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Triumphant Ageing

By Julie Karakozoff (Guest Writer)

In the words of Bette Davis, “Old age is not for sissies.” As each of us looks in the mirror we might see signs of aging that causes us to reflect on our lives–and perhaps our unfulfilled dreams and plans for ourselves. We can’t stop aging, but we don’t have to grow old.

What if growing old was focused on reaching our greatest accomplishments and fulfillment? With a mindset of growth and resilience, it’s never too late to be who you want to be.

The book Senior Wonders profiled 23 people who achieved their greatest success after the age of 60. The authors found that each of these people had common characteristics known as the Three “P’s.” Passion, Perspective, and Persistence.

Passion. Passion is a compelling feeling or emotion. These individuals had an intense enthusiasm in their field of interest. Anna Mary Robertson was a completely self-taught painter who had her first solo art show at age 78 at the Museum of Modern Art. She became known as Grandma Moses. If something lights you up and brings you joy, do it. It doesn’t feel like work when it’s your passion.

Perspective on life. This theme emerged when several seniors commented that they could have never achieved their success at an earlier age. Why? Because life experiences shaped them. Life experiences gave them wisdom, patience, and confidence in their abilities, all which helped them make better decisions that led to success later in life.

Margot Gayle exemplified this by living several lives as a wife and mother, a bacteriologist, a scriptwriter, and a newspaper columnist. Then, at age 64 she devoted herself to historic preservation. Her efforts saved 26 blocks of cast iron architecture in NYC, which we now know as SoHo. If it empowers you, act on it.

Persistence! This was apparent when many of the seniors faced difficulties yet were determined to accomplish their goals. Resilience despite age and obstacles kept them clearly focused. This drive and grit were seen in Gladys Burrill who completed the Honolulu Marathon when she was 92 years old! She power walked and jogged, and crossed the finish line in 10 hours.

So don’t stress if you never made the Forbes 30 under 30 list, because your time is coming! Ageing is refining you, preparing you, and encouraging you to be all that you want to be.

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Julie Karakozoff is a life long learner who pursued her second degree at age 53, received her Bachelor of Science in nursing, and now works as a hospice nurse at Vitas Healthcare in Northern Virginia.

 

 

 

 

Global Partnerships Sparks Community-Driven Initiatives in Cameroon

Global Partnership Sparks Community-Driven Initiatives in Cameroon

Eldercare Cameroon to provide support for community-based wellness and life-enrichment initiatives in central African nation

The Community Development Volunteers for Technical Assistance (CDVTA), an advocate for elderly-friendly communities; WD International Consulting, a staff and organizational development company; and It’s Never 2 Late® (iN2L), a developer of digital engagement technology for older adults, have jointly launched a global initiative to enhance the quality of life for elders in the Republic of Cameroon, in central Africa.

Eldercare Cameroon will include multiple community-based projects that connect U.S.-based Life Plan Communities (formerly CCRCs) to CDVTA. Since 1988, CDVTA, a member of the Global Ageing Network, has provided support to northwest Cameroon’s most vulnerable citizens—older adults in rural communities—to foster social inclusion, quality of life and community initiatives, education and elder rights advocacy.

“CDVTA reaches more than 74,000 individuals and 129 villages in northwest Cameroon through the efforts of more than 450 community volunteers,” said Francis Njuakom, CDTVA Founder, and Executive Director. “Eldercare Cameroon—through our partnership with iN2L and WD International Consulting—builds on those successes to support elder-driven, community-based initiatives.”

An Auspicious Encounter

The collaboration among the three partners was the result of a chance encounter between Njuakom and Jack York, president and co-founder of iN2L, during the Global Ageing Network conference in Perth, Australia, in 2016.  York made a donation to CDVTA in support of a sustainable goat-rearing endeavor for seven villages in Cameroon. The success of that project led to a more ambitious fund-raising campaign to build Cameroon’s first senior center—the Dorothy York Senior Center in Elemighong Village.

