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Potentials of the European Silver Economy

Starting: 01 Apr Ending

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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: uliebert Date: 19 October 2016

In the future, fewer young workers will contribute (ILO, 2013, p. 22: Global activity rates by age as a percentage, women, 1990, 2010, 2020 ). By digitizing along with the new working models of Industry 4.0 is a new world of work (Universität St. Gallen, 2016, p.7). These altered factors in different areas constitute a challenge to reflect on. 

Studies show that people who are currently in the third phase of life, are active (Gassner et al, 2015, p.13).
The period of third phase is expanding more and more because of higher life expectation, new technologies and higher quality of life.

By offering flexible working models on the basis of independence in the third phase of life older people who would like to work longer can be integrated into the market and
1) work flexible in time limited projects,
2) transfer their knowledge and experience, 
3) step flexible into a interims positions which are more and more often caused by the failure of burnout patients.

The approach of flexible working models on the basis of independence in the third phase of life companies take the risk of hiring older people.

To reduce the barriers for an occupation after retirement on the basis of independence the working models must offer older people support in terms of administration, job offers and training.

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Author: CECILIA DA SILVA BARBOSA Date: 17 October 2016

Prevenção odontológica para população da terceira idade conectado com o lúdico:

 

Nesta idade as pessoas aposentadas em sua maioria passam a maior parte do tempo consumindo alimentos cariogênicos em frente a televisao.

Já que buscam os programas de televisão para entretenimento porque não oferecer um conjunto de ações preventivas em termos de saúde bucal que irão prorporcionar Sugiro momentos lúdicos associados ao bem estar dentário e consequentemente a saúde geral como um todo, pois qualquer infecção oral pode ser entrada de microorganismos que pela corrente sanguínea podem incrementar negativamente um quadro cardíaco, ou resultar na perda de um elemento dentário que irá agravar um quadro gástrico, por fornecer ao estômago um bolo alimentar mal elaborado por falta de mastigação correta, além disso exista a questão estética, fonética que a falta de um dente pode causar.

Momentos lúdicos:Com temas de prevenção

Ensaios Teatrais,

Film Shorts

Musicais

Cartilhas com fotos motivacionais.

 

How could policy makers help to scale-up your idea across Europe? (optional)
Empregos: Atendentes de saúde bucal Dentistas Artistas Filmaquer
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)
Falta de investidores
What are the current barriers in implementing your idea? (optional)
Num abrigo de idosos
How can your idea create new jobs and businesses? (optional)
Através de Campanhas de conscientização da cultura de Prevenção Bucal.
Category: Health & Care
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Author: Nutricia Research Date: 17 October 2016

An important factor that contributes to our perceived quality of life is the sense of having a valued contribution to society and the life of others, in particular. With aging many senior people are losing this sense of being “needed” placing them at risk for social isolation. Often social isolation leads to a decrease in physical, cognitive and social activities predisposing them to the development of diseases.

A great body of evidence exists showing that lifestyle factors such as social, intellectual and physical activity and dietary preferences have a vast impact on quality of life. A positive approach focusing on those skills that someone (still) is good at instead of pointing to someone’s challenges, has shown to contribute to better perceived quality of life, and increased cognitive reserve. Thus, to get the most out of the silver years, active societal participation should be stimulated. How a silver citizen can participate can be individualized, based on their individual skills, capacities and interests?

By helping seniors rediscover/focus on their unique skills and combine that with personalized lifestyle advice and tailor-made fortified foods, we could assist in building and maintaining their sense of connectedness to society and the feeling that their contribution is valuable. More social activities can also stimulate increased intake of healthier foods by eating together.

How could policy makers help to scale-up your idea across Europe? (optional)
A multidisciplinary team of coaches, talent scouts, new business development managers, dietitians, psychologists, fitness trainers, etc is necessary to identify the specific skills and match-making between seniors and the needs from society. Ideally small businesses will emerge from this approach, potentially creating jobs for the younger generations as well.
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 regulations on health markets in the EU are understandably strict. At the same time, there needs to be a framework that allows room for innovation, connectedness and prevention.
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 can meet with governmental regulatory bodies to network and co-develop solutions. These solutions could be validated personal lifestyle advice for seniors to help them stay connected with society, and in particular with younger generations.
Category: Health & Care
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Author: SIEL Bleu Date: 17 October 2016

GetPhY is an innovative web platform which aims to promote Adapted Physical Activity (APA) as an aid to prevention.

The platform aims to bring people from the sports world into contact with senior citizens at home. They provide these senior citizens with the means to practice and promote an adapted physical activity. In particular, GetPhY has four specific objectives:

  1. Setting up and constantly coordinating an interactive network of local instructors from the world of sport established in the department, GetPhY is helping to offer senior citizens (the users) a clearer view and greater access to the Adapted Physical Activity programmes in their area.
  2. Through the GetPhY web platform, users are able to remain active on their own, assessing their own physical condition and accessing a full range of adapted recommendations and exercises to do at home in complete safety.
  3. Get Physical also encourages people to practice an adapted physical activity in order to strengthen social ties: users have the option of setting up communities of similar profiles to talk about their experiences, organize sporting events (such as walking groups) or regular group sessions
  4. In the near future, the platform will help to set up an ecosystem between professionals, users and prescribers, with a view to promoting an active lifestyle among senior citizens at home.
How could policy makers help to scale-up your idea across Europe? (optional)
When the APA is recognized, this is a worldwide need and efficient solution. Jobs will necessarily be created in order to support and to develop the platform as for the training part.
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)
Adapted Physical Activity is not always recognised Health Care Systems, as the ICT solutions. We also need to develop an artificial intelligence in order to transform GetPhy on a better tool and to make the use of Getphy easier for older people.
What are the current barriers in implementing your idea? (optional)
Since 1997, Siel Bleu has operated as a non-profit organisation, offering solutions for prevention and support of older people through Adapted Physical Activity (APA) programmes. Siel Bleu has now more than 440 employees specialized in APA who intervene in 3000 institutions in France and coach more than 100,000 beneficiaries (mainly older adults). We enlarge our interest to non-pharmaceutical therapy through our Research Institute and we are improving our APA’s programs through digital solutions. The aim is to combine physical and virtual interactions, not to switch for a 100% virtual programme. Our first programme “Motion” is a system of distance training with interaction through a webcam, and has already convinced most of the users. We are testing the current version of GetPhy with the beneficiaries of our partners. http://getphy.com/
How can your idea create new jobs and businesses? (optional)
Policy makers could help to scale-up our idea across Europe by promoting APA programmes and ICT tools in Health Care Systems.
Category: Physical & Cognitive Abilities
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Author: Evangelia Chrysikou Date: 17 October 2016

