The BRAID Conference will present results achieved by the project, encompassing the roadmap and implementation activities. The one-day meeting seeks to discuss socio- economic aspects in ICT and ageing that influence and shape recreational activities across different life settings and mechanisms that empower older people to live independently and fulfilled. The conference will provide space for stakeholders to exchange and discuss the results from practical experiences including best practice projects and failed approaches in the field of ICT and ageing.

PERSPECTIVE is a Northern Ireland architecture journal, published by the RSUA (Royal Society of Ulster Architects) – Front cover of March/April 2012 issue.

Verity spent three months in secondment as a researcher at the Centre of Science, Society and Citizenship (CSSC). Towards the end of her secondment, she wrote an article for the PERSPECTIVE magazine, entitled Learning from Italy, giving an account of her experience in the Value Ageing project as well as life in Italy.

Download Learning from Italy

Organised by Dr. Karim Hadjri (Queen’s University of Belfast – QUB)

Date: 20 March 2012

Venue: The Castle View Room, The Pavilion, Stormont – Belfast

This seminar will include presentations by VALUE AGEING coordinator (Emilio Mordini – CSSC) and partners (Karim Hadjri – QUB, Rodd Bond – NETWELL) as well as a roundtable discussion by Early Stage Researchers in secondment or recruited in the context of the VALUE AGEING project.
More information on the speakers and themes of discussion can be found inside the Agenda.

The VALUE AGEING Seminar is being sponsored by the Department of Culture Arts and Leisure in Northern Ireland and held under the auspices of Creativity Month.

Value Ageing Conference Agenda 26-27 October 2011

Interview of Francesca Cavallaro (TECNALIA), Organiser of VALUE AGEING 2nd Meeting in San Sebastian, Spain

Institute of Technology

ICT developments impacting on older people’s living conditions

Venue NETWELL Centre, Dundalk Institute of Technology

12.00 lunch and tour of the Netwell CAVE

Seminar 1pm – 3.45

Speakers

Mr Rodd Bond, Netwell

Mr Domenico Ferulli, Innova, Italy

Dr Ann O’Hanlon, Netwell

Mr Billy Eagleson, Volunteer Now Northern Ireland

Ms Anne Gill, CAWT

Dr Ben Knapp, Queen’s University Belfast

It is a time for celebration in Ireland. Life expectancy for people in Ireland is increasing steadily. Babies girls born in Ireland today can expect to live until they are 81.6 years (boys 76.8) (CSO, 2010) and Europe has the oldest population profile in the world. Dr Ann O’Hanlon Principal Investigator on the Value Ageing project in Dundalk said “The challenge as we move forward is to ensure that people age with dignity and that they are supported to stay as healthy and independent as possible for as long as possible.”

A major challenge for governments and industry in realising this vision is ensuring that the needs and rights of older people are reflected in ICT developments. Value Ageing is a four year Marie Curie EU research project aimed at incorporating EU values of dignity and nondiscrimination into ICT for ageing.

Dr Ben Knapp from Queen’s University said “Ireland has a global reputation for excellence in Information Communication Technology (ICT) and the potential of ICT to enhance the lives of older people is widely recognised. Significantly last year the European Commission declared that ICT can help elderly individuals to improve their quality of life, stay healthier, live independently for longer, and counteract reduced capabilities which are more prevalent with age. ICT can enable them to remain active at work or in their community. We are very well placed to contribute to this agenda.”

Value Ageing brings together experts in industry and academia from seven EU countries Belgium, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, UK and Ireland. The Netwell Centre in Dundalk and Queen’s University in Belfast are partners in the project and over the next four years these organisations will collaborate on a range of initiatives aimed at using ICT to improve the quality of life for older people.

Rodd Bond Director of Netwell Centre in Dundalk “We are delighted to be involved in this important project. Netwell and Co Louth has a wealth of experience and expertise in the area of ICT and ageing and Value Ageing provides a platform for us to influence practice throughout Europe and to learn from other experts in the field. For example one of our PhD students Rachel Oakes is currently on placement in Rome for three months with the Centre for Science, Society and Citizenship; Domencio Ferulli a software engineer from Innova is working with us for six months and earlier in the year we had Giorgos Koumanakos Director of Frontida a private home care provider in Greece.”

Despite the rapid growth in the number of older in society the evidence base to support the EU’s claim that ICT can enhance quality of life for older people is weak and the use of and access to ICT by older people remains low in most countries. In the EU only about 10% of people aged over 65years use the internet regularly.

Dr Ann O’Hanlon added “Value Ageing is a wonderful opportunity to accelerate the development and use of ICT to enhance the quality of life for older people across Europe and a wonderful opportunity for Ireland to influence these developments.”

This event is free but places are limited. To register please contact: Ms Joanne Finnegan at the Netwell Centre +353 (0) 42 9370200 Extension: 2511 / +353 (0) 42 93 70497 joanne.finnegan@netwellcentre.org This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Press for further information contact: Dr Una Lynch + 44 (0) 7825 509 441 or Una@sonrisa-solutions.com

You can download the Value Ageing Seminar programme as well as the speaker presentations below:

Anna Bianco Ann OHanlon Ben Knapp Attracta Matthews

The location will be San Sebastian in the Basque country of Spain.

The conference is being organised and hosted by Value Ageing partner, Tecnalia

Further details will be available shortly.

In the meantime if you have any questions contact: emma.garnett@cssc.eu

Wednesday 25th May @ Queen’s University Belfast

Value Ageing Research Seminar Flier