“What’s most exciting about this collaboration is that these projects—and the projects that will come out of Eldercare Cameroon—are driven by the communities that will benefit from them,” said York. “The goal of our partnership is more than helping to build structures, raise money or launch specific initiatives. It’s about enriching lives and connecting communities.”

While fund-raising for the senior center, Njuakom partnered with Walter Coffey and David Sprowl, Managing Partners of WD International Consulting, which provides staff development through mentoring, coaching and professional growth services, to raise funds for the first-year salary of a full-time community nurse. As the first community nurse in Cameroon, she will work from the Dorothy York Senior Center focusing on wellness education and support to elders in the surrounding villages.

“We are committed to the excellent work of CDVTA,” said Coffey. “Having seen its impact firsthand, we know CDVTA is making an incredible difference in the lives of elders. We have never seen such effective, elder-driven community-based services and we want to support CDVTA in meeting their mission.”

How to Donate

The success of these individual projects led to the formal establishment of Eldercare Cameroon. “Thousands of lives are being touched by CDVTA’s work—from building schools and latrines to bringing running water and electricity to villages,” said Sprowl. “We are excited to continue contributing to those efforts.”

The Global Ageing Network will receive all tax-deductible donations for Eldercare Cameroon. This project aligns with their mission “to connect and support care and service providers worldwide to enhance quality of life for ageing.” Katie Smith Sloan, Executive Director of the Network, expressed her hope that Eldercare Cameroon will serve as a model for more global collaborations.

Individual donations will be accepted for Eldercare Cameroon projects, as well as opportunities for CCRCs, businesses and other entities to partner with individual villages in Cameroon. Learn more about Eldercare Cameroon and donate.

For details on individual and organizational partnerships, contact WD International Consulting at WDintl@bellsouth.net.

 

Reimagining Ageing Around the Globe

By Katie Smith Sloan

I recently had the privilege of representing the Global Ageing Network and LeadingAge at a conference in England sponsored by National Care Forum, an association of nonprofit care providers in England and CommonAge, advancing issues of ageing in Commonwealth countries. It was a unique gathering of people from 23 countries on 5 continents. Humbling and eye-opening only begins to describe the experience.

We are part of a world that is rapidly ageing. For some countries, like Japan, they are already there with 27% of people over the age of 65. In contrast, Uganda and most of sub-Saharan Africa is young and won’t achieve Japan’s status for decades. The advantage for Uganda and its fellow young countries is the opportunity to advocate and implement practices now that influence how people grow older in years to come. They can initiate practices, encourage behavior and design systems that will influence the ageing process—at an earlier stage.

Countries considered young today can learn from—and not repeat—the mistakes of the western world and can benefit from all that we have learned and aspired to over the years: ensuring dignity, empowering staff, respecting basic human rights, and many other essential developments. They don’t have to discover the notion of person-centered or driven care, as we have. These discoveries have already been made for them. This jump-start might result in being able to give older adults the freedom to live lives that prior generations could never have imagined.

And yet, the reality is not always so rosy.

Many of these young countries are fortunate to have compassionate and determined advocates, despite being severely constrained by a lack of resources and training. Francis Njuakom Nchii, leader of a small community-based organization in Cameroon, wisely noted that change happens when people come together—at the village level, the national level, and across the globe. He subscribes to the firm belief that suffering breeds character and character breeds responsibility. I know that other leaders from Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Malawi, South Africa, India, and Bangladesh would concur wholeheartedly. They carry that weight of responsibility on their shoulders every day. And they do so because they run up against deeply rooted ageist attitudes as they try to change policies and systems that would enable people to live a better life as they grow older. Imagine trying to change conventional wisdom that dementia is a form of witchcraft and those with dementia need to be isolated. I so admire their courage and commitment.

Dr. George Leeson, director of the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing, suggested that we are handicapped by how we think about ageing by 3 institutional structures that have emerged over time:

  • Almshouses gave us a space classification
  • Pensions gave us an age classification.
  • Geriatric medicine gave us a disease classification.

