An ageing population will change the pattern of demands on health and care services and has potential to compromise Europe’s competitiveness and economic growth, unless new ways are found to embrace not only the challenges but also the full range of opportunities accompanying the demographic changes. Social innovation in the area of ageing is a promising approach to tackle these challenges and opportunities.
Key elements of social innovation include: an orientation towards meeting social needs, problems and values; the introduction of new social practices; user participation and acceptance; and realization of both societal and individual benefits.
A recognition of the potential of social innovation in the field of active and healthy ageing was the impetus for King Baudouin Foundation, in collaboration with Fundación La Caixa, Erste Stiftung and Fundazione UniCredit, to search for the most promising social innovations in this field and to analyze them regarding their impact, barriers and scaling-up potential. This publication is the culmination of this process and outlines 20 promising initiatives which underscore the power of social innovation.
It is hoped that these case studies will provide sufficient information and analysis to prompt potential collaborative engagement with these initiatives by a range of experienced stakeholders.