European Commission supports elderly assisted living

Ahead of the Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) Forum event in Romania this September, the European Commission is showcasing numerous ICT-enabled ‘ambient assisted living’ projects that have been funded by the commission. With the aim of the AAL Joint Programme being to improve the standard of living for the elderly who rely on mobility aids and other such devices all over the world through the use of ICT, it is hoped that the development of its projects will support carers, families and care organisations as well as the elderly residents themselves.

The AAL JP was established as the number of elderly European residents continues to grow alongside the increasing average life expectancy for people living in Europe. With the rising number of people over the age of 65 in Europe, state funds are expected to struggle with the mounting number of people needing care, mobility aids and stair lifts to maintain an independent and healthy lifestyle.

ICT for Active and Healthy Ageing

The AAL JP has been working hard to find projects in the field of “ICT for Active and Healthy Ageing” and co-funds and supports such initiatives. These are then showcased in the European forum that is organised annually in the attempt to find solutions to problems that affect older people across the continent. While mobility aids such as riser recliner chairs for the elderly make home life more comfortable, the AAL JP builds on such technological developments to introduce ICT solutions to both care and the daily lives of older people.

One of the five areas that have already been funded by the AAL looked into the use of ICT to improve older people’s independence, while another investigated ICT-enabled mobility solutions – two key areas of older life. With the continuing work of the AAL, it is hoped that more ICT solutions to problems affecting people in older stages of life will come to fruition and improve both the state of European economies and the lives of present elderly citizens and future generations.

Image Credit: S