Sla, in Liguria Aisla and the Nemo center bring home assistance

Thanks to telemonitoring which will allow constant monitoring of their health directly at home, a new era begins for people with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) living in Liguria. The service is promoted and financed by Aisla, the Italian Association of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Genoa-La Spezia section, in collaboration with the Nemo Clinical Center of Arenzano and the territorial service departments of ASL 3 and 4.

For the first 10 families involved, the introduction of remote monitoring – provided with the Nia system, designed by the Nemolab technological center in Milan, a true revolution in home care – represents a real relief, guaranteeing them continuous support throughout the disease path. “These are the moments that give meaning to the volunteering of all of us – says Anna Cecalupo, president of the Ligurian section of Aisla, visibly moved – Mine has lasted for 15 years now, that is, since the death of my husband suffering from ALS”. The delivery of the devices, one of the most touching moments – we read in a note – was held in the presence of Lorenza Rosso, Councilor for Social Services, Family and Disability of the City of Genoa, in the prestigious Representative Hall of Palazzo Tursi. An exceptional testimonial of great importance for the association and for the entire city was Benedetta Signorini, daughter of Gianluca, the eternal captain of Genoa who died prematurely due to ALS at just 42 years old.

The Nia (Neurodegenerative Innovative Assistance) system, as explained by Fabrizio Rao, clinical director of the Nemo Center in Arenzano, uses a smartwatch to monitor patients. Once the vital, movement and energy expenditure data has been collected, it sends them to an application installed on the patient’s or caregiver’s smartphone, allowing an accurate evaluation of the parameters for disease management, including those relating to mood. Furthermore, a control panel, dedicated to doctors, provides detailed information on patients’ clinical changes using an artificial intelligence engine that identifies any need for greater attention.

According to Giambattista Bonanno, pharmacologist and treasurer of Aisla Genoa-La Spezia, a promising experimental health care service has been introduced. The system developed by Nemolab, the technological hub specialized in the development of high-tech innovation projects for neuromuscular and neurodegenerative diseases, is highly sophisticated and promises to bring significant improvements in the lives of patients, as well as alleviating the care burden for the regional health system. The presence of the representatives of Local Health Authorities 3 and 4, Maura Marogna and Cinzia Maranzana, underlines this message, together with the importance of the care work carried out daily by the Gigi Ghirotti Foundation in the area.

The NIA, therefore, aims to improve the standards of care for patients and according to Claudia Telli, responsible for socio-health policies of the Liguria region, the project will be able to promote local socio-health services and the continuity of the path from hospitalization to home care as expected from the concept of ‘community system’ through an innovative healthcare model, which gives continuity to care even remotely, reducing the pressure on hospital structures.