Recent research shows that, if given the choice, over 85% of older Canadians would prefer to age in place within their own homes and communities. The National Research Council of Canada’s (NRC) Aging in Place Challenge program aims to support this choice through technology and innovation. The program's objectives focus on improving the quality of life of older adults and their personal caregivers through innovation for safe and healthy aging, supporting a sustainable model for long-term care by shifting focus towards preventive home and community-based care. The aim is to enable nursing homes to concentrate on older adults with the highest needs while reducing costs to the Canadian healthcare system. The program's research also aims to inform federal and provincial policy decisions by contributing to the development of evidence-based standards and guidelines to be used in the design and evaluation of aging related technologies. The program officially launched in April 2021 and is 7 years in duration. It aspires to increase by 20% the number of older adults who are living in homes and communities of their choice by 2031.

Older people in general

Health, Housing, Information and Communication, Long-term care, Transportation

Government, Civil Society Organization, Older People's Association, Academia, Health Care, Social Care, Private Sector

Older people were part of the process at multiple or all stages

Through our Challenge programs, the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) is partnering with private and public sector, academic and other research organizations in Canada and internationally to advance transformative, high-risk, high-reward research that address Canadian priorities. As an R&D program, the Aging in Place Challenge program brings together researchers and facilities from across 9 of the NRC's 14 research centres, with external academic and industrial partners from across Canada and internationally. In terms of number of projects, we currently have a total of 30 research projects in the program and more than an equivalent of 36 NRC researchers per year dedicating their time. Given that one research project can have multiple collaborators with some being in-kind, this translates in 31 collaborative research agreements funded by the NRC up to mid-December 2022. Moreover, the program is partnering with other organizations at the national level for co-funding of research projects, development of living laboratories as well as a roadmap towards the development of standards for aging technologies design and evaluation. Finally, we know that when it comes to research on aging, it is a best practice to meaningfully involve those who have firsthand experiences. More than just a best practice, it is essential to ensure that the technology developed answers a need, will be usable and has higher chances of being adopted. Our engagement of Experts by Experience, older adults and their caregivers, is an essential part of our collaborations and is described in the section below in more detail.

The program is finishing its second year out of a 7-year horizon and has plans to scale up in the following manner: - Addressing gaps and unmet needs with the addition of research and technology projects in specific themes/topics - Supporting person-centric technology development and implementation with living laboratories. While the Aging in Place Challenge program was developed on the premise that we can help support older adults to age in place with technology, there remains a known challenge in the translation of technology to adoption. In getting technology and innovation early on into the hands of the people that need it and addressing the diversity among older adults, their caregivers and the environments where they live, we hope to better meet our objectives. - Building a framework to accumulate evidence towards the development of standards and guidelines to be used in the design and evaluation of aging related technologies

As we are at early stages of the program we do not have issues to share at this time.

As we are at early stages of the program we do not have lessons to share at this time.

Vision and leadership from the Decade have positively impacted our program. Members of our team actively participate in the Government of Canada's Decade of Healthy Aging Interdepartmental Working Group (“Decade Working Group”). This participation has positively impacted our program through awareness building and connection with aligned government departments for increased impact, national knowledge and consensus building.