Age friendly tourism facilities in Europe is an area that we expect a strong demand in the near future due to demographic change, the financial potential of the baby boomers and the increasing tourism market at a global scale. However, there is a clear lack of age friendly tourism accommodation, concerning not only the HR but also the building stock. And while there is quite a strong discussion regarding the need to train staff there is a very limited understanding of the potential of the built environment to the sector.  At the Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment we create through our newly founded Real Estate Institute a research – teaching –training centre on the tangible and intangible values of the Built Environment, with a very strong interest on Health Tourism and Accommodation across the lifespan bringing together the existing expertise from across the faculty, which is the world leader on Evidence Based Design and expanding the state of the art in areas related to Environments for Health. Developing research collaborations with tourism schools across Europe we aim to set light to the intersection between health and wellbeing and facilities for tourism.

 

 

How could policy makers help to scale-up your idea across Europe? (optional)
Promoting the understanding on the importance of the built environment for the wellbeing of people in the tourism industry will help improve considerably the understanding of the European tourism industry on the importance of its real estate. That will increase the overall quality of the provided building stock, include the building stock in the available tools for Quality of Provision and increase the quality of the tourism industry, which especially in the area of accessible tourism and tourism across the lifespan, has been rather underdeveloped and quite problematic, despite the increasing demand for such provision. Creating means to plan, design and evaluate tourism facilities that are informed of people’s physiology and perception across the lifespan and educate the entire spectrum of professionals –from architects and builders to professionals of tourism management—will increase the competitiveness of Europe in this industry and create significant business opportunities, especially in the areas of the European South and in particular in rural areas. It will also allow areas with relatively short spanned tourism season to be able to operate in more sustainable year round modes. Such initiatives will create job opportunities for skilled people in both the design and construction as well as the tourism and healthcare industries.
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)
Current barriers include the limited interdisciplinary interaction between the industries involved, the limited understanding of the tourism and healthcare sector on the potential and the synergesic possibilities that can derive from the collaboration with researchers and informed practitioners (academics and architects) from the area of the design for health and wellbeing. There has been, also, very limited funding allocated by the European Research Area to the research of the Building stock in general, as opposed to other areas of the build environment. In particular there is very difficult to perform before and after research as building interventions are rarely covered among the proposed research costs (which on the contrary are available to other than the built environment areas of research). There have not been integrated and inclusive methods to rate tourism provision for ageing in terms of real estate quality.
What are the current barriers in implementing your idea? (optional)
There have been some examples of age friendly tourism businesses, especially in the UK but they concentrate on the service provision. Their built environment provision is limited to dated and non-neurodiverse built environment interventions. Additionally, similar interventions have concentrated in areas that are not as touristic, such as areas of the UK as opposed to the more touristic areas of the European South. This is a result that is mostly regulations rather than demand led.
How can your idea create new jobs and businesses? (optional)
Provide funding for training on evidence base across the built environment sector Provide motivation for developing tourism development for people across the lifespan and especially in areas with mild climate, such as the European South. Collaborate with municipalities, especially in rural areas with shrinking economies at the European South to create opportunities for scale up and testing interventions in deserted villages, to provide integrated health and recreation activities in combination with accommodation for wellbeing, as part to their regeneration policies. Create tools for measuring the qualities of accommodation for healthy and active ageing and creating a rating tool, similar to some extend, or inspired to the more generic hotel star scale, but informed on the special issues related to AHA. Create funding opportunities through interdisciplinary research and prototyping on the subject.
Category: Living & Building
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Author: Duncan Keil Date: 17 October 2016

We are building on the passion of a gentleman who founded this company 9 years ago to establish the leading recruitment company for the more mature job seeker.  As European populations age, pension defecits widen and we all live longer it is in all of our interests to make sure that the large number of older, experienced and reliable people in all of our countries are able to make a meaningful and valuable contribution.  Many people simply want to 'give back' but many more need to and want to work and have an extraordinary contribution to make.  The more mature worker is generally more experienced, more flexible (to part-time or interim/consultancy type contracts), more reliable, perhaps willing to accept a lower salary as they no longer have such high fixed over-heads and generally they make up a huge and mostly untapped resource of knowledge and skills. The model is applicable throughout the developed world, where populations are fast ageing and the birth rate has stagnated. We are also planning to deploy our candidates to build and staff companies specifically offering goods and services to the older population and to offer coaching and mentoring to the younger job-seekers. Governments need to keep people working longer or attract the retired back into the work-place to fill gaps and pay taxes.

How could policy makers help to scale-up your idea across Europe? (optional)
We will attract the older worker back to the market to mentor and coach, to provide interim and consultancy for start-ups that cannot afford full-time experienced staff and we will create specific businesses to play to the strengths of our older candidates.
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 perhaps a cultural perception that younger people are better, but as pointed out in the first paragraph the opposite is in fact true and there are significant advantages to employing more mature individuals and/or teams.
What are the current barriers in implementing your idea? (optional)
Our company is the leader in it's field in the UK and as far as we can see virtually no-one is employing this model elsewhere in Europe. It is our intention to spread our model across Europe.
How can your idea create new jobs and businesses? (optional)
By enacting legislation and or implementing subsidies or incentives to incentivize the employment or retention of the older worker.
Category: Other
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Author: Στέλιος Στυλιανού Date: 16 October 2016

Parenthood and motherhood is optional. However, given existing financial and social difficulties, couples do not and / or are unable to bring-up more than one or two children. The result is low birth rate, insufficient population and European prosperity at jeopardy.

European Union shall examine ASAP measures to improve birth-rate above 2.2 from existing 1.1, in less than 10 years in order to be able to survive. Drastic measures and action is imperative necessity before the mid-2017.

If action is not taken we shall see more and more expatriates luring into EU but contrary to wishful thinking none or very small percentage of those could adapt European culture and principle or lifestyle. This created already a cultural shock as yet social unrest and discriminatory approach against European citizens who pay the taxes for implemented policies.

