Elderly – CommuniCity

Aiedu Oy – AI-driven Digital Healthcare for the Elderly

Aiedu Oy – AI-driven Digital Healthcare for the Elderly

Challenge: Porto: How can healthcare, autonomy, and safety of the elderly be improved?

Target Group: Elderly

This pilot investigates the feasibility and impact of an AI-driven assistant developed to support elderly individuals in care environments. Built within the CommuniCity inclusive innovation framework, the assistant combines voice interaction with features such as medication reminders, prompts for physical activity, and entertainment options.

A working prototype was tested successfully in a representative care setting, showing promise in improving daily routines and promoting greater autonomy among older adults.

Co-creation with Domus Social was central to the process, involving biweekly meetings and workshops with eight participants—including two from marginalised groups—alongside caregivers and healthcare professionals. These sessions informed user needs, guided testing of the voice interface, and shaped iterative design improvements based on direct feedback.

Next steps include broadening the testing to multiple care homes, integrating health-monitoring sensors, and strengthening collaborations with community stakeholders to refine and scale the solution.

VR experience to promote activation and wellbeing of patients

Screenshot gameplay video of the VR Nature Experience

VR experience to promote activation and wellbeing of patients

Challenge: Helsinki: How to ensure active engagement and mobility of patients?

Target Group: Psychiatric Patients

The VR Nature Experience is designed to support psychiatric patients in managing stress and anxiety by offering a soothing virtual escape into peaceful, natural environments. The experience immerses users in high-quality 360° nature videos accompanied by calming ambient soundscapes, allowing them to select from a variety of tranquil settings. The aim is to help patients calm down before or after stressful situations.

Developed by Stereoscape, the experience is compatible with modern standalone VR headsets. The solution was developed in close collaboration with care staff and former patients of psychiatric hospitals. A central part of the co-creation process was client panel sessions with 14 participants, serving as key feedback touchpoints. These panels provided valuable insights into the VR content’s emotional impact, ease of use, and suitability of the hardware.

Early detection and intervention of Age-Related Hearing Impairment (ARHI) in primary care settings

Early detection and intervention of Age-Related Hearing Impairment (ARHI) in primary care settings

Challenge: Helsinki: Wildcard – How can innovative remote diagnostics improve city services?

Target Group: Elderly

The main objective of the pilot developed by Otos Health Oy, was to streamline hearing- and ear-health assessment in primary healthcare settings. The specific aims were to reduce wait times, optimise resource allocation, and improve care access for adults and elderly people experiencing hearing difficulties.

A test system utilising automated audiometry and digital otoscopy was constructed to serve the needs of the pilot host, based on co-creation sessions. The number of patients per day could be approximately doubled, without burdening the pilot host staff. The patients were scheduled every 30 minutes instead of 60 minutes in conventional practice. The mean duration of digital otoscopy and automated audiometry was 10:49 minutes. 06:18 minutes per patient was spent on filing the test results to the existing medical record system. Four out of 27 patients had their ears cleaned prior to their appointment at Tikkurila Health Centre. Digital otoscopy was successful for 78% of the pilot patients with the CE-marked device (Ear Penguin). This might increase to over 90% with xx proprietary device (Otos Scope). The next steps include further development to provide the pilot host with a test system that is integrated with the IT infrastructure of Tikkurila Health Center.

Smart Incontinence Pad Monitoring System for Enhanced Elderly Care

Challenge: Helsinki: Wildcard – How can innovative remote diagnostics improve city services?

Target Group: Elderly

The Urisens pilot implemented a smart incontinence monitoring system at Kustaankartano Senior Centre. The solution by Aalto University aimed to reduce manual pad checks, improve resident comfort, and provide caregivers with timely alerts. Co-creation activities included onsite feedback, structured surveys, and embedded iteration sessions with nurses and care assistants.
The system was successfully installed and used in daily routines, with valuable feedback shaping alert logic and interface usability. 15-17 caregivers and 4 residents were involved during the pilot. Key insights were collected about integrating real-time monitoring into elderly care workflows. While system alerts were not yet used to guide medical decisions, caregiver responses indicated improved workflow efficiency and resident dignity. Planned next steps include refining AI accuracy, scaling the system to new units, and evaluating long-term health outcomes based on early detection and response patterns

Hoivita offers health insights on patients’ nighttime well-being

Picture of the component Hoivita Care Oloseuranta

Hoivita offers health insights on patients’ nighttime well-being

Challenge: Helsinki: Wildcard – How can innovative remote diagnostics improve city services?

