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Potentials of the European Silver Economy

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We have successfully closed the first project phase of “Potentials of the European Silver Economy” with 95 ideas, 698 participants, 119 comments and 273 votes. We'd like to thank all participants for taking the time and contributing to our online ideation!

In a next step we validated these results with participants. These results are archived here. Please also visit our project website.

If you have any questions or feedback, please contact the Silver Economy study team at: silver-economy(at)technopolis-group.com

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Author: RIN Healthy Ageing Date: 10 October 2016

BACKGROUND

Many older people living alone, especially in rural areas, are faced with insufficient medical and care services. The growing number of old and very old people as well as the increase of chronic diseases and multimorbidity with increasing life expectancy poses considerable challenges to the health and care system. Additionally, reduced mobility and geographical distance to family members increase the problem of social isolation.

The utilization of smart devices by elderly is still confronted with a lack of understanding. Compared with this younger people, called the “digital natives”, don’t have any fear of contact with technical devices. To face the inexperience of the older generation a one-time consultation or a temporary course aren’t appropriate and sustainable and are costly and laborious. Bringing together the young and the older generation creates a first-level-support in a trustful learning environment. This enables older people to find new opportunities of social participation through the use of technology.

The „Regional Innovation Network ‚Healthy Ageing‘" aims to establish a basis for the practical applicability of smart-(care)-devices by not technically-skilled seniors. These capabilities shall in the long term be expanded to the use of digital health care solutions (telemedicine concepts) to ensure additional options for medical treatments, care and participation.

Therefore, in cooperation with a mobile service provider, tablet computers shall be given to seniors living alone, identified by outpatient care services. Pupils shall be engaged through regional education bureaus in schools and act as a tandem partner to support and guide the seniors in using tablet computers.

ICT: Information and communication technologies (ICT), in this case tablet computers, play a key role in this project approach. They are the central element for the implementation strategy and the basis of the Senior-Student-Alliance.

How could policy makers help to scale-up your idea across Europe? (optional)
IMPACT ON EMPLOYMENT Connecting seniors and pupils could lead to a trustworthy and cost-effective solution for the use of smart-(care-)devices by elderly. In the long term, the implementation, use and upkeep of smart home und smart nursing concepts by older people living alone could represent a breakthrough in this market.
Do you have examples where your idea is already used or how it could be used in practice? Please also share links to further information if possible. (optional)
BARRIERS - reservation and skepticism regarding technical applications among the elderly - missing connectivity between the lived realities of generations
How can your idea create new jobs and businesses? (optional)
APPROACHES TO SCALE UP Decision-makers should open up care and educational structures to enable the scaling-up of innovative concepts, both nationally and across Europe.
Category: Living & Building
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Author: Nutricia Research Date: 10 October 2016

Despite increasing attention for preventive medicine, our Western healthcare system is still predominantly focused treating disease. A group of health conscious people will take action independently of the healthcare system and pay attention to healthy food and physical activity using standard or populations-specific means which are currently available. However, there is a large group of people who need health care providers supported to take action via medically prescribed nutritional and physical interventions.. We propose to provide evidence based multimodal interventions to high risk (pre-frail) subgroups of older people; these interventions would be available by prescription, under the care of health care professionals and reimbursed by the health care systems.   

How could policy makers help to scale-up your idea across Europe? (optional)
Attention for this new group would create a new space within healthcare to create evidence based solutions using both physical activity and novel nutritional products for prevention. While creating a new market employing nutritional and physical activity professionals to train people, this could save money for the healthcare system by keeping older people independent longer.
Do you have examples where your idea is already used or how it could be used in practice? Please also share links to further information if possible. (optional)
Currently, reimbursement by health care systems in the food area consist of foods for special medical purposes only. Within this area, reimbursement is focused on provision of protein and energy, not on obtaining functional benefits or prevention. Currently multimodal interventions could be recommended by health care professionals, but are not prescribed.
What are the current barriers in implementing your idea? (optional)
Several local initiatives exist, like the Gerontopole in Toulouse. Furthermore, interventions with nutritional and/or physical activity components are increasingly the subject of research.
How can your idea create new jobs and businesses? (optional)
To open the scope of reimbursement systems to include specific multimodal interventions to prevent frailty.
Category: Health & Care
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Author: Nutricia Research Date: 10 October 2016

The increasing life expectancy of the population and a certainlifestyle predisposes many seniors at an increased risk of impaired blood sugar control. Balanced blood sugar control is vital for optimal physical and mental function and thus quality of life. 

Good nutrition and regular physical activity are the cornerstones of a lifestyle that helps us stay in shape and facilitates good blood sugar control. Nowadays, there is only general advice derived from scientific studies on (young) adults. This is used to inform and educate seniors on the consequences of their lifestyle. More data is needed on the effects of lifestyle on health in seniors, since it is evident that the resilience to dietary and physical challenges is different in young versus older adults. 

The idea would be to personalize lifestyle advice including healthy dietary intake and sufficient physical activity making it specific for seniors. It would use individual's data from suitable senior compliant measurement tools in combination with scientific data on lifestyle effects in seniors. 

To convince and persuade seniors into favourable life style adaptations it is clear that personal communication about a health benefit on the long term is not enough. Benefits need to be substantiated that can really be perceived by the seniors on the short term as well (improved stamina, concentration, sleeping pattern, gut health etc). 