Parenthood and motherhood is optional. However, given existing financial and social difficulties, couples do not and / or are unable to bring-up more than one or two children. The result is low birth rate, insufficient population and European prosperity at jeopardy.

European Union shall examine ASAP measures to improve birth-rate above 2.2 from existing 1.1, in less than 10 years in order to be able to survive. Drastic measures and action is imperative necessity before the mid-2017.

If action is not taken we shall see more and more expatriates luring into EU but contrary to wishful thinking none or very small percentage of those could adapt European culture and principle or lifestyle. This created already a cultural shock as yet social unrest and discriminatory approach against European citizens who pay the taxes for implemented policies.

At the same time, retirement will be lasting decades as the number of people in their 80s and 90s increases dramatically," leading to greater welfare and health demands by the elderly even as the tax base to finance them declines...

How could policy makers help to scale-up your idea across Europe? (optional)
It is obvious that additional births require much bigger quantities of various baby-care consumable and baby items. This by definition require additional workforce. Nevertheless, these European jobs will generate revenues and improve National Income, will generate cash flow and will require new services as yet improved existing infrastructure and services.
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 absence of Family policies and luck of birth-rate improvement incentives and social / welfare support system which would enable parents to comply with their job requirements and long time schedules.
What are the current barriers in implementing your idea? (optional)
Fertility rate and family policies which have been implemented in France and Russia proven fruitful and improve birth-rate dramatically. Similar measures with lower value of incentives didn't bring desire results. Such countries are: SWEDEN Fertility rate: 1.85 Policies: Fathers and mothers are entitled to 18 months paid leave from the government. There is also subsidized child care and flexible work hours to accommodate working families. GREAT BRITAIN Fertility rate: 1.84 Policies: In 2007, the government extended paid maternity leave from 26 to 39 weeks. The measure also allows fathers up to 26 weeks of unpaid paternity leave. But child care remains expensive, and a 2007 report by Workingmums.com found that 9 out of 10 British mothers said it was difficult to get a job with enough flexibility when they decided to return to work. SPAIN Fertility rate: 1.38 Policies: A historic bias exists against pro-fertility policies. However, the leftist government of Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero is encouraging companies to offer child care facilities and announced last year a grant of nearly $4,000 for babies, replacing the current grant of $700 for the third child, depending on one's income level. GERMANY Fertility rate: 1.32 Policies: The government offers 14 weeks maternity leave and parental leave of up to 36 months - pay is variable. Day care is expensive and scarce - a problem the government is trying to resolve. No cash incentives for children. ITALY Fertility rate: 1.32 Policies: As in Germany, there is a dearth of affordable day care. The government offers a one-time payment of $1,500 for having children. Sources: European Union; Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
How can your idea create new jobs and businesses? (optional)
Policy / law makers shall establish through feasibility study the requirements for the improvement of birth-rate and implement such measures aggressively, supported by generous financial incentives.
Category: Other
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Author: Peter Varnai Date: 16 October 2016

Older people will benefit predominantly from advances in self-driving vehicle technology as it will enhance social inclusion and mobility. It has also countless other benefits for road safety, emissions and congestion if incorporated appropriately into the legal and regulatory frameworks of society. It is thus essential to design the technology and the European standards in an inclusive fashion to ensure that older people's needs will be considered at the ealriest stages.

How could policy makers help to scale-up your idea across Europe? (optional)
Since a large fraction of older people will opt for autonomous vehicles, they will be a target consumer group. It is thus essential that as this industrial segment matures, gerontologists as well as older people are involved in the co-design. Fehr & Peers, a transportation consultancy, predicts that between 2040/2050 half of all traffic in the US will be autonomous.
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 are a number of open questions, just to name a few: how to avoid accidents, who is liable in case of accidents, what is the acceptable level reliability, what training will be provided, what licence 'drivers' will need.
What are the current barriers in implementing your idea? (optional)
The Pathway to Driverless Cars Summary and Action Plan: a document setting out the UK Government’s plans to facilitate the testing and production of vehicles available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/401562/pathway-driverless-cars-summary.pdf The Future of Transport in an Ageing Society: project report from ILC-UK and Age UK setting out the key transport challenges that arise from the UK’s ageing population available at: http://www.ilcuk.org.uk/index.php/publications/publication_details/the_future_of_transport_in_an_ageing_society Self-driving vehicles: major questions still open: https://www.kan.de/en/publications/kanbrief/neue-technologien/self-driving-vehicles-major-questions-still-open/
How can your idea create new jobs and businesses? (optional)
Accelerate the discussion around standards, support pilots, emphasising the safety and benefit profile for older people.
Category: Mobility & Transport
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Author: rapi Date: 15 October 2016

It has been and always will be attractive for companies to employ young, promising people on lower wages sompared to those experienced workforce. Do not take the chance from our children! Let's create instead digital expert platforms utilizing the experience of retired people!

More and more proportion of retired people has digital skills which is a good base for part-time/remote/home-office work. Investing into common consultancy/software development and other shared platforms can and will prove to be profitable on society and also EU level.

How could policy makers help to scale-up your idea across Europe? (optional)
With a little investment (on-line workplace under official infrastructures) and giving access to digitally skilled elderly people their knowledge and remote working ability can be efficiently utilized
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)
Lack of interest at normal business players
What are the current barriers in implementing your idea? (optional)
Science has always been this kind of activity, smart people are working until the final minutes of their life
How can your idea create new jobs and businesses? (optional)
Supporting creation of central platform and digital infrastructure for such initiatives
Category: Work & Training
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Author: COME-IN Date: 14 October 2016

Accessibility to culture has a strong social value, it is associated with capability and the process of empowerment: the concept of culture and design for All contributes to the self-realization of individuals, in line with their wishes and hopes, and this philosophy is strictly linked to the rights of all human beings. Accessibility is also a key element in shaping the arising market opportunities related to the rights, needs and demands of elderly and people with disabilities. Among economic sectors, cultural tourism still represents an opportunity in Europe because it is on the rise, in terms of turnover and participation. In recent years and through the growing dimension represented by Accessible Tourism, 130 million people in Europe alone mobilised an annual business of 800 M €. Yet there are market potentials that are not adequately exploited due to scarce investments, lack of coordination and a static mentality that tends to consider the cultural heritage as inert and unchangeable.

