Innovation: Design-led innovations for Active Ageing (DAA)

Pan-European cities

AAI Domains:

• Independent, healthy and secure living (improving access to health and care services)

• Participation in society (voluntary activity, social connectedness)

Design-led innovations for Active Ageing (DAA) was a project funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the INTERREF IVC programme to foster the development of innovative solutions to the challenges of ageing across eight European cities. The ethos of the project was to involve service users and stakeholders to improve the quality of existing services and to develop innovative solutions tailored to the particular context of each city. This involved inter-disciplinary interactions with older people and service providers to co-design social innovations through an iterative process of design, prototype, pilot and testing.

In Helsinki, Culminatum Innovation Oy worked with older people, the municipality of Helsinki and health and social care providers to developed and test personal budgets for people in the Lauttasaari. This innovation enabled older people and their families to have a much greater level of choice over the provision of social care and support services and this personalisation should have improved access to high quality care services.

In Sofia, the Social Development Agency developed and advocated for a range of initiatives to make the city more age-friendly. These included changes to public transport, access improvements for outdoor spaces and the development of community support and social inclusion through the increased use of arts, culture and physical activity opportunities for older people.

In Stockholm, the local municipality worked with older people, private and voluntary sector organisations to develop innovative partnership arrangements. In Oslo, the municipality emphasised the acceptability and usage of welfare technology – ambient assisted living for people of all ages in need as assistance – as did the International Design Centre (IDZ) in Berlin.

In Warsaw, the municipality developed a specialist centre for older people to promote volunteering, inter-generational activity and to campaign to change negative social attitudes towards ageing and older people. In Catalonia, the Barcelona Design Centre co-produced a social model of care aimed at improving the quality of life of older people with dementia and their families.

In Antwerp, Design Flanders and Care Company Antwerp identified means of promoting active citizenship to reduce social isolation and loneliness along with the promotion of active ageing and solidarity across the generations with NeighbourhoodNet: Attention for Senior Citizens. The DAA project was completed in 2014 and its legacy in each of the cities appears to vary depending on the particular focus and situation adopted.

In relation to active ageing, the DAA project adhered to the principles of developing social innovations through co-production and intensive user-engagement. The focus in each city differed with Oslo and Berlin seeking to develop to acceptability and use of ICT-related welfare technologies and ambient assisted living. Antwerp and Warsaw sought to increase social connectedness and voluntary activity among older people while Helsinki, Stockholm and Barcelona sought to develop new models of health and social care provision and partnerships to improve the quality of life for older people and their families. While in Sofia, creating an age-friendly environment to encourage social connectedness and enable active was the main focus.

Although each city took differing approaches in the project were united by the need to support independent living for older people through social innovations for active ageing.