Learning to implement Smart Healthy Age-Friendly Environments.

To develop trainings on the implementation of smart healthy age-friendly environments for people who aim to support, for example, their parents, their neighbours or local community, there are precautionary measures that have to be taken into account: the role of the facilitator (volunteer or self-employed), the level of skills, the needs of the end-users, training content and methodologies together with the sustainability of the learning. This article examines these aspects, based on desk research and expert interviews in the Smart Healthy Age-Friendly Environments (SHAFE) fields.

[An innovative system for analysis and further development of long-term care for older people - results of the European PROject INTERLINKS]. / Eine innovative Systematik zur Analyse und Weiterentwicklung der Langzeitpflege und -betreuung älterer Menschen - Ergebnisse des EU-Projekts INTERLINKS.

In the light of recent demographic changes, the continued development of structures of long-term care (LTC) for older people is needed across Europe. In Germany, as in many other European countries, existing provisions of LTC are neither adequately coordinated nor user-oriented. The integration of relevant institutions and actors constitutes a central challenge for a high quality of care. The European research project INTERLINKS asked how the interfaces within fragmented structures of LTC are currently managed. Thematic foci included quality assessment and assurance, embedding preventive and rehabilitative aspects into LTC, the involvement and support of informal care-givers, and questions regarding the governance and financing of LTC. Using a framework developed by INTERLINKS, the project included the construction of an instrument for a detailed and comprehensive analysis of LTC systems. As an online platform with more than 100 examples of innovative approaches to coordination and integration in practice, this framework facilitates an exchange among experts - both within countries and at a European level - that will help stimulate the further development of LTC. The website also offers a German translation of the database in order to facilitate its use by German speakers.

[Living conditions of women 50plus in Europe - results of a secondary analysis in twelve Western European countries]. / Lebensbedingungen von Frauen 50plus in Europa - Ergebnisse einer Sekundäranalyse in zwölf westeuropäischen Ländern.

Within the framework of the research project MERI, we analyzed in twelve Western European countries which kind of studies and official statistics are available on the situation of women 50plus and how their situation is described by these data. On the one hand, thematic and country-specific knowledge and knowledge gaps were identified. Generally speaking the topics health and social integration are the focus of the examined studies. Detailed data were also found on issues relating to work and the material situation. Knowledge gaps are to be found with regard to the topics interest representation, education and violence/abuse. There are clear country-specific differences in the data. Partly there is a North-South divide with regard to the availability and the quality of data. On the other hand, characteristics of the living conditions of women 50plus were identified. Women 50plus are a very heterogeneous group which strongly differs among others with regard to social background, disability, illness, region and migration. At the same time there are, however, clear common problems in the examined areas health, social integration, education, work, material situation, interest representation and violence/abuse. From the research result recommendations are derived for future studies and the improvement of official statistics.