You are Myriam Van Espen, co-founder of SeniorInnovation. Could you please introduce your activity? Our business of our Advisory Office is focused in 4 main areas: Demand for information The role of Senior Innovation is to maintain vigilance in respect of strategic and political developments with regard to gerontology at a European level, amongst the national governments in Senior Innovation also has at its disposal a large amount of gerontological information of an international nature. All this data is communicated to clients in accordance with their individual needs. Personalised advice Based on the accrued experience of our experts, personalised advice is aimed at dovetailing quite specifically with the reality that the client is faced with. It has three main dimensions: – opening up the gerontological field of vision – contributing an external and gerontological view to the organisation’s dynamics – participating in the design and development of products and projects intended for seniors or the elderly This advice is intended for both decision-makers in the public domain and heads of companies and associations (NGOs). Surveys and research This activity is essentially in a permanent state of development. It particularly consists in engaging in partnership with numerous entities such as – researchers looking for gerontological competences, – companies wanting to create or adapt new products intended for this new population group, – official government agencies. Conferences and training Senior Innovation organises conferences dealing with issues regardingageing population. In addition, Senior Innovation also offers personalised training programmes, drawn up in close conjunction with the client. They are hallmarked by their flexibility and their gerontological dimension. What assets enable your team of experts to assist your customers? Our experts offer three major advantages: – multilingualism. This quality enables Senior Innovation to maintain connections with numerous gerontological points of contact in – management experience and the development of projects with a gerontological dimension. This ability, acquired over time and as a result of professional experience, enables us to gain a better understanding of what moves the decision-makers and the strategies that we encounter and to provide them with adaptable guidance in their thinking and achievements. – a sense of diplomacy and touch. Some of our experts have held office as ministerial advisers, project leaders or commercial managers. This type of experience is of great value in carrying out the assignments that are entrusted to us. What are the current concerns of experts in Gerontology? Senior Innovation has been set up in direct alignment with the strategic course defined at the Second World Assembly of the United Nations in April 2002. This course encourages a change in mindsets with the goal of building a society for those of all ages. And this is our objective. It is becoming a matter of urgency that the all people change their views on the increase in longevity and the elderly. Our main concern is to avoid a war between the generations and to contribute to harmonious coexistence amongst people of all ages. Our second concern is to create awareness amongst strategic and political decision-makers of the need to develop prospective gerontological and inter-generational scenarios. Our third concern is to contribute to the lifestyle comfort of those traversing the various stages after the age of 55 (older workers, the retired, the very elderly, etc.) by adapting society’s mechanisms to this new demographic given. What are the main consequences of population aging the society will have to challenge? First, we would point to the fact that the increase in life-expectancy is a global phenomenon. It has to be correlated with a further important demographic factor: the fall in the birth-rate. The fundamental development from this is a larger number of people living into great old age (80, 90, 100). The pattern on which populations are ageing calls for our societies to give thought to the solidarity mechanisms that were put in place in the course of the 20th century in respect of employment and social security in general. Demographic ageing also requires society to adapt to this new phenomenon: the grey, silent revolution, unique in the history of humanity. It is becoming urgent that we anticipate the impacts of this new societal and historical fact, which is fundamentally changing a series of ancient beliefs and paradigms. Far too often, seniors and the elderly are perceived as a “weight” that society has to bear by reason of the costs of retirement and healthcare. However, physical (or psychological) dependence is far from being the destiny of the aged, as some might sometimes want us to believe … At the present time, it is becoming urgent that we turn the all-too-often ignored abilities of the aged to good account and recognise their resources, their experience and their potential. It is urgent that they be encouraged to continue as the messengers and actors of society’s projects, where they must be acknowledged as the ones whom we turn to, as well as being the keepers of society’s knowledge, wisdom and tradition. Their role is essential in the perspective of a societal project that is respectful of human beings for current and future generations across the world. And what about Universal Design? The notion of Universal Design is still too much disregarded by many decision-makers and merits far greater attention in many places. This year, Senior Innovation has dealt with two cases highlighting this shortcoming: the numerical split and seniors, and housing and the aged. There is still a long way to go before this concept takes root … Would you like to talk about one of your latest projects? Since November 2004, we have been developing a pioneer programme in French-speaking The goal of this project is to preserve harmonious, inter-generational coexistence within businesses and anticipate the impact of the departure of large numbers of baby-boom employees by ensuring that knowledge and expertise are properly passed on to younger generations. During the course of 2004, we also developed a training programme on alternative types of housing for aged persons in
AgeEconomie – Silver économie – Marché des Seniors
Le Portail d'actualité et d'analyses du Marché des Seniors et de la Silver économie