How could policy makers help to scale-up your idea across Europe? (optional)
In order to be able to deliver validated personal advice for optimal blood sugar control associated with perceived benefits, a platform needs to be build and validated which integrates health data acquired in seniors with new scientific studies on lifestyle change (nutrition, activity, behaviour) performed in seniors. Qualified personnel trained in tools, data integration, nutrition, physical activity and behaviour sciences and potentially environment planning are also needed. Personalized lifestyle advice will generate business interest due to an anticipated higher compliance to novel nutritional products or services in addition improved blood sugar control will lower health care costs related to the risk of diabetes.
Do you have examples where your idea is already used or how it could be used in practice? Please also share links to further information if possible. (optional)
The discovery of the incentive(s)/perceived benefits that motivate lasting behaviour changes in seniors that already adhere to a certain lifestyle their entire lives.
How can your idea create new jobs and businesses? (optional)
Create a forum in which experts from public and private partners from the different disciplines and backgrounds can meet, network and co-work on solutions to develop validated personal lifestyle advice for the seniors to improve their quality of life.
Category: Health & Care
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Author: Flavia Coda Moscarola Date: 10 October 2016

That disability implies the need for practical help in the usual activities of daily living (ADL) and

instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), is obvious but also very partial. The loss of physical

abilities has many psychological implications as it forces the individual to face a condition of

dependency that creates discomfort and limits the occasions of socialization and the normal

interactions with other individuals. All along and not by chance, the preferred care solution of the

elderly is informal caregiving provided by a relative: a care solution that answers the practical needs

of the individuals by minimizing discomfort through the warmth of the human contact.

In this setting, a first challenge for European countries is to help building up a LTC system that, by

supplying versatile solutions to the needs of disabled elderly, will respect their psychological

requirements and their preferences, also considering that the informal intra-household help is likely

to shrink in the future for cultural and economic reasons (Coda Moscarola, Fornero and Rossi,

2011; Coda Moscarola, 2007 and 2010). The respect of the person as a whole is indeed presumably

the right way to avoid a rapid deterioration of his mental and physical conditions with a consequent

need of intensifying the care to be provided.

We are convinced that, although comprehensive and good data base (such as SHARE) have been

provided in the past years, the information about the real needs and preferences of disabled people

is insufficient and that many of the solutions currently proposed in several European countries do

not approach the first-best option for the individuals in need and for the possible providers of it,

such as Governments, private insurance companies, start-ups. The project that we submit puts the

mapping of LTC preferences of elderly individuals and good ways to satisfy them at the centre of

our investigations.

All this cannot, of course, disregard financial constraints. A second challenge is indeed represented

by the financing method of LTC services. Notwithstanding its relevance, paradoxically, the LTC

risk is one of the least insured (Brown and Finkelstein, 2009). Indeed, many of the European

welfare states do not actually provide sufficient coverage for this risk (Leichsenring, K., Billings, J.

and H. Nies, 2013), and, at the same time, private insurance is not widespread (Cutler et al., 2008).

In this project we will explore the reserve prices of individuals for the provision of the services they

want, as well as try to figure out which public/private insurance scheme could meet their needs.

This is a key question, especially in times of weak growth or economic recession, when providing

for unexpected expenditures becomes difficult both for the public sector and for individuals. Our

analysis will try to fully account for the specificities of the LTC insurance market .

Our approach goes beyond the simple proposal of classical insurance programs or public policy

interventions, already widely discussed in the literature and in the public debate. Rather, it embraces

a wider perspective by looking at original best-fitting and affordable solutions to improve the life of

the elderly and of their close relatives. We also believe that these solutions cannot disregard ICT

developments, which strongly influence the quality of life of disabled elderly, by making them less

dependent from human help and by providing cost-efficient solutions. This is the reason why the

research team should include experts in the fields of economics (including behavioural economics),

finance, actuarial science, engineering, as well as managers with an experience in LTC services

provisions.

This also explains the title of our research proposal. The multidisciplinary approach proposed in this

project will address the key issues rotating around the LTC topic from an innovative perspective and

will propose original solutions that will be implemented and tested in their effectiveness.

 

How could policy makers help to scale-up your idea across Europe? (optional)
It can be the starting point to develop new insurance products and new ICT tools to improve the old people's lives.
Category: Other
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Author: Alexander Peine Date: 10 October 2016

The built environment, enriched with new opportunities of evolving digital innovations such as the Internet of Things (IoT), matters crucially in enabling new forms of support and creative expression for all ages: Europe’s ageing populations need high quality ICT-enriched built environments that suit their aspirations, competences and needs across the whole life course. Hence, a building stock and infrastructure that makes use of the full breadth of available ICT solutions will empower European citizens to develop more meaningful, healthy and socially engaged lives at home well into old age, and transform ageing into an opportunity for economic growth and personal wellbeing.

Against this background, the European built environment (homes and communities) needs a major update. With current renovation and replacement rates of less than 3%,3 such an update requires well-targeted actions and investment strategies to turn it into a motor for growth and job creation. Due to its scale and reach, the European construction sector is well positioned to lead such a process and contribute to Europe’s silver economy in all stages of designing, planning, retrofitting and implementing age-friendly homes and built environments. What is needed is a dedicated and concerted set of actions at European, national and regional levels to take a fresh look at innovating smarter new build and retro-fit home environments, with a view to empowering an ageing population to live more meaningful, independent, connected lives with dignity and autonomy. Results need to inform a European Reference Framework for Age-friendly Housing to boost knowledge and investments in the construction and ICT sectors. 

