New app in.kontakt” relieves the burden on caring relatives in the Rems-Murr district!

New app in.kontakt” relieves the burden on caring relatives in the Rems-Murr district!

On October 6, 2025, a regional conference took place in the Kernen community center, which was organized together with the Ministry of Social Affairs. The event was held under the motto “Caring Communities, Vibrant Neighborhoods” and attracted numerous interested parties. On this occasion, the new app “in.kontakt”, which is intended to support caring relatives, was presented. Participants such as Natascha Bobleter from Diakonie, Waltraud Bühl from the district senior council, Annalena Lindner from the Ministry of Social Affairs and District Administrator Richard Sigel met to discuss current challenges in care.

During the conference, District Administrator Richard Sigel emphasized the need for synergies and a long-term strategy to improve the care situation. A central point of the discussion was strengthening the role of carers, who are often faced with challenges. Planned projects, such as the care campus in Winnenden and modern residential areas for care and encounters, are intended to contribute to this. The shortage of skilled workers in nursing and the support of caring relatives were also intensively discussed.

The “in.kontakt” app creates new possibilities

The innovative app “in.kontakt”, developed by the association “wir Pflege e.V.”, aims to combat the isolation of caring relatives. This free app is now available in the App Store and Play Store and has been regionalized specifically for the Rems-Murr district. The possible uses are diverse: The app offers secure chat channels, private 1:1 chats and self-help groups. This means users can communicate with others in similar situations, exchange experiences or simply ask questions at any time and anywhere.

The need for this app is obvious, as caring for a relative often has a profound impact on everyday life. There is often little time for one's own hobbies and contact with friends, which leads to a feeling of isolation. This is underlined by the numerous positive feedback from users, who can find support in open chat sessions and private conversations. “in.kontakt” was also designed to be barrier-free and high in contrast to increase accessibility.

Development and outlook

The idea for the app came about as part of a model project called “Online Self-Help Initiatives (OSHI-PA)”, which was funded by the Federal Ministry of Health and the Techniker Krankenkasse. The project was evaluated by the Catholic University of North Rhine-Westphalia from the end of 2017 to the end of 2020. Building on this, the app was revised and implemented as part of the “Appack” project with the app developer vmapit. The newly designed app was presented to the public for the first time in 2023 and has been continuously improved and expanded since then.

The commitment to improving the care situation and supporting relatives remains an important concern, as the conference in Kernen impressively demonstrated. The “in.kontakt” app takes a digital, networked approach to relieve the burden on caring relatives in their often challenging everyday lives. For more information about the app and its features, see wir-pflegen.net.