Leveraging technology to support growing numbers of the elderly and an ageing population is being explored in a project developed by Jersey, which looks to address the potential issues created by an older population.
Impact Jersey was officially launched in 2023 following the announcement that the Government of Jersey would fund it through its Technology and Accelerator Fund in a focused approach to support health and wellbeing.
Recently, the project announced that it would launch a grant programme, the CareTech programme, targeted at encouraging Jersey-based businesses and elsewhere to develop and deploy tech-driven solutions aimed at supporting the ageing population and carers.
What these solutions will look like is not yet clear. A total of £2 million will be awarded to businesses who develop solutions that improve the lives of older people and deliver long-term care through technology. The successful business must demonstrate technologies that fit several criteria:
- showcase and accelerate a proactive and preventative community care model
- reduce hospitalisations
- help people to live independently in their homes and stay connected to communities for longer
- improve the lives of older people and their carers
The programme was launched as the number of elderly individuals expected to need long term care in Jersey is expected to increase significantly, with current projections placing a 58% increase of people aged 65 and above in the next 25 years. Alarmingly, projections for 2029 predict that the cost of caring for Jersey’s older citizens will outstrip the Government’s Long Term Care Income.
“We are excited to launch our second Impact Jersey programme, which builds on our successful Open Programme last year, to apply digital innovation to the specific and significant demographic and healthcare challenges Jersey is set to experience over the coming decades,” explained Tony Moretta, CEO, Digital Jersey in a press release. “This initiative provides a real opportunity to demonstrate how technology can address local challenges, prevent ill-health and social exclusion, maintain people’s independence and help alleviate pressure on Jersey’s health and care system.
“Of particular note is that, through this Challenge, we are deliberately facilitating international collaboration, by encouraging technology providers from across the globe to team up with local businesses and care providers to create impactful solutions for older people and carers in Jersey.”
The future impacts of an ageing population are evidently being thought about carefully by governments and the carer industry, which is showing signs of strain. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported in April 2023 that the number of people aged 65 years and over increased from 9.2 million in 2011 to over 11 million in 2021.
The Government of Jersey’s particular concerns over what an ageing population looks like can be traced back to a report in 2007, which investigated what the economic impact would be. It explored areas including how to increase the size of the economy and grow the economy by increasing the size of the workforce.
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