How could policy makers help to scale-up your idea across Europe? (optional)
According to recent data of the European Construction Technology Platform (ECTP), such a transformation of Europe’s construction and ICT sectors constitutes an investment task of 200 billion EUR for the construction sector alone, with the potential to create 1.7 million new jobs and 200-374 billion EUR in additional market activation and thus added value at the EU level (see https://ec.europa.eu/research/innovation-union/pdf/active-healthy-ageing/ectp.pdf).
What are the current barriers in implementing your idea? (optional)
The European Commission together with Utrecht University, Creative Skills for Life and the European Construction Technology platform currently runs a Europe-wide stakeholder consultation process -- a roadshow of interconnected open innovation workshops to engage existing initiatives, key examples and important stakeholders into an ongoing dialogue. Insights and key examples from the roadshow will inform the development of the European Reference Framework for Age-friendly Housing. More information is available here: http://bit.ly/22z83TJ
How can your idea create new jobs and businesses? (optional)
The current priorities should be addressed by future innovation, valorization and research actions: Assessing the real power and real size of the age-friendly housing and built environment markets today A specific challenge is to understand the real power and real size of the market for age- friendly home renovations today, and to develop tools to predict future changes in ageing society housing needs and to consider the effects and impact on the construction sector and on the wider built environment. Pilot actions can help building a solid evidence base on existing and future age-friendly housing markets. We need to consolidate and assess available data on home ownership, disposable income and other asset holdings among the 60+ generation across EU regions, on the types of buildings present in the respective building stocks, and on the current and estimated costs for updating different types of homes. Such a pilot action would provide the necessary data to specify the investment task of updating the European building stock, and identify possible implementation paths (leveraging private vs. public investments), at EU level, and identify effective investment policies and financing instruments for the upscaling of available built environment solutions, at home, city and community levels. Evidence base for the impact of age-friendly housing solutions There is a need to expand and formalize the emerging evidence base about the impact of age-friendly, ICT-enriched built environments on quality of life and independence. For construction to fully deliver its societal contribution for the ageing population, we need more targeted research on the holistic impact of the built environment, and investigate the full range of built environment factors that impact on the health and wellbeing of older persons – extending beyond comfort factors, to issues such as the opportunities for individualization and the level of stimulation provided by home and urban spaces. A specific challenge is to balance individual choice in the face of the diversity of the target group, and the need to make this diversity tractable. Research needs to provide clear indicators and measures on which stakeholders in construction can base design choices (“what is age-friendliness”), and which can be used to assess the “age-friendliness” of buildings and communities. A research and innovation action is thus required to extract from the existing knowledge base clear “living profiles” that can be the basis for personalizable modular housing solutions. Such living profiles need to incorporate the current understanding of the dimensions through which environmental factors affect quality of life and independence, and translate these into clear design parameters that link building characteristics to individual well-being. Innovation systems for retrofitting built environments at scale For the construction and ICT sectors, a specific challenge is to define new partnerships, involving all relevant stakeholders in the age-friendly housing domain, to explore and agree upon new ways of providing smarter newly built and retrofit home and community environments. The basic question such partnerships need to address and solve is: How can age- friendly-enriched built environments be supplied in a cost-efficient, yet user-centered way? Research and innovation actions are required to explore the relevant the structure and functioning of the relevant innovation eco-systems, and define innovative business models and partnership around modular and flexible solutions in different market segments. Such actions can benefit significantly from cross-breeding with programs in energy efficiency and smart cities, where innovation and technological systems approaches have already been applied successfully. Responsible built environments for all Europeans Finally, the construction and ICT sectors are ready to link with ongoing activities in the social and ageing sciences that investigate older persons as active place makers in the built environment. The sector would benefit from such a new language of older persons as co-creators or “prosumers” of age-friendly home and community solutions. In line with the EU’s Joint Programming Initiative on “More Years, Better Lives” (JPI-MYBL), the sector welcomes socio-economic research that addresses responsible research and innovation to deliver built environments that integrate the interests and needs of all using an appropriate ethical framework.
Category: Living & Building
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Author: Tercera Edad Activa. S.L Date: 09 October 2016
Una plataforma informática donde se inscriban por un lado las personas jubiladas indicando el sector en el que tienen experiencia y know how (por ejemplo banca ) y por otra parte las empresas del sector que tengan bajas de larga duración y necesiten cubrirlas.La plataforma debería casar oferta y demanda mediante algoritmos. La inscripción para los jubilados sería gratuita, para las empresas, no Las administraciones públicas deben colaborar autorizando a las personas que están cobrando pensión puedan seguir cobrando y puedan trabajar. Las empresas del sector pueden cubrir sus puestos de trabajo sin pagar una seguridad social adicional. El salario pagado a los jubilados sería un 35% menor al de la persona que sustituye pues se considera que al tener ingresos de la pensión pueden acceder a remuneraciones mas bajas.
How could policy makers help to scale-up your idea across Europe? (optional)
Porque las empresas tienen un triple ahorro , exención en los costes de Seguridad Social, salarios mas bajos y costes de formación todo a cambio de pagar una cuota en una plataforma.
Do you have examples where your idea is already used or how it could be used in practice? Please also share links to further information if possible. (optional)
Tiene que haber voluntad de la administración en facilitar la idea. Las personas jovenes que están accediendo al mercado laboral pueden sentirse discriminadas aun que la oferta laboral sea temporal
What are the current barriers in implementing your idea? (optional)
No
How can your idea create new jobs and businesses? (optional)
Por supuesto implantando la legislación adecuada en cuanto a que las personas cobrando pensión puedan acceder al mercado laboral teniendo ingresos extras sin que su pensión se vea afectada. Financiando la plataforma y su introducción en los diversos sectores.
Category: Work & Training
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Author: anacrisfl Date: 09 October 2016

With increasing elderly population, there is an urgent need for policies that contribute to aging healthy population, promoting the quality of life, healthy life expectancy, the independence and autonomy of the elderly.In rural areas, older people have greater difficulties in access to health care, as well as greater social isolation. This project aims to create properly equipped mobile units for the multidisciplinary teams, in conjunction with local authorities, may create promotion plans for health for these elderly people who are deployed in your local community. It is intended to engage in professional health project and members of the local community who can establish the link with these seniors in their community in order to increase the membership of the elderly population to the project. The mobile unit can intervene in the communities where the elderly are inserted without moving to urban centers, providing health care and promoting healthy aging, yet allowing greater involvement of family or neighbors of these seniors.

