£37m UK programme to transform quality of life for older people

Image: The initiative will boost health and wellbeing

A new £37m initiative has been launched with the support of government funding to improve the health, wellbeing and quality of life for nearly 170,000 older people across the UK.

The dallas - delivering assisted living lifestyles at scale - programme will examine new methods of using "innovative" products and services in order to create more independent lifestyles.

Four consortia tasked with operating the initiative - developed by the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) - have secured £25m worth of government funding.

The consortia have also made financial contributions towards the dallas programme, along with funding from the National Institute for Health Research and the Scottish Government.

Year Zero will provide an online application allowing individuals to manage personal health information and Liverpool's Feelgood Factory will encourage people to plan their futures.

Living It Up will develop solutions to allow Scottish communities to adopt healthy lifestyles and the UK-wide i-Focus scheme offers services to help people feel more comfortable at home.

TSB chief executive Iain Gray said: "The dallas programme is about redesigning and delivering a new approach, thinking beyond traditional health and social care to consider how new ideas and technology can be used to improve the way people live.

"Using new ideas, and thinking creatively, dallas will allow the wider community, including professionals, to work together so that all of us can live longer and more rewarding lives."

Details: www.innovateuk.org

Image: Marcel Mooij/shutterstock.com