Conclusions from the webinar “The role of the new technologies in keeping people at work and good health”

On 15 June, SmartWork, together with the Interreg Europe project EU_SHAFE organized a joint online event to discuss the Green Paper on Ageing, as well as the role of new technologies in maintaining the health of the elderly. The goal of this webinar was to identify parts of the policy that need further development; identify technological developments that are active today; discuss socioeconomic aspects of the policies; and create networking opportunities for organizations working on solutions. 

The Green Paper on Aging presents the changes in demographics in our society and highlights the impact this has had on our policies. It promotes healthy lifestyles and stronger health care systems for the elderly. It primarily serves as a call to action for the society to learn more about the impact of ageing on careers and lifestyles. The Green Paper will guide the future developments of the ageing policies in the EU. 

During the discussion with the four representatives of the projects and initiatives that took part in the consultations on the Green Paper on Ageing in April provided the following conclusions:

  • When applying the new technologies, we need to make sure that no individual is left behind due to digital poverty. In an age where technology is developing at a rapid pace, it is important to make sure everyone is at a similar level in understanding it and being able to use it. 
  • We should focus on developing digital skills amongst the elderly to ensure that they are capable of utilizing the available resources. 
  • The technological solutions should be redesigned to support the elderly’s needs, instead of forcing them to adapt to the growing age. 
  • In order to bring a change in the society, we must continuously work to network, push for policies, and ensure that changes actually happen.

The full recording of the webinar is available here

The agenda of the event is available here