Belfast Connected Places Catapult Testbed

Older people showed great interest at being asked for their input and participation in #digital innovation products/services. The range of products/services too were very encouraging. All in all, a worthwhile project with lots of learning for everyone! cp.catapult.org.uk/article/digita…

🧵2.7 million people aged over 65 do not use the internet. They are at serious risk of being excluded from services and support to which they are just as entitled as everyone else. Offline routes to services must be available and publicised. independent.co.uk/news/uk/age-uk…

You might be lonely but you’re not alone #LonelyNotAlone is a campaign aimed at tackling the stigma of youth loneliness Take a step into the @lonelynotalone universe and discover the one small step that could help make things better 👉 lonelynotalone.org @coop_foundation

Join us on Wednesday 21 June to hear from some of the leaders in the field of loneliness and connection and discuss how we, as a community of people who care about this issue, can tackle loneliness in the next five years. @SkyUK @TogetherlyHQ lght.ly/bdhl1eo

This year’s COVID-19 spring booster is being offered to individuals aged five years and over with a weakened immune system (immunosuppressed). Read the Open Letter at pha.site/springopenlett… @NITransplants @TEAM_TSNI @CancerFocusNI @MacmillanNI @actioncancer @PositiveLife_NI

.@CivicDollars was a past #BelCPC_Testbed participants and has benefitted from @innovateuk Health Ageing Challenge funding to introduce it more areas in Belfast - great news! Do check it out and see - no better time to get out & about now as the days are warmer and brighter.

Banking branches continue to close, but our new report reveals that 4 in 10 over-65s don't manage their money online.💷 🗣️@Car_Abrahams, Age UK Charity Director: "We need to face up to the fact that huge numbers of older people...are not banking online.” bit.ly/4205deU

Almost every morning when we open, a local guy who went to the same primary school as Mr Books comes to borrow a Troubles or a true crime book. Without fail, the next day he brings it back. Sometimes customers who are in the shop at the same time ask can they borrow a book too and get mildly offended when we diplomatically decline. Why do we lend to one and not the other? The gentleman in question has early onset dementia alongside alcohol addiction issues. Coming to ours is his only lifeline and the 5 minutes we spend together choosing his next book touches a part of his mind that isn’t yet overwhelmed by this terrible disease.

Prof Joan Condell from @UlsterUni presented learning from @CPCatapult Homes for Healthy Ageing at #MITS23 using technology to look at tackling #socialisolation and #loneliness #BelCPC_Testbed

Read more about Belfast's healthy ageing testbed at smartbelfast.city/story/homes-fo… and using innovative approaches to tackling isolation and loneliness in older people.

By 2050, 1 in 4 people in the UK will be over 65. Register for @CPCatapult's webinar sharing insights from the Homes for Healthy Ageing Programme and hear about our #SmartBelfast healthy ageing testbed in the Markets Area of Belfast cp.catapult.org.uk/event/homes-fo… #BelfastSmartDistrict

If you are a practitioner, clinician or other professional who supports ageing populations in your professional role then this seminar series may be for you. Find out more here; ow.ly/UMEn50LporQ @HSC_LeadershipC @Age_NI @Dementia_NI @publichealthni @ConnectedNI

UK Canada AgeTech Innovation Exchange is inviting UK and Canada based businesses to participate in a funded international exchange programme, supported by partners that have in-depth knowledge of the healthy ageing innovation ecosystems bit.ly/3VMLewI

Some stark stats here especially for young people... ft.com/content/c3aef6…

It was a pleasure to help support this project alongside a great team of partners within our NI consortium @QUBPsych @QUBCommunities1 @QUBEngagement @EndLonelinessUK @UCL_Loneliness

.@soo_cchsc @EcareWell @CivicDollars @thrivingapp @walkwithpath @ethelcare @wanatok_ @StoriiPlatform @KraydelCares @companiions

@DFsmartbelfast @SiobhanMCasey @lgrahamwisener @MDABelfast @hiranihealth @NI_CHIC

Older people showed great interest at being asked for their input and participation in #digital innovation products/services. The range of products/services too were very encouraging. All in all, a worthwhile project with lots of learning for everyone! cp.catapult.org.uk/article/digita…

Following a very successful knowledge sharing event in June,  Aging 2.0 UK is pleased to partner with the @BelCPCTestbed and @EcareWell to share valuable lessons at a webinar on 28 September. lnkd.in/eNZViFBQ @JoannRhode5 @healthdpt @luhc @LizK1988 @Economy_NI @HSC_NI

Are you worried about a loved one? Are they lacking interest in things that used to bring them joy? Are they not practising self care or frequently cancelling plans? Take our #SocialIsolation training to learn the skills to help them 👇 zerosuicidealliance.com/training

HSC NI Digital Strategy share your views by 30 September! We are also calling on all stakeholders to feed into the HIRANI response, comments to info@hira-ni.com Digital Strategy - HSC Northern Ireland 2022 - 2030 | Department of Health (health-ni.gov.uk) @JoannRhode5