In line with this idea, the COME-IN! (Cooperating for Open access to Museums – towards a widEr INclusion) project is an initiative funded under the Interreg CENTRAL EUROPE Programme and aims at valorizing the cultural heritage represented by small and medium size museums, by increasing their capacities to attract visitors and making them accessible to a wider public of people suffering from permanent or transient impairments, including older people and people with disabilities.

The project is on-going, it started in July 2016 and will run until June 2019: during three years of activities, partner institutions will work at the definition of transnational accessibility standards and will ensure know–how transfer to guarantee full accessibility to the museums currently involved in the project. In museums, accessibility refers not only to physical access and architectural obstacles, but also to cognitive inclusion and accessible communication that can help all visitors identifying how to enjoy at best the cultural heritage displayed, in line with their physical conditions, their background and sensitivity. Furthermore, inclusion means that no separate itineraries, but integrated paths along the same exhibition have to be put in place.

More precisely, along a service chain taking into account physical accessibility, training and awareness raising, common guidelines are under development to organize collections and exhibitions in an accessible way. Besides physical investments and revised communication, it is important that the staff of the museums is able to welcome and give assistance to all visitors, therefore the COME-IN! project is currently  elaborating, will test and then make available a training handbook dedicated to museum operators.

As the COME-IN! initiative is not meant to remain a closed exercise, its results and the instruments developed (Guidelines for accessible museums, Training for operators) will be promoted at European level, and a transnational label for awarding accessible museums complying with the COME-IN! standards will be designed.

How could policy makers help to scale-up your idea across Europe? (optional)
The idea behind the COME-IN! project is to promote a transnational route of accessible museums, exploiting market potentials with direct economic benefit for the same museums (increased number of visitors and income). In view of such a diversified offer, new staff members with knowledge in the field of accessibility have to be either trained and employed in museums promoted through the COME-IN! label. Moreover, the COME-IN! route will need to be integrated with other services (transportation, accommodation, leisure and facilities) that will also represent an opportunity of business on local and transnational level.
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)
Actually, small and medium size museums encounter difficulties in adapting to the “for all” concept, because of lack of organizational knowledge and of limited financial means, both for investments and promotion. For this reason, they need find resources and implement initiatives that allow adapting to satisfactory standards of accessibility in order to enlarge their catchment area and attract new visitors, with consequent economic benefit.
What are the current barriers in implementing your idea? (optional)
For more information about the COME-IN! project, please visit our website http://www.central2020.eu/Content.Node/COME-IN.html and connect with us https://www.facebook.com/COMEINPROJECT/?fref=ts https://twitter.com/projectcomein
How can your idea create new jobs and businesses? (optional)
Sustainable solutions in the field of accessibility to culture can only be achieved in synergy between institutions, cultural operators, planners and users. Universal Accessibility is already guaranteed by regulations at International, European and National level: what is needed is the flexibility to adapt the rules in force to the best practices available. To this aim, the COME-IN! standards will be promoted to policy makers that will be encourage to endorse or adopt them.
Category: Entertainment, Culture & Tourism
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Author: MikeyBUK Date: 12 October 2016

There is a nedd to focus on how we can help to keep over 50s active in the labour market.

- healthy age-friendly workplaces

- providing a rapid response to support those who are employed but off work due to illness or those recently unemployed to get back to work

How could policy makers help to scale-up your idea across Europe? (optional)
Creates better workforce stability
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)
Lack of hard evidence of costs versus benefits
What are the current barriers in implementing your idea? (optional)
Some good examples of this practice in Greater Manchester
How can your idea create new jobs and businesses? (optional)
Fund the research
Category: Work & Training
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Author: MikeyBUK Date: 12 October 2016
  • What are the characteristics of the 50+ involuntarily workless population?

  • What are the motivations, opportunities and barriers for these people to return to work?

  • What approaches are effective to reach workless people aged 50+ on a non-mandatory basis?

  • What specific services and support might be needed to help these people return to work?

How could policy makers help to scale-up your idea across Europe? (optional)
Provide insight
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)
Resourcing
How can your idea create new jobs and businesses? (optional)
Ensure any research findings are transposable
Category: Work & Training
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Author: Farmainove Date: 10 October 2016

FARMA|inove, the Association for Entrepreneurship and Innovation of FFUP (Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto), is a junior entreprise whose mission is to connect academic and business areas, promoting knowledge transposition and stimulating innovation.  Our collaborators are students and alumni of FFUP and play essential roles in different internal departments as  R&D, Industry Relations Development, Scientific Projects Development, and Social Innovation.

One of the current FARMA|inove projects is called “Prevenir é o Melhor Remédio - Estudo de Prevalência e Caracterização de Doentes Polimedicados na População da Zona Norte de Portugal” (Prevention is the best medicine – Study of the Prevalence and Characterization of polymedicated patients in the Population of the North Region in Portugal). Our main goal is to act in the polymedication, a theme that has multiple implication in both individual and communitary health.

As known, polymedication is common among elderly people .When not properly monitored, polymedication can increase the risk of medicines interactions, adverse events, therapeutic inefficiencies, hospitalizations and healthcare costs, with negative impact in life quality and in national health systems.

The project includes three phases:

  1. Collection of data - To compile information about the elderly population (e.g. demographic data, pharmacotherapeutic profile, medicines adherence levels, etc). This phase is made by the MSc in Pharmaceutical Sciences 5th grade students that are doing their curricular internships in the pharmacies, using standard surveys created by FARMA|inove and experts in accordance with the best ethic, regulatory and pharmaceutical practices.

 

      2. Creation of protocols - With the collected data, intervention protocols will be created and their implementation will be suggested to pharmacies, elderly care houses and civil society. Adding to this, various informative papers about polymedication will be distributed among society, using our project partners’ platforms and organizations.

 

      3. Study conclusions - The last phase includes an extensive analysis about the impact of the entire project.

The 1st phase started in 2013 and, until now, FARMA|inove already collaborated with more than70 pharmacies. As a result of this collaboration, the number of minimum surveys required for a significant analysis (n = 385) will be reached at the end of the present year (2016).