How could policy makers help to scale-up your idea across Europe? (optional)
This project will create jobs for health professionals geared to intervention in the community.
Do you have examples where your idea is already used or how it could be used in practice? Please also share links to further information if possible. (optional)
The project implementation barrier is funding. There is need for funding from local and government entities, so that the financial burden is not only supported by the elderly population in these rural areas have less financial resources. There needs to be political vision for the benefits these projects can bring to elderly people but also to society.
How can your idea create new jobs and businesses? (optional)
Governments should be encouraged to reach goals for promoting healthy aging. If there is more investment in health promotion, there will be less burden to the health of these people.
Category: Health & Care
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Author: Leif Edvinsson Date: 09 October 2016

Silver Navigation Policy is prototyping different ways into the Future of the aging Europe. The proposal is about the Reparadigming of perspectives on Seniors, into Silver Potentials, in a Nation, a Region or a City, as well as enterprise. Aging is that only to be seen as a problem or rather as a a potential?

If earlier referenced slide from NASA study,  is correct, (not possible to attache) it is indicating that the age groups with highest entrepreneurial potential are youngsters as well as seniors? It is a U-curzve! The problem age group, i.e at the bottom of the curve,  is the one around 40 ?   Consequently then we need to reparadigme the  conventional  labor market. This calls for many navigational prototyping  initiatives, as well as recruting of Impact Navigators of different age, to co create Societal Innovation for realeasing the Silver Potential..

If wisdom is emerging over time...where do Europe has its wisdom potential?

In Japan, by Future Center Alliance Japan,  there is already in progress the development of so called Wise Place space.  How does this impact the urban planning and city design? Instead of officde blocks, shoppings centers, car park spaces, day care centers for kids there might be a need for spaces of Silver Age  Campus to culitvate the new networking and value creating?

How could policy makers help to scale-up your idea across Europe? (optional)
The retirement might be a kind of human resource waste.Retirement and exit from labor market is the expense approach. The invitation to the senior wisdom and thoughtpower might be the value adding. A person in the age of 55-85 making an exit from the value creating is impacting the traditional economy as a lost. A senior researcher in a Lab, a librarian in a school, a software designer in the game secgtor or a nurse in a hospital might be adding a huge multiplier value, beyond the traditional accounting statistics. By innovating new infrastructure, in form of technology as well as legal framework, the seniors can be the wise potential of society, adding to the innovativeness as well as solution capabilities of society as well as the enterprise. Especially as we are approaching a new shortage of so called skilled labor. A simple calculation example: A "retired" physician, teacher, nurse is approximately represent a value lost of 100.000 Euro to society. Just multiply this with only one million silver aged citizens, and you have the impact figure of this to 100 billion Euro. With another organizational approach this potential can be released. And Europe urgently need to prototype this to avoid a growing debt to our next generations....... For inspiration look at https://www.facebook.com/groups/1050895641634363/
Do you have examples where your idea is already used or how it could be used in practice? Please also share links to further information if possible. (optional)
The key barrier is to be found in among others - perspective on aging, as a problem and cost instead of a potential of value creating - describing the issue as a cost related accounting problem for society - lack of understanding the development of wisdom and correlation to neuro science - the conventional focus on a so called labour market based on the old muscle paradigm, instead of thoughtpower and brainpower, as an outcome of the knowledge economy - the lack of renewal of the legal infrastructure of workplace, working hours, retirement and related legal framework, i.e. Societal Innovation shortage or deficit - lack of prototyping space on small scale before scalling up
What are the current barriers in implementing your idea? (optional)
Yes, initially prototyped in Skandia Future Center in the late 1990´s, and later on in various Future Centers, in Europe, , http://www.futurecenteralliance.com/ as well as in Japan https://www.facebook.com/jp.futurecenteraliancejapan/. For the reparadigm mapping of National Intellectual Capital, see among others on national level the pioneering work www.bimac.fi as well as www.incas-europe.org on enterprise level, as a systems dynamic based accounting system, (supported in earlier EC project) and very well verified and applied in many nations as well as implemented in Japan through METI-Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
How can your idea create new jobs and businesses? (optional)
Policymakers can scale up the proposal by - understanding the new value creating paradigm based on thought-power and brainpower, i.e. intellectual capital. - mapping out the new Silver Age economics, i..e a supplementary accounting system, similar to the intellectual capital framework to see the hidden potential - requesting new innovative legal framework that will support and cultivate the value creating by seniors, - initiate a Silver policy lab space in various nations, regions or cites to prototype the new conditions for silver potentials, multidisciplinary, multigenerational and multicultural - prototyping the impact economics(among others as opportunity cost) beyond the expense economics to realize the hidden brainpower of Europe, before it is too late
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Author: Margarida Marques Date: 09 October 2016

The lack of oral hygiene leads to diseases of the oral cavity that can progress to tooth loss. This tooth loss leads to a difficulty in feeding (risk for malnutrition that can also be associated with the fall) and hindering the talks therefore communication with others which is reflected often in social isolation, can be dramatic. training and prevention of all these points in order to allow a healthy and active aging is crucial.

Promoting health for active aging and quality of life through awareness / training actions.

Strengthen the training of health professionals, informal carers geriatric and elderly in the prevention / recovery of oral health education on chronic disease approach towards nutrition in the elderly, prevention and decrease of complications.

How could policy makers help to scale-up your idea across Europe? (optional)
FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION AND MAINTENANCE THIS PROJET, WE NEEDED THE NEW JOBS CREATION. THIS NEW JOBS ARE IMPORTAMTE FOR THE ALLOW YOUR CONTINUITY.
Do you have examples where your idea is already used or how it could be used in practice? Please also share links to further information if possible. (optional)
economic investment.
What are the current barriers in implementing your idea? (optional)
Exemple: Improving oral health screenings using the realization strategy with biofilm control, assisted tooth brushing, training related to diseases associated with the use of dental prostheses and identification of suspicious lesions of oral pathology; Prevention of dementia and prevention of falls from actions with interactive games that stimulate motor skills and cognitive of the elderly; health education actions directed at users, health professionals and informal caregivers.
How can your idea create new jobs and businesses? (optional)
Portugal, like other countries, is undergoing a rapid demographic transition, characterized by a progressive and marked increase in the elderly population, as a result of increased life expectancy, falling fertility rates and emigration. This project has the overall objective of a variation of the health and well-being of the senior population, by strengthening the training of human resources and the elderly, important in all countries of the European union.
Category: Health & Care
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Author: Maurizio Rosace Date: 08 October 2016

Encouraging dialogue and social gathering among silver surfers in Europe, through the enhancement of their leisure: this is the idea behind our initiative, a new European web portal developed according to tastes and needs of population aged over 50.

