Designing Age-Appropriate Living Environments (DALE) Project

Background:

Information and communication technology for age-appropriate living environments is of high social relevance, both in terms of quality of life of a wide social stratum and for the advancement of Lower Saxony's economy.

Objective:

The aim of the Research Alliance of Lower Saxony of designing age-appropriate living environments - Information and communications technology for obtaining and maintaining quality of life, health and self-determination in the second half of life - (DALE) is:

•             to identify, develop and evaluate (setting objectives with regards to content) new methods of information and communication technology, as well as
•             to enable the relevant research institutions of Lower Saxony to take the lead in greater national and international research projects associated with this topic (strategic research objectives).

Partners:

OFFIS, Technical University of Braunschweig, Hannover Medical School, University of Oldenburg, Competence Center HörTech, the Oldenburg Fraunhofer Department of Hearing, Speech and Audio Technology (FhG-AHSA), Center of Aging and Society University of Vechta (ZAG), University of Osnabrück, Charité Berlin and University of Potsdam.

Structure:

The operations in DALE are subdivided into eight coordinated work packages (WP) spread over the period of application.

Four scenarios (WP1 -- WP4) will have concrete and relevant assistance functions for the elderly which will be realised exemplarily. An important basis for this is the development of the technical platform for the domestic environment (AP5). In addition to this the analysis of appropriate IT-architectures for new care systems (WP6) is needed as well as the analysis of social and individual conditions (WP7). Lastly a working package for the project management and other cross-sectional tasks will be implemented (AP8).

The project is funded by the state of Lower Saxony.