How could policy makers help to scale-up your idea across Europe? (optional)
With this project, FARMA|inove could optimize the medicines taking by elderly people, but at the same time add value to pharmacies and pharmacists, considering that pharmacists have a huge role in the process of older people medication adherence. Also, pharmacists could be presented as top professionals with knowledge and skills to conduct a crucial role for the society, once the pharmacies are often the first door where older people knock when a health problem is occurring.
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)
Now that the 2nd phase of the study is starting, FARMA|inove are struggling with our lack of biostatistics knowledge and with the amount of data to analyse. (for instance; how to convert names of medicines (active substances) or diseases to official code names (e.g. ICD-10)
What are the current barriers in implementing your idea? (optional)
Something similar was studied in the United Kingdom: Department of Health Policy Research Programme Project Understanding and Appraising the New Medicines Service in the NHS in England (029/0124) This study allowed to show the value of an optimization in the medicines adherence for the NHS. A correct pharmacotherapeutic approach, taking care the number of medicines and their nature of action can reach huge gains for the patients health and at the same time for the health systems itselves. When this study gets to its conclusions, it is expected to draw new ways for the pharmaceutical act in Portuguese pharmacies. We think we are in the right route to develop new ways that assure a safer medicines use, by avoiding some of the many dangers and detriments caused by polymedication. Beside the increased health system, this approach to medicines can save millions of euros to the Portuguese national healthcare system. In fact, by the same way that is expected to reduce the dangers of polymedication, we’ll be able to reduce the economic charges over the system itself.
How can your idea create new jobs and businesses? (optional)
Although being still far from the end of the project, once the project is finished in Portugal,we would like to use the produced protocols and lectures content to help to increase awareness to polymedication and medicines adherence across Europe.
Category: Health & Care
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Author: prof.goetzke@googlemail.com Date: 10 October 2016

EU’s ageing population is a challenge for its societies, but has quite rightly been identified as a potential multiplicator for growth and employment in the Union. ICT products and services are increasingly dedicated to improve the quality of life of older individuals. Innovations designed for the silver economy can be opportunities for an active and healthy ageing and ultimately benefi-cial to the European markets.

Tourism in particular is a sector that can greatly benefit from the silver economy. While the elderly might enjoy many of the benefits of travelling, the greater barrier to be overcome by many is the provision of medical care during travel and at destination. Selective use of mHealth (mobile health solutions and devices) could address these challenges at all three key time windows of leisure travel:

1)  Prior to bookings, it could allow travel agents and/or other stakeholders such as airlines, coach and/or railway companies, etc. to offer a health check of its travellers and offer a risk assessment to its customers. For example, it could deliver advisory health prevention measures to older passengers suffering from thrombosis.

2) During the journey to a destination, mHealth offers opportunities at the diagnostic and treatment level and involve both innovative services (i) and products (ii): guided support for emergency measures (i) to be performed, for example in the case of a diabetic co-ma, cardiac infarction, etc. could be advised via smart care devices, tablets, etc.

3)  At destination, mHealth can be a tool for better integrated person-centred care.

The market potential of mHealth has been identified and the EU can make best use of it for its silver economy by cutting costs but also, as proposed above, investing in innovations beneficial to other sectors and therefore fostering healthy ageing and overcome traditional challenges as-sociated with older populations such as mobility and autonomy.

How could policy makers help to scale-up your idea across Europe? (optional)
The development of mHealth products and services related to real needs in the tourism sector for the elderly could increase access to long-distance travels, reduce costs for individuals and insurances and further employment opportunities.
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 lack of interlinking between stakeholders of the tourism industry, the silver economy, the health care market and providers of ICT products and services.
What are the current barriers in implementing your idea? (optional)
Realizing this idea would result in an true innovation: lowering the barriers for "the elderly", which are appreciating tourism, requires adequate tackling of the health needs and the health risks of this target group of tourism. Although the technical preconditions are available no valid realized model is to be named.
How can your idea create new jobs and businesses? (optional)
Foster cooperation initiatives between the above-named sectors by funding R&D projects.
Category: Entertainment, Culture & Tourism
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Author: oskar.jonsson@mfd.se Date: 10 October 2016

Approximately 3 million elderly people and persons with disabilities in Europe use social alarm units in their homes that connect and transfer data via analogue tone signalling to an alarm receiving centre. The analogue tones (DTMF) are not suitable for the digital networks of today in Europe. It is not possible to create new services and to monitor the function and communication of the social alarms in a feasible and secure way using analogue tone signalling. Stop immediately use analogue signalling in digital networks. Do a technology shift for all 3 million units and all alarm receiving centres! It is a paradigm shift because the suppliers of the service also have to work and take responsibility for the communication in a different way.

How could policy makers help to scale-up your idea across Europe? (optional)
European companies can be world leaders in digital telecare, and from there expand to more new services for home health care, ehealth etc. Easier, faster and best practise as a company to work with paying customers - than failing in trying to build a new 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)
It is hard for public sector and service providers to work in a new way, take responsible for new things and work with a new business model. You have to do the paradigm shift in all links of the service chain. All links are equally important for everything to work. Change in the full value chain is difficult.
What are the current barriers in implementing your idea? (optional)
Sweden has exchanged half of all its analogue social alarms, and will do all during the next four years. See European standardisation committee Service Chain for Social Care Alarms: https://standards.cen.eu/dyn/www/f?p=204:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1235177&cs=1EDA02E064C77C0A8FF4BB10C7AF88E28 See national coordinated procurement (in Swedish): http://www.sklkommentus.se/inkopscentral/ramavtal/halso-och-sjukvard-samt-omsorg/trygghetslarm-och-larmmottagning/
How can your idea create new jobs and businesses? (optional)
Address the importance of the social alarm service that has approximately 3 million users in Europe (possible 9 million users if all Europe had the same uptake of the service as UK, Spain, France, Germany and Sweden). Address the importance of doing the full technology/paradigm shift now. Join the European standardisation committee CEN/TC 431 - Service Chain for Social Care Alarms (representing the EU commission). If we can’t digitalise social alarms – none of the telecare/telehealth/smarthome initiatives and EU-projects will scale beyond projects and trials.
Category: Health & Care
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Author: kchoegl@hotmail.com Date: 10 October 2016

Elderly persons must often take a variety of medicines to alleviate their ailments or chronic pathologies. While physicians and pharmacists provide patients with detailed information about their medicines and therapeutic treatment regimes, remembering the dosages and time intervals at which the medicines need to be taken, can oftentimes be a burden on patients, especially elderly ones. For this reason, pharmacies, together with distributors of healthcare products and medicines, have devised a unique tool to help patients take the right medicine at the right time: medicine blistering services.

