Dutch company HelpSoq is helping people regain independence with its electric donning aid for compression stockings. In early 2025, the solution began a pilot at a healthcare institution in Denmark as part of the ACE pilot support programme.
As Europe’s population ages, technologies that support daily care routines are becoming increasingly vital. For many older adults, compression therapy is a necessary part of life - but putting on compression stockings can be physically demanding and often requires assistance. HelpSoq offers a more dignified and efficient alternative: a user-friendly electric device that enables people to put on their stockings independently, while also reducing the strain on healthcare workers.
Now, thanks to a connection made through the ACE project, HelpSoq is piloting its solution outside the Netherlands for the first time. We spoke with HelpSoq founder Harpert Wouters to learn more about the inspiration behind the technology, the challenges of expanding into new healthcare systems, and the impact they hope to achieve through the ACE project.
Can you briefly introduce HelpSoq and explain how your technology works?
HW: The HelpSoq is an electric donning aid that, together with the “arm extender”, enables users to put on compression stockings independently, minimising physical strain. It works using a unique, patented system that rolls the stocking onto a specially designed ring. The way the stocking is positioned on the ring, combined with the ring’s design, allows for an easy, “first-time-right” application onto the leg.
Your solution is being tested in a healthcare institution in Denmark through a match made by the ACE project. How did this collaboration come about?
HW: We were approached by Tessa from the Care Innovation Center (CIC) West Brabant in the Netherlands, who asked if we would be interested in doing a project in Denmark. Of course, we said yes.
What impact do you hope to achieve with your solution, and how is the ACE project supporting this ambition?
HW: First of all, we want to improve the lives of all TES users and the care professionals around them. In the Netherlands, we already help avoid approximately 450,000 yearly visits by healthcare workers. This not only reduces pressure on the healthcare system but also represents 450,000 days where people retain control over their own lives.
Next to that, the HelpSoq also supports healthcare workers who need to assist people in putting on their stockings, by reducing the time and physical effort involved.
The ACE project allows us to take our first steps outside the Netherlands and therefore improve more lives.
What inspired you to develop HelpSoq?
HW: When my father was prescribed compression therapy, he really struggled with the donning aids that were available. But he was determined not to give up his independence. Seeing him go through that made me realise just how much of an impact losing independence can have on someone’s life. And he wasn’t the only one, I found that many others were facing the same challenges. That’s what motivated me to bring together a team and start developing a better solution.
What have been the biggest challenges in introducing your solution into a foreign healthcare system?
HW:Although countries struggle with similar challenges, like ageing populations and pressure on healthcare workers, it is an ongoing process to really understand how the patient-centred system works in each country. Financing, distribution, training, communication, and (informal) care all vary, so a (technical) detail may be an issue in one country, and not at all in another.
In the end, all parts of the system need to align in order for an introduction to be successful, and the challenges can differ entirely from country to country.
Would you recommend the ACE project to other companies or innovative care stakeholders? If so, why? What value has it brought to you so far?
HW: Yes. It brings parties together who otherwise might not meet. I also really like the cooperation. It doesn’t have to be perfect from the start. We can learn together, see what works and what doesn’t, and then prepare for a broader implementation. Of course, we also trust this will lead to new opportunities with other stakeholders in the ACE network.