Foreword
The journey towards smart technology for seniors
Ageing in a healthy and enjoyable way. Who doesn’t want that? Actively taking part in society, enjoying a vibrant social life, living independently and receiving the care and support you need when necessary. In brief, maintaining a good quality of life, regardless of mental or physical limitations. So how can we as a society find appropriate answers to these wishes and needs of seniors?
Technology can help us out
Some of the answers lie in smart technology that helps people to remain independent and retain control over their lives. And more importantly: that helps them to stay in contact with each other. In the international programme Active & Assisted Living (AAL) many companies and organisations are developing ICT solutions to increase senior’s quality of life and independence. This is all done in close collaboration with older people and their informal carers. ZonMw is responsible for the Dutch contribution to in AAL.
Smart solutions
Since 2008, AAL has been a lively breeding ground for digital innovations, and the last projects took off in 2021. A total of 107 projects involving Dutch partners have received funding. Several AAL projects have already resulted in practical products or solutions used by seniors, informal carers, professionals and the volunteers supporting them. These smart solutions only have an added value when they are implemented in practice. Sometimes that happens in follow-up projects or as part of a new solution. In other cases, projects mainly yield important lessons about the things you shouldn’t do.
Insights from 5 journeys
The smart solutions developed within the AAL Programme are practical and concrete results. However, the journey towards those solutions also contains many valuable lessons and experiences. As a well-known saying puts it: ‘It’s not the destination, it’s the journey that matters.’ With that in mind, this publication contains 5 travelogues from innovators involved in the AAL Programme who have acquired a wealth of experiences and insights. Each travelogue takes you along 4 stages of an innovation:
- Acquiring ideas
- Exploring opportunities
- Developing and experimenting
- Actual use in practice.
Get inspired
Read these stories to discover which insights the innovators acquired during their journeys from an idea for a smart digital solution to its use in practice. Let yourself be inspired by their experiences, lessons and tips, as well as their bloopers. Look over these voyagers’ shoulders to discover where pitfalls might be. Several projects will continue their journey in the coming years. So we will regularly update this e-magazine with new experiences. We hope these journeys will inspire you!
Do you want to know more or get started yourself?
Would you like to contact one of the innovators after reading their story? Or do you have interesting insights about technology for seniors? Please contact us via aal@zonmw.nl. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this subject. More information about smart solutions from the AAL programme can be found in the AAL inspiration magazine ‘Practical experiences with ICT solutions for older people’ [only available in Dutch].