HEA Well-being and Energy Efficiency for the Living Conditions of Senior Citizens

The project ended on June 24, 2014.

Funding: ERDF programme theme funding for Southern Finland. Project duration: 2.5 years, 2011‒2014.

One of the great challenges of our times is the development of sustainable, and energy-efficient solutions as well securing and promoting well-being among senior citizens. Metropolia is coordinating a project entitled Well-being and Energy Efficiency in Residences – Utilising Innovation Environments and User Information in Well-being and Energy Savings. It is a multidisciplinary comprehensive project that seeks innovative solutions for improving the residences, well-being and services available to senior citizens.

The project’s pilot sites include elderly people’s care and service homes in different parts of Finland, and various service units as well as residential communities. The Well-being and Energy Efficiency in Residences project seeks sustainable social and technological solutions for people’s well-being and residences by combining the welfare sector’s customer understanding with expertise in cutting-edge technology.

The project aims to create user-centric solutions and new service concepts that enable elderly people to live at home for as long as possible. Moreover, the project seeks to improve the energy-efficiency of their residences.

By utilising technical construction and welfare technology solutions, the Well-being and Energy Efficiency in Residences project will result in information on and concrete plans for alternative solutions that improve accessibility, energy efficiency, environmental friendliness, comfort and safety in residences. Energy savings, in turn, will have an impact on the residents’ personal finances and on society. Information on alternatives will help promote the development of more economical and functional residential solutions.

A desired outcome is that the development work would increase the number of healthy years in the lives of elderly people and a better opportunity for safe and cost-effective living.

The other partners in the project are Aalto University’s CKIR unit, Green Net Finland Ry, the Arcada, Kymenlaakso, Laurea, Saimaa and Turku universities of applied sciences and Lappeenranta University of Technology, Technology Business Research Center.

Further information

tki-info [at] metropolia.fi (tki-info[at]metropolia[dot]fi)

Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, contacts

Tuula Mikkola
Project Manager, Welfare and Human Functioning
tel. +358 400 578 279
tuula.mikkola [at] metropolia.fi (tuula[dot]mikkola[at]metropolia[dot]fi)

Links

Degree Programme in Elderly/Geriatric Care

ERDF programme (in Finnish)