The project is closely based on Intrage.it, the first Italian web portal fully dedicated to the elderly which in the year 2000 in a stage still lacking in proposals for the target, launched in Italy the challenge of a diverse project built on quality information and services.

Defeating the preconceptions of technological age-related marginalization by implementing an age-friendly virtual space, Intrage.it brought older generations on the world wide web by making the ease of use one of its hallmarks; by constantly offering new insights and opportunities of dialogue and aggregation, it has also brought together many of the italian communities abroad who have warmly welcomed the initiative.

In 16 years, Intrage.it has been drawing up and independently publishing 100,000 pages with news, follow-ups, special, articles and interviews, and since our start we have had over 100 million visitors and over 400 million page views. (http://www.intrage.it/chi-siamo)

Leisure is “travel”: that’s why our initiative has also chosen to consider, among different topics that will be developed by the web portal, the opportunity to promote tourism for the elderly through specific sections.

The european web portal will cover a network of different tourist destinations, offering ad hoc services for the elderly who will be able to choose from many travel alternatives, thanks to different routes based on various cues as artistic, natural or cultural points of interests and places, spas or minor but interesting tourist destinations.

In support of our project, we will provide supplementary services resulting from our experience in research and experimentation fields, as appropriate for this initiative.

The careful enhancement of the European cultural heritage will act as a stimulus, as an input to new travel and life experiences. The growth of tourism for the elderly will not be, however, only an opportunity for personal growth but, above all, a concrete boost to the entire tourism industry. The project will promote the development of new or improved services, with the aim of creating new business opportunities for Silver Economy and senior tourism.

Leisure is “personal care”: take care of ourselves as we age should not be seen only as a personal duty but also as a pleasure; that's why we need to promote healthy lifestyles and good habits to follow through targeted content. But health is not only synonymous with medicalization: spas are in fact not only sites dedicated to health but also meeting places where people can socialize, highly appreciated by older people because of ability of spas, abundantly present in Europe, to combine the concept of well-being to leisure.

Leisure is “knowledge”: the project, conceived from a European perspetctive, will present multilingual content to involve most of our target. With articles, focus and follow-ups about different topics of interest, visitors will be able to develop and deepen their language skills in a totally user friendly environment. The presence of other users from all over Europe, will also be an opportunity for knowledge transfer to other visitors of the European web portal.

Leisure is “aggregation”: the basis of our initiative is the importance of sharing ideas and experiences by creating opportunities for discussion. For this reason the social side of our new European portal becomes imperative: creating a diverse community, eager to learn and ready to take the first step towards new points of view, can decrease the virtual distance between visitors and broaden the knowledge of uses and traditions of the European community.

Leisure is “social”: European web portal visitors will not only enjoy contents but will actively collaborate to realise them, sharing their experiences and expressing their ideas. They will suggest itineraries or local customs, help or get help in understanding foreign languages ​​or, as has happened over the years with Intrage.it, be part of an active and highly aggregating community.

What are the current barriers in implementing your idea? (optional)
The European web portal can draw on Intrage.it experience of many years: by focusing on people over 50, letting them express their needs and necessities, creating a direct communication channel with the editorial board and building opportunities for dialogue and encounters, Intrage.it has been able to established itself in the national scene as the most appreciated web portal for Italian elderly, gaining recognition nationwide and high popularity among the many users who daily animate our web pages. http://www.intrage.it/Famiglia/silver-surfers-ecco-chi-sono-i-nonni-in-rete
How can your idea create new jobs and businesses? (optional)
Favoring and encouraging dialogue between the peoples of the European Union and beyond, through a tourism incentive policy for senior citizens aimed at improving the quality of life of the elderly, creating opportunities for dialogue and sharing among participants in order to promote social gathering between members of different cultures.
Category: Entertainment, Culture & Tourism
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Author: Leif Edvinsson Date: 08 October 2016

silver Economy goes beyond the geriatic paradigm and so called job paradigm.  Silver Age citizens are both more active, multiskilled, and with  entrepreneurial spirit, both for research, business and politics. Research from NASA verify that the risk aptitude is at its bottom in age group 42. So higher before as well as after. Picasso said to be at peak performance around 60?  

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Author: dr2000 Date: 08 October 2016

We need to create a good environment for elder people so that they can still do their activities and still stimulate their abilities and creativeness. They need more time for recreation, indeed but they still need stimulus for the brain and socialization: travel, computering, learning. But in my opinion the most important isto focuson Geriatric medicine to prevent severe degradation: fitness, good nutrients for the brain, prevention in rheuma ans dementia..And we have to help people be on their "own feet" as much as possible.

How could policy makers help to scale-up your idea across Europe? (optional)
We can create more geriatric spa-s and relaxation places ( with trained workers) , in which people must have implication, even if they are patients.. But we also need to control these centers and their activities. And if the person wants to stay at home we need to create a qualified "link" that watches over that person all the time if the family is not there.
Do you have examples where your idea is already used or how it could be used in practice? Please also share links to further information if possible. (optional)
1. I think it's cheaper to keep elder people in a house and try to simulate that they like each other and they all want just to sit and watch TV. They are even obliged to have the same family doctor but they don't have geriatrics and that is not quite normal.. they should have the right to choose. 2. pensions are too small sometimes
What are the current barriers in implementing your idea? (optional)
No, I have bad examples, in which elder sit at the door and talk with me and want to pet my dog because they are forbidden to have their own cat or dog.
How can your idea create new jobs and businesses? (optional)
They should consider to control better the activities in those geriatric centers and asylums.
Category: Health & Care
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Author: Regiane Relva Romano Date: 07 October 2016

As we are moving towards a more intelligent, collaborative world, which will require co-creation, innovation, sharing everything, nothing more important than making the most connected and integrated citizens. Thus, my idea is to create a program that enables the integration of different generations (which today are characterized by boomer, baby boomer, x, y, z), so that older people can share their knowledge with the younger to the formation of social, trained, responsible and happy citizens, uniting knowledge, lives and overlooking the need to transform intergenerational conflicts into learning opportunities, relationships and actions that can be turned into products and services. The program is based on the wealth of experience, expertise and diversity that each participant of different generations, can bring to each other, democratizing knowledge, power, innovation making much more humanized and socialized relationship. Thus, each can teach and share what you know, so that knowledge is the basis of integration of all generations, highlighting the role and the knowledge and wisdom of the elderly.