Medicine blistering services or ‘Individual patient packaging’ is the activity of packaging authorised medicines according to individual dosages adapted to the patient’s therapeutic regime and to the patient’s daily chronology of ingestion (i.e. breakfast, lunch, dinner) by a pharmacist or healthcare distributor. In order to do so, healthcare distributors and designated blistering companies de-blister medicines from their primary packaging and portion the tablets in an automated process into individual dose pouches (blisters), containing all medicines (as prescribed by the acting physician) that need to be taken by the patient over the course of one week. Each blister contains single doses of different medicines, the name of the patient, the names and batch numbers of the medicines therein contained, the time for medicine intake, the names of the holders of the marketing authorisation and the name of the pharmacy through which the order was placed. All these data are saved electronically by the healthcare distributor. As an additional safeguard, all blistered medicines are checked against the prescribed medicines by an electronic photo comparison process, during which even the smallest deviation can be recognised. The medicine pouches/blisters are delivered to the pharmacy that ordered the blistering for a given patient. The pharmacist then hands over the blistered medicines to the patient or to the person in charge of the care of the specific patient.

Blistering is a highly automated and regulated process and the best highest standards are applied throughout the entire manufacturing process. Blistering ensures that the patient takes all necessary medicines in the right dosage at the right time, preventing medication errors.

By providing patients with an easy to follow system that packages the right medicines dosages at the right time intervals, blistering services help to improve patient adherence to medicines regimes and therapeutic treatments, the work of nurses in elderly care homes or home care-givers,  and also, to improve patients’ health and therapeutic outcomes.

How could policy makers help to scale-up your idea across Europe? (optional)
Over the past years, distributors of medicines and healthcare products have been undergoing a progressive evolution that is expanding their traditional logistics service offer to a wide range of added-value services for pharmacies and patients. Medicines blistering and individual patient packaging is just one of many such services that are having an important impact not only on the efficiency, but also on the sustainability of pharmacies and the healthcare distribution sector. The provision of blistering services has far-reaching up and downstream consequences. Directly, such services require additional machines and operational personnel, but also training and education on the new blistering processes both for staff employed by healthcare distributors and in pharmacies. Indirectly, the provision of blistering services, has important implications for other sectors of the economy. In order to offer such services, healthcare distributors require electricity, conveyors, IT-services etc. and, of course, – medicinal products. Due to the various interconnections between the healthcare distribution sector and its supplying industries, distributors also generate jobs and value-added in these preliminary sectors. As these sectors are linked to other supplying industries (e.g. pharmaceutical manufacturers need chemicals, production facilities, etc.), value-added and jobs are also created. The sum of these economic effects is referred to as ‘indirect effects’. A recent study conducted by GIRP, the European Healthcare Distribution Association, in cooperation with the Institute for Pharmaeconomic Research in Vienna, Austria examined the overall value-added and number of jobs created by an industry as a whole for each invested unit of currency and for each job created in the sector (Clement et al. 2005).The study revealed that €1 invested in the pharmaceutical wholesale sector generates on average €1.97 in the study’s six target countries (France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, UK). Furthermore, for each additional job offered by healthcare distributors, 1.98 additional jobs are generated in the economy as a whole.
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)
Blistering or Individual patient packaging is a well-established activity in a number of European countries, such as in Austria, Finland, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland and the Netherlands. Such services could be made more widely available by breaking down two important barriers: low or non-existent remuneration for additional pharmacy services by national healthcare systems and a lack of IT coordination between pharmacists, healthcare distributors, the treating physician and of course, the patient. As regards the former barrier, we understand that remuneration practices are subject to the discretion of each individual Member State and its respective health policy. Pharmacies, by offering additional services such as blistering services, however, can help to alleviate overburdened hospitals, physicians and subsequently the financial burdens associated with patient non-adherence to medicines. Offering such services requires the broader recognition of the pharmacist as a competent healthcare professional and also monetary compensation for the provision of such services. As regards the latter barrier, IT solutions play an important role in enabling these actors to communicate efficiently and effectively with one another in order to ensure that the correct medicine dosages and time intervals are respected for each patient in the blistering process. While such communication systems are starting to be established in communities across Europe, there is still a considerable need to encourage communication between pharmacists, physicians, patients and healthcare distributors to ensure optimal patient health outcomes.
What are the current barriers in implementing your idea? (optional)
Blistering or Individual patient packaging is a well-established activity in a number of European countries, such as in Austria, Finland, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland and the Netherlands.
How can your idea create new jobs and businesses? (optional)
Policy makers could help to promote blistering services by encouraging recognition of the pharmacist as a competent healthcare professional and by encouraging monetary compensation for the provision of additional healthcare services in pharmacies. Policy makers could also help to encourage the broad application and establishment of IT solutions across Europe that would help healthcare professionals to communicate efficiently and effectively with one another in ensuring the health and well-being of patients.
Category: Health & Care
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Author: Elders Camp Date: 10 October 2016
We are a group of young entrepreneurs from The Netherlands and Belgium and together we identified the need for an integrated web platform for seniors about a year ago. Our’s is no longer an idea, but we converted it into reality about 4 months ago. Visit www.elderscamp.com and explore a fully integrated platform for seniors, started in India, but soon coming to Europe. We call it a trusted market and meeting place for the elders to find opportunities, at their own pace, at their own place. We deliberately started this initiative in a developing country because of the market size and huge development opportunity, however being an IT enabled platform we are capable of bringing it to many other developing and developed countries and preparing to launch it soon in Europe. Our website connects the elderly with a wide range of service providers, such as senior living / retirement home facilities, home based health care providers, nursing bureaus, household support providers, elderly event organizers, elderly tour operators etc. Our platform also enables the elderly to list their work profile / experience and search for suitable “Jobs for Senior Citizens”, as well as allow them to connect with other like-minded elders (“Elder Match”) in their vicinity or in different parts of the world to exchange their experiences or build a new relationship. Our mission is to enable, empower and facilitate every senior citizen in finding a fit-for-purpose, affordable, and trustworthy elder services in an easy, elder friendly way. We aim to ensure that every elder is: Supported to live as independently as possible, with more control over their lives; Offered affordable choices in what assistance and interventions are available; Supported to fulfill their personal aims and aspirations by further enhancing their skills; Enabled to participate in work, education, training and leisure activities; Able to become financially independent by continuing part-time work. Since its inception almost a year ago, Elders Camp team (8 full time staff) has: Conducted extensive research on ageing and age related challenges; Performed various online and offline market analysis on day to day elderly requirements and commercially available as well as charity driven elder care initiatives; Partnered with more than 250 elder care service providers across 6 metro cities in India, and helped a few elders in availing such services; Partnered with more than 100 senior living facilities (retirement homes) in 12 different cities in India and have physically verified the level of services offered by such facilities. All retirement homes listed on our platform are physically vetted. Last but not least, via our online presence, specially via our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/elderslifecare we are connected with thousands of senior citizens, who have publicly shared their concerns and day to day requirements with us.
How could policy makers help to scale-up your idea across Europe? (optional)
More than 1000 elders have already registered or requested us to assist them either via our customer care center or via the website. Once launched in Europe and other developing countries, we are confident that we will be able to partner (onboard) a great number of elderly care providers who can offer their services online via an integrated elderly platform, thus enhancing their current market reach in Europe and boosting the elder care economy. In the coming months, we will make our website multi-lingual (focusing on various European languages) and we will make it easier for seniors to create their online profile and search for suitable vacancies post retirement as well as find like-minded elders nearby, thus enhancing their inclusion in the society and creating an extended workforce. Our research based knowledge about elderly issues and our young and passionate team that aims to serve them, gives us a unique position in the current ecosystem of elderly care. When we will grow, we will also create more employment opportunities for youngsters to join our company.
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)
Elder Care is very broad subject and there are many different opportunities to work together, however our research of last two years suggests that one area where the elders badly need support and there are hardly any means is “Elder Jobs”. We have come across hundreds of elders who have skills and competence, but do not have the means to continue working post retirement, both to remain financially independent as well as to stay engaged. Our online platform provides only a “channel” to elders to express themselves, but to really make it a success we need support of Public and Private undertakings, Corporate Houses and Media Agencies to bring this topic high on the public agenda. If policy makers like European Union would provide recognition to this initiative, it will enhance trust and create awareness about such opportunities for seniors. Our objectives and immediate targets on “Elder Jobs” are as follows: • Reach out to as many companies as possible and convince them to create part-time / full-time employment opportunities for senior citizens; • Provide personal assistance / coaching to elders in expressing themselves even better (e.g. mobile / computer skills training etc.); • Offer online counseling services and make a one to one match between the elderly skills and the job requirements; • Spread awareness in the start-up community (i.e. create "The Intern" Hollywood Movie effect), and request our service partners (care providers) to employ more and more senior citizens; • Further improve the user-friendliness and reach of our online platform (e.g. multiple languages, simple mobile app etc.), so that more and more elders can be reached and benefit from it.
What are the current barriers in implementing your idea? (optional)
www.elderscamp.com is already operational and fully up to speed in India and will be laucnhed soon in Europe. Visit our Youtube channel for a couple of explainer videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfTPNXAd_FEDrRPiw4rpzVA
How can your idea create new jobs and businesses? (optional)
To achieve the above objectives, in addition to funding for scaling-up our operations, we need a strong partner whose involvement can raise awareness about this subject as well as bring it to the limelight. European Union, in our opinion, is an ideal candidate for this joint-endeavor for us. With access to many different country policy makers, a partnership or support from EU will be of great help to Elders Camp. If given a chance, we will present a thorough project plan detailing our requirements, proposed governance structure, key deliverables and milestones for working with the EU and bringing “Elders Camp” to Europe and many other parts of the world.
Category: Connectivity & Social participation
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Author: Roberto Gimenez Date: 10 October 2016

