Dutch Red Cross Heralds Project to Address Isolation of the Physically Handicapped
Booz Allen partners with the organization to determine the feasibility of an ambitious nationwide program in the Netherlands.
For years, Booz Allen Hamilton has worked with the International Red Cross in its efforts to deliver social care and disaster relief. Now the firm's Amsterdam team has partnered again with the Dutch Red Cross on a new, innovative program that could reduce social isolation for people with limited mobility.
Called "Guardian Angel," the program would provide subscribers with an alarm device they could activate anywhere in the country in case of an emergency. It would link subscribers with a professional help center that would allocate calls through triage, with medical emergencies routed to local emergency support teams and other calls handled by Red Cross volunteers.
A team comprised of Booz Allen senior associates Alexander Van Boetzelaer and Jan Stroeve, associate Arno Flier, and managing partner Marco Kesteloo partnered with the Dutch Red Cross when the project was only an idea. Their initial step was to create a project plan and feasibility study. "We had to structure our thinking to provide a business perspective to the idea, determine its practicality, and show how it could be taken from the drawing board to execution," says Van Boetzelaer.
The project is targeted to individuals with physical handicaps or mobility issues whose family or friends are not routinely available to assist them. The Red Cross was concerned not as much with the limited mobility of these individuals, but with the loneliness that often results from their self-imposed isolation. Although most locations and transportation facilities in the Netherlands are accessible to the disabled, their concerns about personal safety can outweigh their interest in interacting with society.
Says Van Boetzelaer, "They may be afraid to leave the security of their homes because of the real possibilities of becoming stranded or injured by accidents such as losing their balance, missing a train connection, or having a flat tire on their wheelchair." Guardian Angel would provide reassurance to subscribers that there would always be a network of support available to help them, and—because of this assurance—subscribers would leave their houses more frequently, reducing their isolation.
A Network of Support in a Portable Device
Worn on the body, the Guardian Angel device contains a GPS system that would be activated when the subscriber pressed an alarm button. A central call center, which would operate 24/7, could pinpoint that person's location as well as access his or her medical records. The call center would then provide one of three "levels" of help: Assistance over the phone; locating and dispatching the nearest Red Cross volunteer; or contacting local emergency services to send an ambulance or other medical assistance.
After carefully assessing the project's scope, Booz Allen found that the greatest challenge would be finding and training the 12,000 volunteers necessary to provide national coverage and immediate response, whenever or wherever they're called. The study showed that the initial plan was highly complex from both a business and practical perspective, and the size of the population served was relatively small in relation to the number of volunteers required.
In addition, Booz Allen found that if the Dutch Red Cross attempted to implement the project on such a large scale and failed, the non-profit's reputation could be at risk.
Currently, the Dutch Red Cross is assessing its options. A possible outcome may be to implement a vastly scaled-down version of the project in just one city—Rotterdam—and gradually expand the program over time. Although initial cost estimates are 2 million euros, Booz Allen found that project funding should not be a problem.
Booz Allen's Broader Involvement
The work with Guardian Angel is an example of Booz Allen's broader history of involvement with the Red Cross. The firm supported the Red Cross in its tsunami relief efforts and has worked with the American Red Cross in Washington, D.C. and Red Cross Blood Services unit in Finland. "The Guardian Angel project underscores Booz Allen's commitment to community services," says Kesteloo.
Flier adds, "Guardian Angel has been an inspiring experience—an environment in which added value is rated in terms of improvement in quality of life."
Supported by 960,000 contributing members and 34,000 volunteers, the Dutch Red Cross is among the largest volunteer organizations in the Netherlands.
story posted January 19, 2006
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