Demographic change and an ageing society cause a rising demand regarding nursing care for older people in geriatric homes as well as in hospitals. ‘Outpatient over inpatient’ is the main principle of local health and nursing services. The city of Vienna’s goal is to enable people to stay in their own homes for as long as possible by offering top-class health services.
The Smart City Vienna Framework provides guidance and structure for all related activities and developments in the city defining specific goals for the health sector and the over 65 generation as follows. By 2030, people in Vienna will have two more healthy years on average and medical care in Vienna is ensured at a high level. In addition, the Smart City Wien supports healthy and active ageing, people in need of care are supported with high-quality assistance at home or in nearby institutions for as long as possible. Health competence is strengthened on an individual and organisational level, and all population groups – especially vulnerable ones – are protected from the health effects of climate change.
Already a variety of digital offers to make the life of citizens easier are being established in Vienna, due to enormous growth potentials. For instance, e-government-services, mobility management services, e-health services and participation platforms are being rolled out. With regards to demographic change, an increasingly important societal group (generation over 65) is at risk of being excluded from services provided in the public and private sector. Although the use of digital devices and services could create significant benefits for seniors (such as digital accessibility, mitigating limited mobility), many obstacles have been identified preventing stakeholders from capturing these gains.
By 2050, Vienna’s population over 65 years of age will also rise to almost 21%. Not only does life expectancy increase, but so does the number of healthy years of life. Staying self-determined, healthy and ageing actively is at the heart of Vienna’s healthcare strategy. The demand for preventive solutions increases. In addition to different forms of shared and serviced living, older people are encouraged to use digital aids helping them to stay in their own home for as long as possible. To reach that goal, social inclusion and integration are important forms of technical support.
The most significant project showcasing Vienna’s approach is ‘WAALTeR’, a research undertaking embedded in the ‘Viennese testing region for AAL – active and assisted living’ project.
The project is centred around intelligent technology support and assistance in everyday life in the form of hardware and software solutions, drawing on smart home applications. The idea is to introduce older people to digital technologies and to familiarise them with ICT pre-emptively as long as they are easily capable of learning and not hindered by handicaps such as age-related diseases or injury-related mobility constraints. Moreover, inhibition thresholds must be minimised when people are in need of technological assistance.
The project looks into multiple ways of facilitating digitisation for seniors in a way that is sustainable, compatible with people’s values, habits and culture, as well as properly adjusted to their prior knowledge. Digital technologies and services are supposed to keep older people in touch with their community and to extend the time they can remain in their own environment and enjoy an autonomous life. Hence, WAALTeR defines social integration, safety, health care and respective interplays with mobility as fundamental components for maintaining a high quality of life for senior people.