The new healthy ageing testbed is trialling innovative approaches to tackling isolation and loneliness in older people. Northern Ireland has the most rapidly ageing population in the UK. The Northern Ireland consortium, led by Ulster University, has been awarded £50,000 as part of Connected Places Catapult, ‘Homes for Healthy Ageing Programme’.
The funding from Connected Places Catapult allows the NI consortium to support local testbeds that involve real world urban and rural settings.
The testbeds will cover three key issues:
• How to create tailored approaches that allow older adults to develop meaningful connections
• How to rebuild the confidence and positive habits of older adults who have lost their social activities or hobbies due to COVID-19
• How to remove the barriers of getting online for older adults who would benefit from being digitally connected