We have been saddled with those structures for decades and, I would argue, they have enabled attitudes, policies, and practices that reinforce a negative view of ageing. Not an attitude that celebrates age or that views age as a stage of life, respecting experiences and wisdom that come from a long life.

LeadingAge has the privilege of manageing and driving the growth of the Global Ageing Network (formerly IAHSA). We now have a footprint in 85 countries. It is nothing short of humbling to be with leaders from other countries as we consider together what it means to live in societies facing this seismic demographic shift.

Regardless of the size and pace of growth of a countries’ older population, the fact is that we are all living longer. Our collective challenge is to ensure that the quality of our lives matches the extension of our lives. We can only meet this challenge by considering the life course, as the World Health Organization describes it, and ridding ourselves of the institutional structures that have constrained our thinking and enabled the scourge of ageism.

I look forward to the next time I connect with my international colleagues to continue crucial conversations about reimagining the future of ageing around the globe.

The Global Ageing Network Signs onto the SGA’s Position Paper to the UN

The Global Ageing Network signed on with the Stakeholder Group on Ageing’s position paper to be presented at the United Nations High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development which will convene in July 2018. The HPLF is the main United Nations platform on sustainable development and it has a central role in the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Forum adopts intergovernmental negotiated political declarations. The position paper focuses on Goal 11 which aims to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.

Executive Summary

  • In 2015, 58% of the world’s people aged 60 and over resided in urban areas, up from 50% in 2000. Over half the ageing population, 289 million, lives in low- and middle-income countries, and is increasingly concentrated in urban areas. Older persons are the fastest growing population group globally, reaching 22% by 2050 (UNDESA 2017), and their numbers in cities are set to increase.
  • Implementing ‘Age Friendly Cities’ is central to Sustainable Development Goal 11’s aim to make cities and human settlements “inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.” Older age can increase risk of vulnerability in urban areas (WHO 2016 Global Report on Urban Health). The ‘Age Friendly Cities’ approach optimises ‘opportunities for health, participation and security in order to enhance quality of life as people age.” (WHO 2007 Age Friendly Cities Guide).
  • Such an approach aligns with the New Urban Agenda, which calls for age, gender, and disability-sensitive strategies and to the pledge of governments to leave no one behind as they implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
  • This pledge requires UN member states to take a rights-based, life course, approach to urban planning that solicits the active participation of all, including older persons.
  • Challenges facing ageing populations in rapidly urbanizing environments include, but are not limited to, inadequate food and shelter, lack of access to water and sanitation, higher risk for infectious and chronic diseases, income insecurity, poverty, and social exclusion.
  • Age-related physical and mental health issues, including impaired vision and vision loss, hearing, and other functional impairments, present unique challenges for older urban dwellers in housing design. These can inhibit their use of public transportation and public spaces, limit opportunities for social and economic contributions and are factors for social exclusion and isolation.
  • Significant barriers to the realization of older urban-dwellers’ rights to health, participation, and social inclusion include income insecurity, inadequate access to age-appropriate health and care services, and greater gender inequality in older age. The impact of chronic diseases and air pollution on health and mortality in urban areas, disproportionately affects the very old and the very young.
  • Inadequate age- and gender-disaggregated data is a significant challenge to the implementation of all the SDGs, including Goal 11. The recently created Titchfield Group on ageing-related statistics and age-disaggregated data must take account of different experiences of ageing in urban and rural environments.
  • ‘Inclusive Design’ models, such as intergenerational innovations in living arrangements and the use of Universal Design in building, benefit all generations, respect the rights, and enhance the unique contributions of older persons.
  • Appropriate urban development can address risk factors of ageing in cities and support the contributions of older persons to civic life by enhancing their participation and recognising their roles as voters, workers, taxpayers, citizens, and immigrants. Older persons who are actively involved in their communities play unique roles in maintaining the social cohesion of families and neighbourhoods. They are employees, caregivers, and volunteers, bearers of historical memory who transmit wisdom, traditions, and culture to future generations. Older women especially provide vital (unpaid) care and support for spouses, children, grandchildren and other, often older, relatives, especially those with disabilities and dementia.
  • City and municipal-level governments can play key roles in harnessing the energy of the collective action and potential of older urban populations to lead policy changes that support national governments’ achievement of Goal 11 targets.
  • Progress on Goal 11 is linked to progress on Goals 1, 3, 5. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13 16, and 17.

