TeReS digital support app begins pilot for caregivers in Germany's Oberbergischer Kreis

The TeReS digital support system for caring relatives will be piloted from 27 July 2026 in the Oberbergischer Kreis, North Rhine‑Westphalia. The system combines a mobile app for relatives with an AI‑assisted counselling tool used by senior‑care advisory offices. Initially the advisory offices in Bergneustadt, Gummersbach and Lindlar will take part, but all residents of the district’s 13 towns and municipalities can access the app.

Users record their current care situation in the app and receive suggestions for suitable assistance. The data are transmitted anonymously to the participating advisory offices, where the tool helps staff structure needs and recommend regional support services while personal counselling remains central. "Digital technologies cannot replace personal advice, but they can complement it," said Christine Prinz, coordinator of the senior‑care advisory offices. Martina Thelen, head of the Gesundheitsregion Köln‑Bonn e.V., highlighted the district’s strong advisory network and its long‑standing membership in the project association since 2009.

The initiative responds to demographic change and the fact that about 87 % of the 1.39 million care‑dependent people in NRW are cared for at home, often by family members who face significant physical, psychological and time‑related burdens.