SHAFE - Stakeholders Network on Smart, Healthy Age-Friendly Environments
A new concept was created since 2017, based on the desire to implement Smart Healthy Age-Friendly Environments (SHAFE) across Europe, fostering happier and healthier people in all communities. This idea took shape and became a solid movement.
SHAFE began as a Thematic Network, approved by the European Commission, to draw policy makers, organisations and citizens’ attention to the need of better alignment between health, social care, built environments and ICT, both in policy and funding and delivered a Joint Statement and a Framing Paper in December 2018 to the European Commission and Member States.
After this, SHAFE evolved to a European Stakeholders Network, which currently has over 170 partner organisations and is coordinated by Carina Dantas and Willeke van Staalduinen.
It is working to achieve better COOPERATION and IMPLEMENTATION, as the major challenges for the next period, as stated in the Position Paper released in 2020, with recommendations that aim to promote healthier environments for all citizens and make environments accessible, sustainable and reachable for all, with the support of ICT.
The pandemic has uncovered the major opportunities and benefits of turning digital. However, single digital solutions are not the panacea to all the societal challenges. Citizens across different age groups also need personal human contact; they need to meet, to talk to each other, to hug and to love. Digitalization cannot replace this human need but can be a powerful vehicle to support people. The scenario during 2021 is an opportunity for the digital revolution to be well thought and implemented, if all the adequate challenges are well considered and tackled.
The Smart Healthy Age-Friendly Environments Network will thus focus on the narrative, debate, disclosure and knowledge translation of smart digital solutions and of solutions to optimize the physical and social environments of individuals in a concerted manner, bringing together also the domains of health and social care. The Position Paper will also provide indicators to measure progress and success on the realization of SHAFE.
The Challenge
To live and participate in society as a citizen, worker or volunteer, it is necessary that working and living environments are functional usable, accessible, affordable, protective and reachable. No matter if someone walks, drives, uses a walker or wheelchair, or is having hearing or vision problems.
With the ongoing digitization of society, new opportunities arise to foster these living and working environments. Digital solutions can assist citizens to live and promote a healthy, and independent life, with limited/free from non-communicable diseases, with the opportunities to work into later life, and ensuring positive health and wellbeing. Digital solutions can play the role of offering solutions and bridge social connectiveness and warnings in case of virus outbreaks.
However, single digital solutions are not the panacea to all issues and challenges within society. Citizens across different age groups also need personal human contacts, to meet, to talk to each other, to hug and to love. Digitalization cannot replace this human need but can be a powerful vehicle to support people to cover life necessities. The pandemic scenario during 2020 is an opportunity for the digital revolution to be well thought and implemented, if all the adequate challenges are well considered and tackled.
The Smart Healthy Age-Friendly Environments Network will thus focus on the narrative, debate, disclosure and knowledge translation of smart digital solutions and of solutions to optimize the physical and social environments of individuals in a concerted manner, bringing together also the domains of health and social care.