Firstly, in Europe, people aged 65+ represent 19% of the population. In the year 2050, 2 million people will be over the age of 60. We are experiencing an unprecedented global phenomenon, the longevity revolution, which in turn brings its great challenges.
The first challenge is to redefine old age. What does this actually mean? We are currently at a moment when the average life expectancy is 82 years which is a true achievement of our society. But how do we understand this stage of life? Aging, currently, is surrounded by negative connotations and stereotypes with which people over 60 no longer identify.
Specifically, older people within our society are approximately a very broad group which we should not generalize. Furthermore, we must recognize and channel all the talent of seniors to contribute to the development of meaningful life projects which simultaneously will improve society. This is related to the promotion of aging processes in an active way:
To invest in the promotion of autonomy rather than in care for dependency.
The second challenge is related to dealing with dependency situations. What is the prevailing care model in social health resources aimed at caring for the elderly? In this sense, we detect a great need to rethink the residences or the current model of centers. Designed to deal with the most severe cases of dependency, they are closer to health models than to life models.
As long as there is life, there is a life project.
This particular change involves redesigning the centers so that they are welcoming and close, looking for locations in central areas that allow us to continue being participants in the community in which we live and, most importantly, changing the culture of care that prevails in organizations putting the people in the center of attention.
What should the residences in which we would like to grow old in be like exactly? How do we promote new housing solutions for the elderly who are autonomous but do not want to be alone? How do we make all of this economically sustainable? These are the questions posed by Noelia López, Ricardo Fra, Francisco Martínez and Lucía Saborido, who have co-created a comprehensive model to respond to the challenges posed by the longevity revolution. The model is made up of three projects with a life of their own.
In 2013 they began their journey as social entrepreneurs with the Saraiva Sénior project, a new concept of residences for the elderly based on quality of life model beyond an institutional care model. They currently have 3 multi-service centers in the Pontevedra area and offer care services to more than 400 elderly people.
In the same year of 2013 they created Activiza, a social innovation consultancy in which they collaborate with public and private entities to promote the change of mindset around old age. They have their own methodology aimed at the professional teams of residences with which they approach accompaniment processes that allow the organization to apply person-centered care. They have provided training in the culture change model to more than 1,500 professionals in the elderly care sector throughout Spain.
Envita is their most recent project. In 2017 they began with the idea of generating a new tool to address the challenge of offering personalized attention in residences. Throughout the entire journey they realized that when teams collect the life stories of the people they care for, they not only know them better, but they can also offer better care to them. Thus that is how the idea was born of creating Envita, an online platform that guides professionals in the preparation of life books for people who require care. Envita is not only used in residences, but now allows anyone to collect their life story, photographs, anecdotes, wishes in a unique book.
Envita encourages transcendence to the person, as it makes it easier for the person to leave a family legacy and in turn, after the life review, discover new goals or express their wishes/desires.