You can read the entire position paper.

The Promise of Technology – Results of a European Study on Active and Healthy Ageing

A recent study by the European Commission identified the 25 most promising technologies aimed at improving quality of life, increasing the efficiency of health and long term care delivery and market potential. Projects related to fall prevention and robotics for rehabilitation, basic services and loneliness showed great promise in improving quality of life. Integrated care projects dominated those aimed at improving efficiency. These same projects had the most market potential.

The study recommended implementation of valid evaluation methods to ensure generation of credible results as these products are brought to market. It was strongly recommended that the user be at the center of the design at every iteration of the process.

As more and more initiatives focus on technologies for older adults, these findings are instructive. The recommendations are relevant for all countries, researchers and technology companies as technologies evolve.

https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/top-25-influential-ict-active-and-healthy-ageing-projects

Cameroon: Elder-Driven, Community-Based Initiatives Like You’ve Never Seen!

Walter Coffey and David Sprowl, Managing Partners of WD International Consulting, shared with the Global Ageing Network a reflection from a recent visit to Cameroon where they saw elder-driven, community-based initiatives “like you’ve never seen before!” In their reflection, they describe the welcome that they received from the elders in each village and the experiences and observations that inspire further engagement and work within the region.

Their journey began in Bamenda, Cameroon, where they met Francis Njuakom, founder and executive director of Community Development Volunteers for Technical Assistance (CDVTA). CDVTA Cameroon delivers services to the most vulnerable older persons in rural communities in Northwest Cameroon. CDVTA is a member of the Global Ageing Network.

Over the next 3 weeks, Francis led them to remote villages of the Northwest region, traveling over rough roads and for long periods of time to reach each village.

Although these villages rarely received guests, Coffey and Sprowl were greeted like kings as large crowds of villagers would sing and dance at their arrival. The villages consisted of elders and their grandchildren. As Coffey noted, “many of the middle generations had to leave the villages to work or have died of AIDs. The elders were very concerned about education for their grandchildren and wanted to ensure they stayed in school.” The CDVTA works to support the construction of better school buildings and latrines at the school.

Also exciting to witness during their visit was the hiring of the very first community nurse, Lillian, at the Dorothy York Senior Center. The small structure serves as a community center for elders to meet, host events, receive information, and to connect with the outside world.

The Center was made possible due to generous donations received through an awareness-raising campaign led by Jack York of It’s Never 2 Late and Francis Njuakom, who met at the Global Ageing Conference in Perth, Australia, in 2015.

WD International’s aim is to continue the community’s fundraising pursuits through the Eldercare Cameroon Collaboration with CDVTA. They hope to hire additional community nurses who will serve as an educational and wellness resource, as well as continue CDVTA’s efforts to build schools and latrines and bring running water and electricity to villages.

 

 

Although the villagers have very few material goods, Coffey and Sprowl observed that they are rich in joy and well-being–“The way the villagers express what we call the ‘domains of well-being’ is the one area we want to better understand and interpret in order to share with elders in the US.” Through their joy, the elders are able to acknowledge the importance of relationships, thus fostering a feeling of community, that ultimately leads to a better quality of life.

After witnessing how CDVTA impacts the thousands of elders throughout the region, WD International Consulting has returned to the US fueled and inspired by the experience. “[We] trust the Eldercare Cameroon Collaboration will just be the first of many countries and connections where projects are initiated to enhance the lives of elders”.

