The Partners

• SMART COM d.o.o. Computer and Communication Systems
• Faculty of Social Sciences, UL
• Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, UM

Problem Description

The need of older adults to live at home for as long as possible, increasing costs of long-term care (leading to unsustainable health and social care systems), and burdened informal carers can nowadays no longer be ignored. These characteristics of an ageing society are pressuring Slovenian policy makers, industry, researchers, and civil society organizations to develop and mainstream ICT-based assistive services (ASs). Despite the growing body of evidence about ICT-based ASs’ positive effects, Slovenia is in its infancy regarding the adoption of smart solutions for active and healthy ageing (AHA).

Solution

The project develops an integrated theory-driven and evidence-based approach in order to stimulate the uptake of technological solutions for AHA. The project will address these problems by pursuing three main aims:

• Understanding how an usable, sustainable and affordable ASs on a cloud-based platform for the prolonged independent living and AHA of older people can be (re)designed to consider both the needs of older adults and their informal carers;
• Testing and evaluating the ASs in a realistic environment involving care receivers and caregivers in their home environment;
• Outlining a methodological approach that would allow the active involvement of end-users throughout all stages of the R&D of ASs.