How could policy makers help to scale-up your idea across Europe? (optional)
As we have several elderly at home, no activities, getting depressed and, on the other hand, we have many young people unprepared for the labor market, one could help the other. Young, making the digital integration and the old teaching skills. Thus, both will increase chances of employability.
Do you have examples where your idea is already used or how it could be used in practice? Please also share links to further information if possible. (optional)
The greatest difficulty is to find institutions interested in making the link between the young and the elderly and organize some events and activities to unite them
What are the current barriers in implementing your idea? (optional)
Yes! I work in a college, in Brazil, that is developing activities that allow the integration of students with parents, grandparents, community older friends for them to come to school routine and teach what they know and learn from the young. We have a project called Smart Campus FACENS, whose goal is to prototype an intelligent city, which consists of 8 axes, one of which is education and the other is health and quality of life, where these projects are being developed, with results wonderful.
How can your idea create new jobs and businesses? (optional)
If we put as one of the functions of schools, creating events that bring parents, grandparents, children and grandchildren to do activities within the school, since it will be a great start. Each elderly may suggest a task for the young and the young can teach and propose a task for the elderly, so that each can add value to another. These activities can be taken to communities, churches, universities, among others.
Category: Connectivity & Social participation
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The idea would be to develop social housing adapted to elderly people with adequate equipment, services and ICT solutions. Because adapting’s one house (shower, larger door, lights, …) remains expensive, the idea could be to develop programmes of social housing targeting the elderly, such as small residences with adapted solutions for the elderly and located next to services and shops to allow them to stay longer independent at home.

The project of the “Seniors Residences” set up by the Lower Rhine Council in France is based on this analysis. It targets the elderly between 65 and 80 who are still able to live at home. Three main criteria are important for the development of an adequate rental offer: the flat/house has to be adapted to the situation of elderly people (but not medicalised); it has to be well located next to shops, meeting places and other services; and it has to be affordable.

It would be good to experiment and develop technologies and services in order to increase the capacity of the elderly to live longer at home. These technologies and services would as well prevent them from loss of autonomy and reduce impacts of first stage of dependency.

The Moselle Council in France has launched a project call “Innovative and Solidarity in housing” (Habitat innovant et solidaire) based on 2 main pillars:

  • Concrete testing with social landlords and local enterprises of building smart residences with services, including IT solutions
  • Digital services platform to find sustainable solutions for the elderly (technologies for wellbeing and automation / technologies for prevention / technologies for information and communication / technologies for telemedicine)

The project is aimed at creating a kindly ecosystem which supports access and diffusion of adapted and personalized goods and services. But human people are full considered as part of the ecosystem as well, because social relations can strongly contribute to support weakness situations and loss of autonomy at home. The adaptation of social dwellings is a step toward affordable and safe housing that could result in better ageing, less accident and more social inclusion.

Besides the housing adaptation, to allow elderly people staying at home as long as possible, it is necessary to ensure an efficient home care coordination and facilitate communication between the different stakeholders (doctors, nurses, home help services…).

The integration of home care services is an innovative approach, allowing local actors from health, social and medico-social sectors to adopt common procedures and tools, sharing information to ensure harmonized, appropriate and suitable solutions. It is based on a secured information exchange system, accessible to all partners. The system relies on the dialogue between the main care system funders, the integration of desks offices and harmonization tools and methods (using case management and multidimensional assessment).

Since 2009, the Upper Rhine Council is developing and experencing a new organizational scheme for professionals taking care of dependent elderly people at home, named MAIA. This integrated service desk relies on a user centred system.

Besides, since 2016 the “Département” is also experiencing a shared ICT coordination and information system (SICODOM) in the southern part of the Département (both on urban and rural areas), in close cooperation with the Regional Health Agency. It concerns elderly dependent people living at home and needing at least 2 home care providers (besides usual doctor and pharmacist). 15 structures are testing this system since January 2016. Through better coordination of the various home service stakeholders it helps improving quality of care, while optimizing the use of resources and allowing elderly people to stay at home in the best conditions.

