Improving indipendence, choice and quality of life
for older people across Europe.

The ageing population and the needs of senior citizens

Due to steady increase in the ageing population over the last 20 years, the proportion of elderly people (over 64) has reached 16% of Europe's total population.

The number of elderly is expected to grow exponentially in coming years.
The magnitude of these numbers led ERVET (Emilia-Romagna Local Dev. Agency) to conduct a survey of a representative sample of the senior population in the Region. What emerged was that the greatest concern of these people was to continue living in their own homes for as long as possible. Northern European countries (e.g. Denmark) have been both politically and socially aware of this concern for decades.

The results of the survey and experience in the field have changed regional policy (once centered on institutionalisation: rest homes) and given rise to the birth of Wel_hops.

Wel_hops' Mission

• To establish common guidelines for the design of senior citizens' homes
• To establish guidelines for the renovation of the homes in which seniors are living
• To create a European Network of Experts to assess new schemes and promote the sharing of information and good practises
• To create and upload an Internet website where information on the theme is readily available and easily accessible

What Has Wel-Hops Done?

For the first time a set of specifications and a knowledge base has created that defines a home suitable for seniors in terms of planning, renovation and new projects:

• By collecting and catologuing examples of homes suitable for seniors that exist in partner and other European countries (e.g., Finland, Holland, Germany, Denmark)
• By carefully studying and evaluating these homes (especially regarding building characteristics, innovative services, the use of advanced technology)
• Ranking
• By creating guidelines for the design of new senior dwellings and for the renovation of existing ones
• By testing the validity of the guidelines through 3 pilot projects

This knowledge base is accessible to everyone through the internet and by other means.

Results

• responding to the perceived need of seniors to live independently in their own home for as long as possible
• improving the quality of building planning, design and adaptability (a home free of barriers for people throughout their lives)
• reducing the institutionalisation of seniors (an expensive and poor response to their needs)