Target Group: Elderly

The Hoivita Oy pilot concentrated on enhancing night-time care and safety for elderly individuals at risk of falls or mobility-related incidents. Hoivita Oy supplied 12 “Hoivita Care Oloseuranta” service kits, which included motion and door activity sensors, the Hoivita SafeApp mobile application, and access to the Hoivita One View cloud platform. These components enabled care professionals at the Töölö Senior Centre, City of Helsinki, to receive real-time notifications when a resident moved independently during the night, facilitating faster intervention to prevent potentially harmful situations.

The pilot had two main objectives: to evaluate whether the Hoivita system could provide more effective support to nursing staff compared to existing, older monitoring technologies, and to assess the system’s ease of adoption within a real-life care environment. Although a significant software bug was encountered early in the trial, it was swiftly resolved. Following this, the solution exhibited strong performance throughout the remainder of the pilot. Co-creation activities involved more than 20 people, including more than 5 elders. Nursing staff responded favourably to the system’s usability, prompt alerts, and accessible data visualisations.

Remote functional performance measures to detect fall risk in the elderly

Challenge: Helsinki: Wildcard – How can innovative remote diagnostics improve city services?

Target Group: Elderly

Helsinki City’s Malmi Syystie Senior Center collaborated with Ainone to utilize the Ainone Balance Measuring Solution—an innovative wearable device designed to assess and monitor balance in older adults. The sensor, worn around the chest, captures real-time balance data during standard tests and transmits results via Bluetooth to connected devices. It calculates a balance score using advanced algorithms, identifying sensory- related balance discrepancies, such as differences between eyes-open and eyes- closed conditions. Combined with functional tests like TUG and SPPB, the solution helps detect individual performance and potential fall risk.

A six-week training program involving 18 participants focused on educating them about the importance of balance in daily functioning. Individual training protocols were tailored based on precise balance measurements. The main predictive tools were balance sway and Sit-to-Stand tests. While SPPB balance and gait scores did not show change, 12 participants improved in balance and functionality. Among them, three shifted from high fall risk to low risk, and eight to moderate risk.

This pilot highlights the value of combining different measures to assess functionality and sensory strategies. The Ainone system enables early interventions, reduces fall risks, and supports improved outcomes in elderly care.

Culturally Sensitive Tool for Moroccan Migrants with Dementia

Picture of 4 people by Henrik Terävä. Pilot: Henrik - How can migrants with dementia stay fit and learn to train their memory?

Culturally Sensitive Tool for Moroccan Migrants with Dementia

Challenge: Amsterdam: How can migrants with dementia stay fit and learn to train their memory?
Target Group: Migrants with dementia

This pilot project was carried out in Amsterdam using PALL0, an interactive, culturally agnostic ball designed to support individuals with dementia. The initiative involved collaboration with Ouderen Kliniek and Amsterdam UMC. The objective was to explore how physical and cognitive activity could be promoted through simple, intuitive play.

Participants included first-generation Moroccan migrants in the early stages of dementia. Sessions were facilitated by caregivers and health professionals in familiar care environments. Co-creation activities included observational feedback from staff and users, informal interviews, and iterative testing to refine the use of PALL0 in real-life settings. Approximately 10 people were involved, with half being individuals in the early stages of dementia. PALL0 offered multisensory engagement through light, sound, and movement, encouraging interaction without relying on screens or complex instructions.

The pilot demonstrated that low-barrier, tactile technology can contribute meaningfully to dementia care by fitting naturally into daily routines.

The findings suggest further exploration of PALL0 in long-term care and rehabilitation settings could be beneficial for maintaining cognitive and emotional engagement among aging populations. Next steps include broader piloting.