How could policy makers help to scale-up your idea across Europe? (optional)
The digital services platform will create jobs for the functioning and after sale services. New demand will exist for shopkeepers as well, which will be able to propose new services to the elderly.
Do you have examples where your idea is already used or how it could be used in practice? Please also share links to further information if possible. (optional)
Elderly people seem to be reluctant to leave their (big) houses for (small) flat, even though their home is not adapted. Some elderly people chose to adapt their house/flat with equipment that allows them to stay independent at home. But, when they die or leave their dwellings, new tenants, who can be young people or families, often remove this specific equipment. Developing adequate social housing for a specific target group is a way to guarantee that the adaptation of the dwelling will be useful for the next tenants (who could be elderly as well as disabled people). Digital fracture exists for the elderly who are not familiar with IT communications and products. Education and time will help them to access to these new services. Another point is relating to actors/partners of different sectors (medicine, industry, public service…), who have to break barriers to work together on the same way. Concerning the implementation of a secured exchange information and coordination system, it is important to : - Develop an easy to use ICT platform, adaptable to local/regional/national specificities and interoperable with already existing systems - Get all concerned stakeholders involved to ensure their commitment (especially liberal professionals and elderely patients and their family) - Take into account data confidentiality matters And last but not least, economic model should be found for every pillar of the project.
What are the current barriers in implementing your idea? (optional)
An experimentation based of new care solutions for social housing has been create in Moselle (Rouhling). http://moselle.fr/his/ A dozen of residences were co-financed by the Lower Rhine Council in cooperation with municipalities in order to implement local solutions and strengthen the social aspects of the projects. They are located next to shops, offer adequate equipment, ICT solutions (pre-equipment for home robotics, telecare, falls detectors…) and have as well common room and optional services within the building (restaurant, telemedicine services, activities, partnership with local organisations) http://silvereconomie.bas-rhin.fr/trouver-un-logement/louer-un-logement/habiter-dans-une-residence-senior-hors-quartier-plus-67/ Since 2016 the Upper-Rhine Council is testing a shared ICT coordination and information system (SICODOM) on the Mulhouse health territory, in close cooperation with the Regional Health Agency. It concerns elderly dependent people living at home and needing at least 2 home care providers (besides usual doctor and pharmacist). 15 structures are testing this system since January 2016. Through better coordination of the various home service stakeholders it helps improving quality of care, while optimizing the use of resources and allowing elderly people to stay at home in the best conditions. At this stage (Septembre 2016), more than 200 users are registered and more than 400 messages related to 120 cases have been exchanged. The first interim review showed that some barriers have to be breached : - Patient inclusion criterions in the system need to be clarified ; - Lack of interoperability with other national specialized tools ; - Difficulties to get liberal professionals (doctors and nurses) involved ; - Need to create a warning system for the doctors. The testing phase is extended to until June 2017. An evaluation phase is foreseen. It will lead to the elaboration of technical specifications to roll out the system on a larger geographic scale.
How can your idea create new jobs and businesses? (optional)
- Definition of “adapted house” with common criteria at European level could help social landlord to develop this kind of projects - Addressing guidelines in term of housing to Member states - Facilitating largest-scale experimentation and diffusion of the solutions on territories through best practices exchanges. - Developing a massive training of knowledge programme for the elderly people and their family carers. - Elaborate technical specifications to roll out the ICT information and coordination system on a larger scale - Best practices exchange, especially to try to find solutions to get liberal professionals involved
Category: Living & Building
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Author: Cologne Institute for Economic Research Date: 07 October 2016

Until 2011, the Cologne Institute for Economic Research was project partner of the project “PriMa – Menschen Unternehmen Zukunft” of the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research, co-funded by the European Social Fund. In order to keep the knowledge of longstanding employees within a company, to counter a potential shortage of skilled workers and to obtain a healthy and motivated workforce before retirement we proposed a life-cycle oriented personnel policy.

The main outcome of the project was the so called “PersonalKompass” – a guide for the implementation of demography management and life-cycle orientation in personnel policy.

Link to the former website of PriMa (in German): http://p236982.mittwaldserver.info/de/

Link to the “PersonalKompass” (in German): http://www.iwkoeln.de/Portals/0/pdf/PersonalKompass.pdf

Link to a brief ppt-presentation of the “PersonalKompass” (in German): http://p236982.mittwaldserver.info/media/pdf/prima_foliensatz.pdf

In short, the “PersonalKompass” offers…

… a comprehensive concept, which takes the changes in the lifes of employees into account and still ensures competitive advantages for businesses.

… orientation towards the implementation of a lifecycle-oriented personnel policy.

… information on fields of action and concrete instruments of personnel policy, practically prepared for immediate use through businesses.

… a modular concept that allows businesses to tailor the instruments to their specific needs.

… a company-specific guide to a future-oriented personnel policy.

The “PersonalKompass” proposes a list of instruments and fields of action:

Personnel Marketing and Human Resources

  • Recruitment of older professionals
  • Higher education cooperation
  • Cooperation projects between schools and businesses

Performance management and remuneration

  • Management with target agreements
  • Variable remuneration

Work organization and working time

  • Annual working time accounts
  • Job rotation
  • Training Exchanges

Career and career planning

  • Specialist career
  • analysis of potentials
  • Dialogues about career perspectives

Health Management

  • Workplace design
  • Health programs
  • Psychosocial counseling

Knowledge management

  • Exit interviews
  • Ideas management
  • Knowledge maps

Exit and transition management

  • Exit interviews
  • Bow careers
  • Silver Workers

Additionally to the project PriMa, the Cologne Institute for Economic Research is permanently conducting research on the issue of the silver economy and demographic change. Please note that the described materials so far are available in German only. If you are interested in further discussing the topic with our staff and researchers, please contact our Brussels Liaison Office (http://www.iwkoeln.de/en/institute/offices).

Category: Work & Training
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Author: fabio.roncato@trilogis.it Date: 07 October 2016

This idea is part of the UNCAP project. UNCAP (“Ubiquitous iNteroperable Care for Ageing People “) is an open, scalable and privacy-savvy ICT infrastructure designed to help ageing people live independently while maintaining and improving their lifestyle. The final solution will consist of real products that will be made available on the market. The project is co-financed by the EU through the Horizon 2020 programme, and it involves 23 partners (including several pilot user partners) from 9 European countries (IT, UK, SI, RO, EL, DE, SE, ES, MK) with a start-up (FR) who will bring the results of the project to the market. In particular to improve the quality of life and health outcomes of older people increasing and enhanced the self-care and at the same time increase adherence and safety of elderly people living in private homes or in ad-hoc structures. The solutions implemented in UNCAP project will be tested in a range of different conditions with real users in nursing homes.

Part of this project is the creation and definition of an observation & measurements (O&M) markup language called AHA (Active Healty Ageing) into OGC (Open Geospatial Consortium). OGC is an international not for profit organization committed to making quality open standards for the global geospatial community.

