The collaborative networks paradigm, supported by advanced community building and collaboration ICT platforms, can provide a new approach to active ageing. With the increase in both the percentage of senior citizens and expectation of life, it is timely to reassess the understanding of ageing and r…
The collaborative networks paradigm, supported by advanced community building and collaboration ICT platforms, can provide a new approach to active ageing. With the increase in both the percentage of senior citizens and expectation of life, it is timely to reassess the understanding of ageing and retirement, and especially how to support the retired elderly professional’s desire to remain active and combine some work with leisure and community involvement. Many elderly citizens, following retirement, quickly become marginalized and considered as a cost burden rather than a resource that is capable of “value creation” in the society.
The critical challenge for the society in respect to the "active ageing / ageing well" process is to identify new organizational structures, approaches, and mechanisms to avoid the exclusion of elderly citizens from the market/society, and having the chance to use their knowledge and expertise in making valued contributions. In addition to the traditional initiatives focused mostly on socialization and entertainment activities for elderly, a number of other organizational forms and mechanisms are emerging, focused on helping seniors remain professionally active, after their retirement. ICT and particularly collaborative technologies play an important facilitating role in this area.