Empowering Elderly by Hoivita

Empowering Elderly by Hoivita

Challenge: How to increase the autonomy of the elderly?
Empowering Elderly by Hoivita

The safety and comfort of the elderly has been the driving force of the Hoivita since incorporation. Hoivita currently caters to customers in the South Karelia, Pirkanmaa and Uusimaa regions of Finland with ongoing pilots with Spanish hospitals. With our automatic, easy-to-install solutions combined with the Hoivita One View platform, we have saved the lives of many elderly clients by tracking their movements at their homes and providing objective data to the caregivers to take corrective measures early. In Challenge 2, “How to increase the autonomy of the elderly?” Hoivita targets clientele who don’t have pets, live alone or with their spouse, live in a studio, two-bedroom or three-bedroom apartment.

Expected Outcomes:
• Increased awareness on the wellbeing of the elderly without intruding their daily routines
• Provides a more holistic view of the elderly to the caregiver ensuring their wellbeing is monitored round the clock
• Provides objective data for caregivers to take corrective measures when necessary
• Help caregivers to determine if the right amount of care is being provided (or if transfer to an assisted living facility or hospital is required)

WeSolve, Inclusion of the Elderly

Challenge: How to decrease the loneliness of the elderly?
WeSolve, Inclusion of the Elderly

The golden years of life should be embraced as an opportunity to fully engage with one’s community and city. This can be accomplished through a variety of enriching experiences, such as connecting with individuals from different age groups, sharing personal stories and knowledge, learning new skills, and gaining fresh perspectives on the world. Through the platform built by WeSolve ApS, elderly people can participate in a wide range of activities by creating a sense of belonging and providing dedicated activities and resources for senior citizens, the platform aims to alleviate feelings of isolation and promote social connectivity within the community and a brighter future for everyone involved with a particular attention to elderly individuals needs. WeSolve can be used as a powerful tool by municipalities to enhance the level of elderly engagement in order to create a more connected, and more engaged community. By empowering elderly people through community-based initiatives and promoting social cohesion, WeSolve platform results as the means through which municipalities can reduce the likelihood of social isolation and create a brighter future for elderly individuals. We Solve provides tools for elderly people to come together, connect with one another, and participate in activities that are meaningful and impactful.

Through the participation of various activities, it is possible to enhance the inclusion by removing barriers such as language and socio-economic status. By removing such barriers, WeSolve is able to enhance inclusion and create a sense of belonging for all participants. This sense of community is essential for the well-being of elderly people, as it provides them with the support and encouragement they need.

PortoPilot – Digital technologies to decrease loneliness

Challenge: How to decrease the loneliness of the elderly?
PortoPilot – Digital technologies to decrease loneliness

Technology plays a crucial role in society. Not being part of the “connected society” promotes inequality and social exclusion. Portugal is rapidly ageing: in 2021 more than 2,4 million people, 23,4% of the Portuguese population was 65 years old or older. Unfortunately, senior citizens are among the most info-excluded groups, in 2020 only 39% of the population between the ages of 65-74 used the internet. Many reasons can explain such a fact, including low literacy levels, ageism, no contact with technology during their professional careers, lack of interest, motivation, or perceived usefulness. Ensuring that seniors can benefit from technology includes involving them in its creation, informing them about its use and guaranteeing that they feel safe and at ease while using it. At Fraunhofer AICOS we have been developing technology for seniors and with seniors for several years, employing a human-centred approach that includes final users throughout the several development phases of a product. Fraunhofer Portugal AICOS is experienced in understanding user contexts, co-designing inclusive and meaningful technologies and investigating its final impact in real environments. We propose to use our expertise to reduce loneliness among seniors by understanding how and which technologies can help elderly citizens feel more integrated in society and ease any feelings of isolation. Based on the literature and our prior experience, we know there is no one-size-fits-all solution to tackle loneliness in older age. Therefore, we propose to discover the most suitable technologies together with the beneficiaries of the technology. To do so, we will conduct focus groups with seniors from day care centres so that together we can identify unmet needs and challenges that can be tackled with the use of digital technologies.