 

The Creative Age: Awakening Human Potential (Guest Post)

By Jennie Smith-Peers, Executive Director, National Center for Creative Aging

“There is no denying the problems that accompany aging. But what has been universally denied is the potential. The ultimate expression of potential is creativity.” Dr. Gene Cohen, The Creative Age: Awakening Human Potential.

The world is in the midst of a major demographic shift. The average life expectancy at birth rose from 47.3 years in 1900 to 76.9 years in 2000. People are living longer, healthier lives and are looking for meaningful ways to engage in their communities. People’s sense of being old is changing and expectations of later life are higher than they have ever been.

Within health and social services there has been a recognition of the importance of promoting dignity and choice; and, professionals in many disciplines are keenly interested in the theory and practice of creative work by, and for, older people—whether fully active or frail. Those in creative fields are finding an extraordinary opportunity: to transform the experience of being old in the world by giving meaning and purpose not only to aging but to the community at large.

Increasingly, science is providing insight into what practitioners and participants already know: the arts are good for you. A recent article from Createquity, a research-focused arts blog in the United States, summarized several studies and found that “the most compelling evidence of the value of the arts revolves around improving the lives of older adults.” They go on to say, “in particular, there is substantial causal evidence that participatory arts activities help to maintain the health and quality of life of older adults.”

Innovative programs are being implemented across the globe in a wide variety of settings and communities.  Here are a few inspiring examples.

Gold Theatre

Founded in 2006, the Gold Theatre of Saitama is a theater troupe of 48 members aged 55 – 80 based in Japan.  Formally led by Yukio Ninagawa, one the most esteemed theater directors in the world, they have produced 10 shows to critical acclaim that rotate between western classics to more modern Japanese Theater. Ningawa wrote, “By harnessing the energy of people with a lot of life experience, I thought we could create experimental works that push the boundaries of what a performance could be.” As reported by the Baring Foundation, many of the older adults stated that this work has overwhelming changed their lives for the better.

Generation Blog

Supported by the SK Stiftung Kultur der Sparkasse Foundation, the Generation Blog is an digital platform that allows older adults and teenagers to explore each other’s life through an artistic lens. Older adults are paired with 3 students, and together the teams learn the basics of photography, how to interview each other and publish their work on the blog. Workshops topics such as: work and money, friendship and love, selfies and self-representation.

The impact on both generations has been tremendous. One older participant said, “I wouldn’t have thought that it’s possible. The project changed my perspective. Today, I take notice of young people I never thought about before, and I see them with very different eyes.”

cARTrefu

cARTrefu, which means to reside in Welsh, is a 4-year program run by Age Cymru, which aims to improve access to quality arts experiences for older people in residential care. Age Cymru worked with 16 professional artists in four different fields: Performing Arts, Visual Arts, Words and Music. These artists each delivered 8-week residencies across Wales, introducing a mix of established art forms and new activities residents may not have had the chance to experience before.

An evaluation by Bangor University published in 2017 confirmed that participating in the cARTrefu program has had a significant impact on older people’s well-being. It has also changed staff attitudes towards residents, especially those with dementia, and gave them more confidence in leading creative activities themselves.

 

For more information about creative aging in the United States or any of the resources mentioned, please contact the National Center for Creative Aging (NCCA) at info@creativeaging.org or creativeaging.org. The NCCA, co-founded by Gene Cohen, M.D., is dedicated to advancing the field of creative aging by leading and serving a diverse network of organizations and individuals throughout the US and the globe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What 7-Eleven Can Teach Us about Aging in Community

By Robyn Stone, Director of Research, Global Ageing Network

A super-sized soft drink may be the first image that comes to mind when Americans think about their local 7-Eleven stores. But for many older adults living in Japanese cities, the convenience store chain represents a valued source of healthy food and friendly visiting that support aging in community.