How could policy makers help to scale-up your idea across Europe? (optional)
The lack of platforms for health and care based on open standards is regarded as one of the most significant market barriers within the ICT industry. Having interoperable solutions can bring to new market opportunities for cost-effective solutions that can enhance quality of life and open a new and big market to health device provider and producer.
Category: Health & Care
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Author: knmp Date: 07 October 2016

personal health domain 

How could policy makers help to scale-up your idea across Europe? (optional)
implementing ande further developing personal health domain
Do you have examples where your idea is already used or how it could be used in practice? Please also share links to further information if possible. (optional)
many stakeholders. strict privacy rules,
Category: Health & Care
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Author: raymova Date: 06 October 2016

My contribution is to create the environment and atmosphere in a new settled Senior House as the joyfull and well being place. People in retired still being active and in social interaction with the others.Working in a part-time, taking care about their life style and healthy, gardening, making products, mentoring students, visiting kindergardens, taking volunteering activities, sports, performing a theatre etc.etc. up to their vital willigness to be involved in their Senior House as well community/society around them. It does not meant just to live but also show the results of their activities and enjoy the Senior House prosperity.The older people need to feel "not to be alone" and be interactive. Smile, joyfull mood with the fruitfull life. On the practical level these seniors launch and develop the interactive database on the local level. I can imagine their influence to cross borders to the other Senior Houses.     

How could policy makers help to scale-up your idea across Europe? (optional)
New jobs being created up to needs on the comunal level (location) where such a Senior House will be. The engine for new jobs will be the life experience and successes of seniors which make a briging bettween the Senior House and the other actors in this location (SMEs, schools, Municipality etc.).Business will be created in the field where the Seniors experience extremely strong (e.g. education training courses, flowers/plants gardening, jelly products from fruits etc.) as well the concerts, theatre performances.... Financial management returning the revenue from this production to the hands of these seniors in the Senior House.
Do you have examples where your idea is already used or how it could be used in practice? Please also share links to further information if possible. (optional)
There is no objection, I have been thinking over this idea for around 5 months ..... but a funding will be needed. I have a well experience team. And my age as a senior.
What are the current barriers in implementing your idea? (optional)
Supporting children from the Children Houses (Czech and Slovak). The amazing time is to provide the actions (event, seminair etc.) when seniors talking with children. Both of them need to feel a joyfull time and social interaction.
How can your idea create new jobs and businesses? (optional)
Policy makers on the level of Municipalities can help but the impact across Europe will be created via Senior Houses cooperation and best practice exchange (can we say a mobility of seniors).
Category: Living & Building
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Author: C. Scholten Date: 06 October 2016

Robots become more and more able to interact properly with people in their environment. Currently, several researchers are working on robots that can be used for companionship to elderly. The idea is that robots can reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation that many elderly face. Robots can also provide help or instructions and may call emergency services when needed. They can also assist in, for example, physiotherapeutic exercises or medicine intake (the right medicine at the right time). In the Netherlands, researchers from the Free University of Amsterdam have developed a companion robot called Alice. The recent Dutch documentary "Allice Cares" was discussed in The Lancet last year: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(15)61267-3.

How could policy makers help to scale-up your idea across Europe? (optional)
The development of these companion robots or robotic pets can lead to a new product type for elderly and consequently to a new market. The ageing of Western societies, but also in countries such as Japan, has made the market for products for elderly an interesting market with good opportunities for new business and the creation of new jobs. New jobs could appear in production of robots and services related to these robots.
Do you have examples where your idea is already used or how it could be used in practice? Please also share links to further information if possible. (optional)
Currently, these kinds of robots need to be further developed to be used by elderly in practice. Companion robots are still being researched, but researchers expect that these robots could appear on the consumer market in the coming years. Another barrier could be acceptance: are enough elderly willing to have a robot as a companion? Do we wish as society to address the feelings of loneliness and isolation that some elderly face with technology? Financing could also be a barrier, as they might be quite expensive and health insurances may not be willing to cover the costs.
What are the current barriers in implementing your idea? (optional)
The article on the Dutch caredroid Alice in The Lancet: http://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140-6736(15)61267-3.pdf A study of the EP's STOA on Cyber Physical Systems (CPS) that also addresses CPS for disabled people and elderly on page 52: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2016/563501/EPRS_STU(2016)563501_EN.pdf
How can your idea create new jobs and businesses? (optional)
Companion robots for elderly may get more attention from the public and research may be stimulated to develop these robots and test them in practice. Furthermore, a discussion on whether we see this kind of technology as a solution to social problems, such as loneliness and isolation of elderly, may be needed.
Category: Connectivity & Social participation
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Author: Gema Ibañez Sanchez Date: 06 October 2016

Nowadays, techology is evolving quicker than elderly can learn or even understand. The market is plenty of apps aimed at elderly, but there isn't a big demand yet. One of the first problems I see for that is that elderly don't know about those apps, so my proposal 1) would be to find better ways to make them aware about these solutions that make them like better. The following problem is the User eXperience, 2) the interaction between elderly and these apps should be via voice/natural language, since it is the most familiar way for them to express what they need. Also more "tangible" interfaces are a good idea for that purpose, instead of using tactile screens. The third problem I see is the involvement of elderly people in society. In some countries they are not so valued as they should, but their experience of years could help a lot of working age people. 4) create programs where elderly people can teach others with their experience. And the last one, at least in Spain, is that is difficult to get a holistic coverage unless you pay for it. Apart from health status of elderly basic things such as nutrition, activity, sleep, are must to take care about. It is 5) vertical services must be interconnected between them in order to take advantage of each other, being aware of the global status of the elder.

Taking into account these points when creating any app/solution/wearable... for elderly people will have more chances to success.

How could policy makers help to scale-up your idea across Europe? (optional)
These ideas imply a big change at any level. More work means more jobs and business. There will be more opportunities to collaborate between different companies to do synergies
Do you have examples where your idea is already used or how it could be used in practice? Please also share links to further information if possible. (optional)
The decision makers are not ready to take a decision, it would imply a lot of work and money
How can your idea create new jobs and businesses? (optional)
doing it
Category: Health & Care
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