Active@Home

Active@Home – An international project of AAL (Ambient Assisted Living Association)

Age-associated physiological but also cognitive changes cause gait impairments and a higher risk of falls in elderly. Falling can lead to injuries, restrictions of movement, loss of independence, social isolation, depression and a general decrease in well-being and quality of life. Current numbers demonstrate that one out of three people aged 65 and older fall annually and 20-30% of falls result in injury and hospitalization. Considering the significant impact on individual lives but also the direct and indirect health and care costs, there is a strong need for interventions aiming to prevent the occurrence of these events.

Not only the physiological declines in motor and sensory functions are responsible for gait impairments and higher risks of falls but also reduced cognitive functions such as attention (selective and divided attention) and executive functions (inhibition, mental flexibility). Considering even routine walking as a task which requires not only physical but also cognitive abilities leads to the necessity of a combined motor-cognitive training. A promising option for simultaneous training is an interactive game based training requiring a combination of physical and cognitive functions, so called exergames. By incorporating theoretical background from neuropsychology, movement sciences and computer science, we need to design new exergames for elderly people considering their constraints and needs.

Active@Home is an international project of the Ambient Assisted Living Association (AAL) including different European countries with the main goal of developing a new technology-based training game. This exergame contains physical exercise with Tai Chi and dance elements to improve strength, balance, coordination and general physical functioning. The challenging and motivating video game will not only focus on physical but also on cognitive aspects. The holistic approach of the proposed Active@Home solution is based mostly on the prevention of adverse falls and their consequences but also on supporting and motivating elderly towards healthier and more active lifestyles which will allow them to fully experience their advanced ageing and retirement years, maintaining their independence and full control of their lives. And moreover, Active@Home is not only physical and cognitive exercise but provides also a lot of entertainment and fun.