Data and Innovations for a Fulfilling Life in Old Age

Healthy longevity means “a person is able to do the things he or she values for as long as possible”. Learn how the Healthy Longevity Center uses data from everyday life to develop innovative methods that enable people to lead fulfilling and healthy lives well into old age.

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What are your ideas and wishes for your own aging? How would you like to grow old? On the one hand, the Healthy Longevity Center of the UZH aims at mapping the complexity and diversity of old age. To this end, it draws on a variety of data that provides information about people’s behavior and activities in everyday life. It also incorporates information on the living environment and the characteristics of individuals. Technology and digitization help to collect such data close to everyday life, to integrate data from different sources with each other and to evaluate them in a theory-based way.

These data form the basis for the second focus of the Healthy Longevity Center: the translation of research findings into practical applications and the development of (social) innovations for a healthy and fulfilled life into old age. This means enabling individuals to do the things that are personally valuable to them for as long as possible. Here, we work closely with partners from academia, but also with practice and business partners. Last but not least, we follow a participatory approach of involving older adults as partners.

At our booth, you can learn about our research and discuss the meaning of healthy aging and longevity with us — stop by and join us!

Mr. S. was an active soccer player and now suffers from dementia. At 91, he is living a good life in a retirement home in Aargau. These days, he watches soccer on TV regularly and with great interest, together with his caregiver – after the caregiver’s shift has ended (Image: Jos Schmid).
Ms. K. suffered from dementia. As a child, she spent a lot of time outdoors in nature. The sound of the Engelberger Aa helped her fall asleep. That is why, even in her old age, she still enjoyed listening to the sound of rivers. Three years ago, at the age of 92, she has passed away (Image: Jos Schmid).