Dušana Findeisen, PhD, Slovenian Third Age University, and DANET e.V.
Abstract: The working group on Silver Economy at Slovenian Third Age University has recently tackled the issues of e-inclusion and e-exclusion of older people. The group is reporting on the world network Aging 2.0 (interactive ageing). What is the objective of its endeavors?
To discover new enterprises bringing solutions to supporting older people’s social inclusion and overcoming possible loneliness. It is true that people best connect with other people through activities. Older people have multifold psycho-social needs and a variety of social roles to be met in different ways. Aging 2.0. Reveals that so far start-up enterprises have not provided solutions to overcome social inclusion of older people though, as concerns emotional and educational support offered to older people, new technologies bring great hopes. Age well has set up a network of connections among peers. Those who are healthy take care of those who are sick. It has been found that giving has a greater impact on older people than receiving. The enterprise has been maintaining a platform for older people for five years now. It unites older people who cannot leave home. They connect them with service providers and others who have the same type of interests. They make possible video calls, exchange of photos, listening to music. It is all there in one place. Cubigo has already more than 20 000 members all over Europe. They run consultative workshops more:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvj4pyskka0
(Source: Prof. Dr. Jože Gričar, Ljubljana, September 2017)