The population of the EU-28 on 1 January 2018 was estimated at 512.4 million. The elderly, persons aged 65 or over, had a 19.7 % share (an increase of 0.3 percentage points compared with the previous year and an increase of 2.6 percentage points compared with 10 years earlier). Italy registers the record share of persons aged 65 or older in the total population, (22.6 %); the percentage is similarly high, and in constant increase, in France (19.7% of the population is 65 or older), and Slovenia (19.4). Life expectancy has risen systematically in all of the EU Member States in recent decades: in 2017 EU-28 life expectancy was 80.9 years. While it is broadly positive that life expectancy continues to rise and each person has a good chance of living longer, it is not so clear that additional years of life are welcome if characterised by a range of medical problems, disability, or mental illness. Older people fight against the inevitability of ageing by trying to remain active and fit — keeping their bodies flexible and strong, and stimulating their intellect to keep their minds sharp. New opportunities provided by the digital society, and informal education can help the elderly to pursue this objective. Through the development of their skills and knowledge, the older population can continue to have active and fulfilling lives. Older people are gradually becoming more digital: between 2008 and 2017, the share of the EU-28 population aged 65-74 years never having used a computer was reduced from 68 % to 40 %. Over 4 out of 10 over 65s declare they "love technology", also thanks to the new simpler and more intuitive devices. 66.2% use Internet, social networks and smartphones independently and 57.1% declare that social networks make them feel less isolated. The ambition of ActivAge project is to change the usual paradigm from the conservative, "crisis management" one to a more pro-active support for spreading and supporting healthy behaviour in EU aging population, with 5 main objectives: O1 - "Best Practives for Active Ageing" will analyse and promote best practices at international level for the "ageing well"; O2 - "ActivAge Self-Assessment and Recommendation Tool" will support in an accessible way a self-assessment of the users and recommend a path for healthier lifestyle; O3 - "ActivAge Digital Knowledge Centre" will offer open online training modules for the elderly that will promote active ageing; collect and publish digital maps of existing initiatives addressing active ageing at local level in EU ; involve users and stakeholders in the design and the promotion of ActivAge online tools. The project consortium is composed by 6 partners, each with a specific profile and able to address a different aspect of the needs of the population over 65: - International Telematic University UNINETTUNO (coordinator), providing its expertise in online training and digital tools, and in international project coordination; FIN Plus and Lunga Vita Attiva are associations involved in the promotion of "active ageing lifestyles" through sports and healthy behaviours. They are part of an European network of Associations that cater for the same target group; - ZRS KopZnanstveno- Rasiskovalno Sredisce Koperer is a research institution with strong focus on health preservation through their Institute of Kinesiological Research. It has carried out interdisciplinary research aimed at defining measures to maintain healthy individuals within a healthy environment, focusing on quality and sustainable development strategies; - Université Catholique de Lille started its social innovation activities with the Live Tree program, impacting on local communities with interdisciplinary activities involving social scientists, ICT engineering scientists and human scientists - University of Maribor is involved in the eServices Provision for the Seniors 55+ initiative, and it will contribute its networking expertise and collaboration with various public and non-governmental institutions that deal with the senior population (research centres, universities, nursing homes, institutes, etc.). The project will involve end users and relevant stakeholders, leveraging on the consortium partners' already existing networks, for co-designing and (at a later stage) validating the main outputs of the project: the online recommendation systems (IO2), able to analyse user profiles and to suggest to each user a personalised path with resources, training contents (IO3) and best practices (IO1) available on the project website. Expected results are wider involvement of silver age population in open education, lifelong learning, healthy and active behaviours, raised awareness of the opportunities provided by a pro-active approach to ageing, as opposite to a "conservative approach", focused on damage limitations and "crisis management" when diseases and issues have already taken place.
The purpose of ActivAge was to support elderly individuals in maintaining their independence, well-being, and physical and mental health. To achieve this, we developed a user-friendly online tool that is tailored to the needs of individuals over the age of 65, including those who are less familiar with technology. Our tool provides resources and activities that can help preserve, and even improve, their psycho-physical condition, including advice on nutrition, exercise, and other lifestyle factors that can impact their health. The project aims to empower users to make informed decisions about their health and overall lifestyle. Additionally, the platform promotes social interaction, reducing the risk of social isolation and positively impacting the lives of ageing adults. Through the ActivAge project, we are committed to making a significant difference in the quality of life for elderly individuals.
The world is currently experiencing a significant demographic shift, with the ageing population growing at an unprecedented rate. This demographic shift poses many challenges, particularly in terms of the needs of those over 65 years old: as people live longer, there is an increased risk of developing age-related health problems, which can impact their quality of life, and finally the society as a whole. It is crucial to understand which factors most directly impact the well-being of the elderly and to develop IT tools that can help them live actively and in good health. With this project we planned to provide tailored advice and support to older adults, in order to help them maintain their physical health and well-being. We think that IT tools can play a crucial role in addressing the challenges faced by the ageing population, they can help the elderly to remain socially connected, in good mental health, socially connected, and maintain their independence longer. For example, IT tools can provide access to social networks, encourage physical and metal activities, provide nutrition and health advice, give access to support services.