Don’t believe it? I didn’t either, until I saw it for myself during a recent trip to Japan.

That trip, which included a meeting with the CEO of 7-Eleven Japan, came to mind a few weeks ago when I ran across an article by Christopher Philipson on a British website that explores issues around city planning.

In “How Can We Build Age-Friendly Cities,” Phillipson outlines with depressing clarity the myriad barriers to building “age-friendly” cities.

Since 2010, more than 500 cities around the globe have promised to spearhead initiatives that make it easier for people to continue living in, navigating around, and receiving support from their cities as they age. The World Health Organization (WHO) deserves a lot of credit for sparking the Age-Friendly City movement and giving it momentum. But that 8-year-old movement needs a serious shot in the arm, according to Phillipson.

Many cities in the WHO network started out with good intentions, he writes. But a host of serious challenges are now prompting some of those cities to redirect their energies and resources away from age-friendly work. That’s not good news for cities that are already home to record-breaking numbers of older citizens.

Phillipson has a few ideas that could help reinvigorate the age-friendly movement. One of my favorites involves collaborating with a variety of new partners to get the job done.

Clearly, government agencies and nonprofit organizations are key players in helping city-dwelling elders age in community. But they can’t do it alone. They need active and engaged partners from many other sectors—including the business sector.

That’s where 7-Eleven comes in.

DELIVERING FOOD AND FRIENDSHIP

I went to Japan as part of a research initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Ginnie Mae, and the government of Japan. The yearlong project brought together researchers and government officials from the U.S. and Japan so we could share strategies for helping older adults in both countries age in place.

Our group met twice during 2017: in Washington, DC, in February, and in Tokyo in December. I discovered the community-based mission of 7-Eleven stores during a site visit that our Japanese hosts arranged during the Tokyo meeting.

Convenience stores are ubiquitous in Tokyo. They sell affordable food in convenient locations that elders can reach easily without the need for transportation. Retail spaces on the ground floors of housing communities are a favored location.

The 7-Eleven chain takes that business model one step further by offering home-delivered meals. Company nutritionists ensure that older adults receive food that meets their special dietary needs. Drivers, who live in the neighborhoods where they work and know their customers, provide a valuable combination of food delivery and friendly visiting that would look familiar to any American receiving Meals on Wheels.

This private-sector meal program is impressive for several reasons.

First, 7-Eleven Japan has instituted its model nationwide, which is pretty remarkable.

Second, Tokyo’s convenience stores don’t offer their services grudgingly or out of a sense of charity. Because elders represent a key market segment, the stores actively court their older customers. Convenience stores recognize that they belong to an aging community. They see themselves as part of the solution to the challenges associated with aging in place.

Third, and most important, the stores know that being part of the solution is good for business. In my view, that healthy self-interest is what makes this model sustainable.

HOPE FOR MORE COLLABORATION

I’d love to see 7-Eleven take its model even further. What about training drivers to identify and address the social needs of elders while they’re delivering those nutritious meals? How about coordinating with local governments to leverage public dollars for that work?

These and other innovations are years away, I know. But I still left Japan with great hope that, in the not-too-distant future, the public and private sectors will increase their collaboration so older people will find it easier to age in community.

That collaborative spirit is already emerging. We met one suburban mayor who is actively encouraging local physician and dental associations to bring their services into the housing communities where many older adults live. With support from his government, these housing communities are already taking a variety of innovative steps to ensure that older residents have the resources they need to live healthy, independent, and meaningful lives. One building I visited converted a tennis court into a vast garden space where elders grow their own food.

The aging of Japan—25%-30% of the population is over 65—has made this kind of innovation an imperative. Thankfully, the U.S. is also making progress in refining its own housing plus services models as more stakeholders recognize the benefits of using affordable housing communities as platforms for the delivery of essential services and supports.

Clearly, the U.S. and Japan have an opportunity to learn from one another at this important time in population history. I’m hopeful that we can work together, and with a variety of partners, to create a world of age-friendly cities that will serve all of us well into the future.

