Kuopio is part of European Community Active and Healthy Ageing network
City of Kuopio is the Centre of commerce, education and research, and Developing centre of industrial life in Eastern Finland. The city is taking decisive measures both to expand and serve better its inhabitants. Currently, there is 118 000 (year 2017) inhabitants in the city of Kuopio.
Kuopio is an active partner in two action groups in European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing, coordinated by the EU commission: Integrated care B3 and Independent living C2. The Partnership brings together a wide array of stakeholders to work in a collaborative way on shared interests and projects geared towards achieving common goals and promoting successful technological, social and organizational innovation. This collaborative partnership aims to improve older peoples' lives, helping them to contribute to society, and reduce pressure on health and care systems.
Attention to preventive actions
In the City of Kuopio aged 65 and over accounted for the total population is 16,6 %. Amount of Elderly who are over 65-year-olds will rise by 34 000 persons (28.0 %) until 2020 in eastern Finland. Wellbeing and Health Promotion is included in City of Kuopios’s strategy for 2020. One of the strategic goals is to give special attention to customers’ needs and to pay attention to preventive actions.
At the international level Kuopio represents Finland in the World Health Organization's Healthy Cities network. Age Friendly Kuopio program and promises of services, the ultimate goal is to respond to the aging population by moving the focus of the organization of services at home to support elderly.
Healthy Citizen and Safe Environment for living at home (HealCaSE) is an initiative and project of the City of Kuopio. The intiative aims to ensure timely and tangible access to expert services and help of both formal and informal care-givers at home. The initiative is being realised by implementing collaborative development projects and re-directing measures of the social and health provided by the City.
Mäntykampus is an elder-friendly living area
Mäntykampus has been chosen as a reference site for this network. Mäntykampus is elder-friendly living area in the city of Kuopio. Mäntykampus is large complex consisting of two nursing homes, 100 assisted living homes and 250 senior homes for independent living. Community center in the middle of Mäntykampus works place for group and volunteer activities etc.
Age-friendly communal area Mäntykampus has been in use over a year now. This pilot project has been a good example and possible to implement in other residential areas. New residents in Mäntykampus and citizens living nearby have been involved in different kind of communal activities. Citizens have become active and are arranging events and activity to each other. Residents will be engaged of planning the lakeshore area near Mäntykampus. The way of doing thing is very communal and multi-professional, for example we have got some projects also, like “Pihkassa Männistöön” and we support people to activate themselves.
Mäntykampus is also a Living Lab environment. Current ICT solutions for supporting living at home and assisted living lack the interaction between demand and supply. Living Lab platform brings together different stakeholders (business, research, public and private health providers and customers) to solve key bottlenecks incollaboration.
Games for Health Finland has been producing media content to inspire and inform citizens on health gamification. Health games have also been tested in elderly care centers, hospitals, rehabilitation centers and schools.