Great Northern Haven

Initiative title: Louth Age-Friendly County – Great Northern Haven Reach: County:

[ ] Local Louth

[ ]

National

Theme:

[ ] Lead healthier & active lives for longer [] Stay living in our own homes and communities [ ] Get to where we need to go, when we need to [ ] Be enabled by the built and social environment [ ] Feel and be safe at home and out and about [ ] Have the information we need to live full lives [ ] Be truly valued and respected [ ] Participate in social, economic and public life [ ] Continue to learn, develop and work

Contact:

Website:

Rodd Bond, Netwell Centre – rodd.bond@netwellcentre.org Andrew McFarlane, CASALA – Andrew.mcfarlane@casala.ie Tel 042-9370496 Links: http://www.youtube.com/user/NetwellCASALA#p/u/6/D4P7QuChXsg http://www.youtube.com/user/NetwellCASALA?v=hGNzqTJHkI&lr=1 http://www.casala.ie/the-great-northern-haven.html

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Issue/ Opportunity: The Great Northern Haven project was a unique collaboration between the Louth Local Authorities & Dundalk Town Council, the local Health Service Executive, DkIT, Department of Environment, industry partners, research & development partners and the older residents. This demonstration project for independent living uses sensor technologies in a community and research context.

This is a flagship project for County Louth as Ireland's first 'Age-Friendly' County, and for the Netwell & CASALA research centres at the Dundalk Institute of Technology. The Great Northern Haven is a purpose-built development of 16 smart apartments constructed specifically for Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) applications.

Fifteen of the apartments are occupied by older residents who are actively involved on research projects and the last apartment is maintained as a demonstration and transitional unit where older people leaving hospital can make the transition from acute based care back to their homes and identify additional supports and services that they will need to enable them to continue living in the community. The project seeks to enhance the quality of life of older people through ambient assisted living (AAL) technologies, using the best of sensor and healthcare technologies currently available and as part of a living lab for new technologies and services developed through research collaborations. Ongoing research at Great Northern Haven will inform national policy and provide international experience in relation to services for older people, and has a wide range of potential commercial application. The Great Northern Haven was short listed for the Engineers Ireland Excellence Awards 2011.

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Rationale- what was the problem it was set up to solve or the opportunity it was aimed at seizing: The consultation process highlighted that most older people wished to stay living in their own homes with access to health, social & community services and that their homes would be equipped with the appropriate technologies that would allow for timely interventions to declining health.

It was also an opportunity to pilot how the key agencies would work collaboratively to address the needs of older people remaining in their communities and living independently

What was done:

The following actions were put in place; • Working Group established under the strategic Alliance • Funding sought through various agencies • Process of development through to build • Identification of older residents (inter agency, criteria setting, assessment based) • Residents moved in 2010 • Official Launch • Ongoing research

Key achievements: • • • • •

15 apartments occupied One dedicated transitional home using one of the apartments Parlour established for regular use by residents and others in the community Ongoing research using assistive technologies Reference site for Irish, European and Global visitors