Country Support

Country Support

Our Country Support Initiative provides an avenue through which Global Ageing Network members can build supporting relationships with others in need of resources for use in carrying out their mission of care for the elderly.

The Country Support Initiative was conceived during the Global Ageing Networks’s 8th International Conference in London in July 2009 when providers from Australia met Marigold Mncube, Matron of the Emseni Old Age Home in South Africa and spontaneously formed a ‘fund raising’ event to support Emseni. Since that time, a number of initiatives have evolved.

The Global Ageing Network’s role is to facilitate connections between interested parties, on a country-to-country level.

The Global Ageing Network’s EAHSA Chapter’s Launches New Centre

The European Association of Homes and Services for the Ageing (EAHSA), a chapter of the Global Ageing Network representing 3,000 providers in 20 different countries in ageing services, has identified a growing need among its members to exchange best practices. It also sensed that access to applied (academic) research in ageing services is limited for members while the results of this research are very relevant for daily practice.

Therefore, the EAHSA Board decided to set up a European Centre for Research and Education in Ageing Services (ECREAS). Its partner, the European Association for Directors and Providers in Long Term care (EDE), was invited to collaborate and the EDE Board decided to join this effort. As a consequence of this collaboration, 5,000 providers and directors in 20 countries are reached by ECREAS.

ECREAS is not a physical building: it is a digital platform where information can be exchanged. The first functions of ECREAS is being a clearinghouse for best practices and relevant (applied) research reports and articles and European datalinks. EAHSA and EDE members can put a summary of best practices on the ECREAS-platform with contact data. The download will be reviewed before it is placed on the website. The review will look at the innovative character of the best practice and the impact on daily practice.

The second function is to set up education programmes for EAHSA and EDE members based on best practices. Drawing from best practices and material uploaded by members, an education programme can be created for interested members and non-members in collaboration with members that have already developed best practices around a particular topic.

The third function is consultancy for EAHSA and EDE members. Members can ask for support on a specific item/innovation/(research) project by experts who can be recruited from the EAHSA and EDE membership. To realise this a database that lists experts with specific skills and expertise will be set up. To register all applications must be accompanied by proof documents (copy of diploma’s etc.). When a member comes to ECREAS with a certain question, ECREAS forms a team and introduces this to the member with a proposal in terms of activities and costs.

The activities of ECREAS will focus on 4 themes:

  1. Quality in ageing services 

    The definition, interpretation, and application of the concept of quality is an ongoing concern for housing and services providers of elderly care. What are perspectives on quality, how is quality controlled and what are by academic research validated quality measurement instruments that can be applied to ageing services?

  2. Elderly care workforce 

    Recruitment, training & education and retention of elderly care workforce is a striking problem for the European Union in general and for the ageing care sector in particular. How can the sector promote its attractiveness and what are effective HR-strategies for providers to recruit and retain staff?

  3. Technology 

    Technology is an upcoming application in housing and services for ageing people: home automation and eHealth are common examples. There are plenty solutions and products on the market, but is still questionable whether these innovations are suited and convenient for older people.

  4. Living Environments 

    Well-being and ageing-well heavily depend on the physical environment of the older people. The environment should be adapted to the needs and possibilities of older people. Their specific characteristics (health status, socio-economic status, physical abilities) require supportive environments. But also changing personal preferences and societal tendencies require an adaption of current elderly care housing and living environments.

At the end of the first quarter of 2018, a provisional website will be set up. The goal for the second half of 2018 is to have the clearinghouse fully operational. Consultancy and education programmes will be operational in 2019.

The Board of Directors of ECREAS is composed of both EAHSA and EDE members:

  • Elena Weber, Italy
  • Didier Sapy, France
  • Marko Slavic, Slovenia
  • Jean Christophe Vanderhaegen, Belgium
  • Freek Lapré (Chairman), Netherlands