We live longer, and digital seniors are around the corner. As time goes by, most senior citizens will be the ones who have co-existed with technology probably throughout their whole life, and who are most likely to be more independent than the seniors we know nowadays. The stereotype of dependant elders may vanish as thanks to medical advances we will also remain healthier, more active and will want to profit life more intensely.

Most of these “young seniors” are not too old, mainly healthy and independent, keen on keeping their physical shape and their quality of life, interested in or at least curious about technology and willing to invest their money in products and services that meet their needs and expectations. But seniors, especially the active ones, are frequently ignored by technology market trends, which is a big wasted opportunity. What they do find in the market are products designed for youngsters, for patients, or for older and sicker seniors:

  • solutions for health care and daily activity boosting. These services can certainly be used by seniors, but they do not target this audience and are not specifically designed for them.
  • preventive solutions. Normally designed for monitoring and/or sending alerts on a specific pathological conditions, not for improving the general health condition.
  • and solutions for seniors’ healthcare and wellness. Frequently marketed as surveillance solutions, mainly designed for third parties exerting control over seniors.

We have identified this non-well addressed need and believe that it can be converted into an opportunity by developing a specific service for seniors aimed at:

  • empowering them to self-monitor their health status.
  • encouraging them to take regular physical exercise.
  • making urban environments more accessible, inclusive and appealing for seniors.
How could policy makers help to scale-up your idea across Europe? (optional)
This idea may contribute to generate jobs and business in Europe in two ways: 1. the urban integration shall be achieved by providing seniors a wide offer of activities and products that suit their interests and preferences (e.g. cultural activities or special offers in the shops nearby them). Therefore, this kind of solution shall contribute to the growth of the retail sector and the leisure sector, as it will be a new tool they can use for specifically increasing their sales to senior customers. 2. A service like this may provide also a labour opportunity for senior workers, especially those over 55 years, who may find a position in any of the companies developing such solutions, as they are closer to the target users and may become a valuable resource for providing their knowledge and experience. This will provide an opportunity to a sector traditionally put aside by the labour 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)
We have detected certain barriers to implementing this idea: as there is not such a similar solution in the market, seniors may not trust it and may not be keen to try it (especially in the beginning). Therefore, in order to overcome these potential barriers, it is essential to gain seniors’ trust and acceptance, so they may get engaged, and it is also fundamental to deliver a service technically reliable, so all the measurements (e.g. number of steps taken, heart rate) are accurate, the battery lasts long enough, the application works smoothly, etc.
What are the current barriers in implementing your idea? (optional)
A prototype of this service has already been developed by EUROB: InCity Together http://www.incitytogether.io/en/index.html, but there is still a great potential for improvement.
How can your idea create new jobs and businesses? (optional)
Policy makers could help scaling-up this idea by establishing mechanisms for labelling or certificating this kind of preventive-health tools. Should this type of solutions be officially endorsed by policy makers, it would be easier to get the approval from physicians and geriatricians, who may act as prescribers or opinion leaders towards their patients, and therefore it would be easier to gain users’ trust. And also, should this type of solutions be officially funded, European healthcare systems may include them among their current tools, and the idea will broaden its scope and scale-up.
Category: Health & Care
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Author: Birgitta Schüler Date: 10 October 2016

Workshops based on formal and informal knowledge of participants from different who are interested in to reach a specific goal. Goals who are interesting for all Generations  and their needs (f.e.child care, care for older people, finding a job, health issues, psycholog. issues /avoiding stress) .

