Greek, English, and German) for the training and psychosocial support of formal and primarily informal caregivers (mainly from foreign countries). This project gave the organization another opportunity to engage with its beneficiaries and understand their needs. This process was a vital part of the project, as the co-development of educational material by the interdisciplinary staff of the partners and OIKANOS' beneficiaries was essential for achieving the best possible results. Through the European Twinning program "CogniLearn," with Grant Agreement Number: and a budget of €8,000, OIKANOS staff were trained in the digital program RememberMe. This is a program designed for understanding, recording, and addressing cognitive decline. RememberMe provides the capability to assess a patient's cognitive status and monitor their progress through a series of specialized tests, quizzes, and games. Coupled with the fact that OIKANOS is the only organization providing home care services across Crete, a partnership was formed with the "Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association of Heraklion - Allileggie (Solidarity)," whereby beneficiaries showing signs of cognitive decline are referred by their relatives to the "Allileggie " organization.