Workshop Competition Topic: social cohesion and connectivity for aging and elderly people

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Workshop Competition Topicsocial cohesion
and connectivity for aging and elderly people
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Demographic change people live longer and stay
healthier at older ages
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Social change elderly people tend to lose
connectivity

• US more then 50 of the aging experience some
  form of loneliness (Netherlands gt 30)
• Reasons
• Role changes (retirement)
• Losing friends and family, leading to smaller
  networks
• Unable to understand new technologies and
  behaviour
• Reduced health and/or mobility
• Sense of (un)safety
• Physical unsafety

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Solutions?

• Different scales
• Micro (individual)
• Meso (environment)
• Macro (society)
• Different types of solutions
• Competence development (learning)
• Practical, physical solutions and means (products
  and services)
• Providing connectivity (physical and
  psychological)
• Providing safety (physical and psychological)

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Example piece of family

• Graduation project at DUT
• Online communication aid
• Scanner, notepad, tv and easy interface

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Challenge!

• Take notice of
• Social living environment and structure
• Family characteristics
• Culture and behavior
• Ergonomics and anthropometrics
• Safety
• Needs (physical and psychological)
• Technology (availability and level)