Introduction: Health is considered to be a major determinant of quality of life, well-being, social participation and accessibility to healthcare [1]. Assistive technology (AT) is promoted as a means of retaining autonomy and quality of life for older adults [2]. Thus, the evolution of digitisation of services and eHealth technologies will be key to the restructuring of care delivery and help to personalise and customise individual care [3]. In this context, the SHAPES project [4] aims to create the first European open Ecosystem enabling the large-scale deployment of a broad range of digital solutions for supporting and extending healthy and independent living for older adults who are facing permanently or temporarily reduced functionality and capabilities.

Methods: The SHAPES Pan-European Pilot Campaign aims at engaging +2000 older adults across 11 European countries and bringing forward technology to improve their health, wellbeing and autonomy. A user-centered interoperable SHAPES Technological Platform will be developed, including smart digital solutions tailored to health and care delivery. Among others, the Integrated Healthcare System Long Lasting Memories Care (LLM Care) [5], a web-based platform that combines state-of-the-art mental exercises against cognitive deterioration with physical activity [6-8], will be exploited by older adults with or without neurodegenerative diseases.

Key conclusions: This venture will lay the ground for the expansion of LLM Care’s Ecosystem and its wider deployment across Europe aiming at improving health, wellbeing and autonomy of older adults.

Acknowledgements

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No 857159.

References

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[2] Zwijsen, S. A., Niemeijer, A. R., & Hertogh, C. M. (2011). Ethics of using assistive technology in the care for community-dwelling elderly people: An overview of the literature. Aging & mental health, 15(4), 419-427.

[3] European Commission. (2018). Communication on enabling the digital transformation of health and care in the Digital Single Market; empowering citizens and building a healthier society.

[4] SHAPES H2020. (2020). Retrieved from https://shapes2020.eu

[5] Long-Lasting Memories Care. (2020). Retrieved from www.llmcare.gr

[6] Bamidis, P. D., Fissler, P., Papageorgiou, S. G., Zilidou, V., Konstantinidis, E. I., Billis, A. S., … & Tsilikopoulou, G. (2015). Gains in cognition through combined cognitive and physical training: the role of training dosage and severity of neurocognitive disorder. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 7, 152.

[7] Romanopoulou, E. D., Zilidou, V. I., & Bamidis, P. D. (2017). Creating and sustaining a social health care ecosystem: the case of LLM care services in Greece. HELLENIC JOURNAL OF NUCLEAR MEDICINE, 20(2), 40-48.

[8] Romanopoulou, E. D., Zilidou, V. I., & Antoniou, P. E. (2015). Spinning off gerontechnology business activities: the LLM care best practice paradigm. In Handbook of Research on Innovations in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Dementia (pp. 426-436). IGI Global.

Article Authors : Maria Metaxa, Ioanna Dratsiou, Evangelia Romanopoulou, Panagiotis Bamidis