One week after the final event with the participants in Graz, first results from the one-year field test were presented to the RegionAAL participants from Deutschlandsberg and Leibnitz as well. The event took place in the premises of the nursing home Kirschallee on February 13 2019.
The Sozialverein Deutschlandsberg and JOANNEUM RESEARCH gave a look back at the project and first insights into the results of the test phase. Afterwards in a relaxed mood with cakes and coffee, there was an exciting exchange of experiences around the RegionAAL components which will be available in the future.
In a closing event for the RegionAAL participants from Graz and its surrounding area on 7 February 2019, first results from the one-year field test were presented at the Geriatric Health Centres of the City of Graz (GGZ).
During the project a technology package was compiled around the three application areas safety (stove shutdown, light installations with motion detectors and wireless switches), social inclusion (tablet with senior-friendly user interface and applications like video phone calls, messaging…) and health (smartwatch, motion videos, vital signs …). The package was tested in more than 100 households in Graz, Leibnitz and Deutschlandsberg for a period of one year.
GGZ as well as Sozialverein Deutschlandsberg and JOANNEUM RESEARCH gave first insights into the results of the accompanying evaluation.
Following the presentation of these results, the older adults were presented supporting technologies in addition to the regional AAL components which will become available in the future.
The older adults not only showed great interest but also an openness to the assistance by technology. One of the RegionAAL participants said: “Such a project is important, so that technologies become known and one learns what is already there.”
The motto of the Fast forward 4 You event on 24 January 2019 was “Active and Healthy Aging”. The Geriatric Health Centres of the City of Graz (GGZ) presented their activities in the field of Active and Assisted Living (AAL).
The Partners of GGZ presented joint cooperative projects. Within those presentations Kurt Majcen gave insights into RegionAAL and first results of the field test phase. Audience inquiries showed that there is a great interest in AAL technologies and how respectively when these technologies can be acquired and used.
The project “Who Cares?” aims at rethinking Age, ageing and care for the province of Styria. This should be achieved through interdisciplinary cooperation of experts from different fields like humanities, social and cultural sciences, art, medicine and also technology.
Kurt Majcen held a short presentation on “Active and Assisted Living (AAL)” in the first meeting of the Technology and Learning working area. In the following discussion various aspects of assistive technologies were discussed and experiences from the field trial within RegionAAL shared with the participants.
Students from FH Campus Wien visited the institute DIGITAL on 12 December 2018 to learn about AAL activities at JOANNEUM RESEARCH and about the RegionAAL project. After a presentation, the robot Pepper (from another DIGITAL project dealing with dementia) as well as the tablet and the smartwatch from RegionAAL were demonstrated to the students. The individual shown technologies were of great interest to the students, who may work with and Research assistance Technologies tomorrow…
On 15 November 2019, Kerstin Löffler from Geriatric Health Centres of the City of Graz (GGZ) presented RegionAAL and the importance of AAL at the first AAL Practice Conference in Salzburg:
As a competence centre for geriatric medicine and care, we focus on the needs of older people. Active and assisted living (AAL) technologies can be a chance to strengthen the responsibility and independence of older people. Technical support for older people allows the possibilities to live independently and self-determined at home as long as possible.
Involving the target group actively is the central element for further developments of AAL technologies. Our experience shows that seniors are open minded to participate and appreciate an active involvement.
Now the third model apartment is also available – at Schöglerstraße 2 in Leibnitz. Please use phone number 03462 / 7124 or e-mail address office@kirschallee.at to inform yourself regarding visiting possibilities.
On invitation of the Styrian Humane Technology Cluster, a delegation from Saxony-Anhalt with around 20 delegates visited the Geriatric Health Centres of the City of Graz (GGZ) on June 27 to exchange ideas on “Active and Healthy Aging” in order to “learn from European neighbours “. A deeper cooperation with the Styrian AHA reference region is foreseen for the future. Representatives from business and science of the health sector of Saxony-Anhalt were led by Digital State Secretary Thomas Wünsch.
Some Styrian initiatives were presented – including the RegionAAL project. Following the presentation, several topics were discussed, like composition of the group of participants, the products in use for the pilot and continuation after the project end. The event ended with a visit to the model apartment at the Albert Schweitzer Training Centre of the GGZ.