Organized workshops from organizations (industry) open to all interested people f.e. for employes as well for non-employes and  their family members and friends to create more social, financial, emotional issues for the company as well for the region employes and non-employes  and their families for a better organized healthy and social life f.e. more time for caring about elderly people, children, social work etc.

 

How could policy makers help to scale-up your idea across Europe? (optional)
Beside the fact that the Goals are defined by organizations who want to find Solutions for their own interested (less stress at work or more healthy or motivated People or to find new staff member) People f.e. with low formal education but with a lot of informal Knowledge get the opportunity to present their ideas from a different Point of view for supporting holistic realistic daily living solutions for/at work, at home and for the Region. The holistic Goals must be defined in that Kind of way that all Solutions are based Generation friendly There is may be a Chance to create together new formal (in-nonformal) Jobs with new subjects, which are not focused from (national) education System but can find later an Transfer in the System.
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)
0 barrieres - diszipl. and section thinking - Ideas must be valued and f.e. get paid or/and lead to new jobs (f.e. for the organization, the Region)
What are the current barriers in implementing your idea? (optional)
Instrument - Profil Pass Germany - helps People to get know their informal Knowledge
How can your idea create new jobs and businesses? (optional)
a) Multidisziplinaery Meetings: policy, Stakeholders etc. to push informal Knowledge on formel level b) Markting f.e. EU sponsered Projects and Workshops who where already successfull - results must be communicated c) Further on Sponsoring Projects and Workshops - with no disziplinary restrictions to reach to Goals - who Ieads to new Trainings and new jobs
Category: Other
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Author: Manouchehr Shamsrizi Date: 10 October 2016

 

RetroBrain R&D: Aging healthily by aging playfully

Our social business StartUp RetroBrain R&D creates therapeutic video games. We take proven therapies and gamify them for senior citizens and patients, helping us tackle demographic change and age-related diseases. As a university spin-off of Humboldt Universität zu Berlin RetroBrain R&D has been described as „a benchmark in the therapeutic gamification industry“ (Lift Basel). The resulting product, MemoreBox, provides therapeutic exercises with minimal time and effort for retirement homes and hospitals. Memore is fun to play and incentivises patients to train daily, thus increasing (medical) compliance and therapeutic/preventive effects. RetroBrain R&D helps senior citizens live a healthy and enjoyable life. It alleviates the strain on care takers and reduces healthcare costs at the intersection of the global mega trends eHealth and gamification. RetroBrain R&D has found many partners and supporters in the scientific, tech- and social entrepreneurship community: inter alia we were supported by Ashoka, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs’s EXIST-Programme, Microsoft and the charitable organizations from all over Germany. Development was aided by experts from the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Hamburg University Medical Center and Charité. Amongst other prizes, RetroBrain R&D has been awarded the Rudi-Assauer-Award for the fight against dementia as well as CISCO’s Digital Deutschland Pitch Award. We have been admitted to the "European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing" of the European Commission. RetroBrain is working with Germany's second largest health insurance company, Barmer GEK. We are the first start-up to implement a model evaluation in line with Germany’s new Prevention Act. This will increase our social impact.

RetroBrain’s Memore platform provides unprecedented accessibility of much needed therapeutic and preventive exercises in a scalable and efficient way to those in need. Senior citizens and patients will enjoy a healthier and more pleasant way of aging and recovery. (Health) Care providers will be able to offer simple and effective activities despite budgetary restraints in a world of demographic change and rising medical costs.

Our first product is already making an impact in retirement homes

The MemoreBox is RetroBrain’s first product, designed for use in retirement homes. Easily integrated into daily nursing routines, it is connected to a regular TV-screen. Operation is simple: A single button push is all that is required in order to start the system. This way physicians and nurses experience the best possible usability. A virtual character then interacts with patients by asking them to join the game as soon as they step in front of the TV. No setup or configuration is necessary. A sensor tracks the players’ body movements. Gameplay is completely gesture-based gameplay. No controller or keyboard is required. Different game modules offer different exercises. Motorbike riding trains stability in standing, reaction speed and 3D-orientation. The Ninepin Simulation stimulates social interaction and skills. Ping Pong gives players a competitive experience. The postman game trains specific arm and leg movements. Adaptations for neuro rehabilitation (e.g. stroke rehab) and Parkinson are currently undergoing joint testing with partner hospitals. These versions feature extended diagnostic functionality (patients’ gameplay performance data as well as movement related sensor data) and options to modify gameplay or movement options via a therapist interface.

Please find an an explanatory 4min video documentation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_TkE580Ft4

In 2016, RetroBrain R&D was one of 100 handpicked European startups invited to President Obama's Global Entrepreneurship Summit at Stanford University, find out more here: https://www.hu-berlin.de/en/press-portal/nachrichten-en/nr1606/nr_160620_00

How could policy makers help to scale-up your idea across Europe? (optional)
Due to changes in demographics and rising life expectancy, age-related diseases are on the rise. Healthcare-systems will have to cope with skyrocketing costs. By 2050, dementia alone is projected to cost 250 billion Euros per year in the European Union. Fall-related injuries (which correlate highly with age and dementia) lead to average treatment expenses of at least 10,000 € per case in Germany. These developments will boost further demand for scalable eHealth solutions in therapy and prevention - solutions that will often be developed and offered by StartUps founded by young people from all over Europe, thus building high-tech companies and effectively implementing the European Commissions Social Business Initiative as well as many initiatives on entrepreneurship.
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 regulations on health markets in the EU is understandably very strict, but threatens innovation and connectedness as well as the necessary additional focus on prevention.
How can your idea create new jobs and businesses? (optional)
By merging the efforts, policies and programmes on (Social) Entrepreneurship, Digital Single Market as well as Healthcare.
Category: Health & Care
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