PANGeA – Keeping an ageing population moving

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We work in order to enhance the quality of living of inhabitants from the programme area, as well as on a more global level.Prof. Dr. Rado Pišot, principal investigator and project managerIn the Slovenia and Italy cross-border region, people 65 years or older make up nearly 20 % of the population. These senior citizens are defying stereotypes, preferring an active lifestyle over the sedentary. Unfortunately, the services and support available to promote healthy ageing has not evolved in decades.The Physical Activity and Nutrition for Great Ageing – or PANGeA – project aims to rectify this by bringing together academic institutions, hospitals and municipalities. Led by the Institute of Kinesiology Research at the University of Primorska’s Science and Research Centre, the project is committed to promoting quality of life for older populations via education programmes and direct physical activities. The end goal is to improve general health and reduce the risk of the acute injuries and chronic diseases that have become one of the most pressing problems facing the elderly today.Building bridgesAlthough academia, health care providers and various public institutions are all involved in providing care to the elderly, there is typically little coordination between them. The result is a very fragmented service. For this reason, PANGeA has positioned itself as the bridge needed to create a network among all involved actors.With a coordinated effort, the project has defined the factors of healthy ageing in order to raise awareness on the issue’s significance. For example, it has set up a mobile health laboratory to provide on-the-spot physical evaluations. A web portal available in English, Slovene and Italian also serves as a one-stop-shop for all information relating to healthy ageing. Over 20 free seminars on physical fitness for the elderly have been provided to local trainers, and numerous in-home demonstrations have been conducted.Active ageingAs a result of this coordinated effort and programming, the project is successfully promoting and encouraging health, health monitoring, health care measures and preventive measures among elderly populations across the regions. Of particular interest is the project’s focus on under-privileged groups, whose numbers are increasing and who typically suffer a lower standard of health and well-being.Total investment and EU fundingTotal investment for the project “PANGeA – Physical Activity & Nutrition for Quality Ageing” is EUR 1 253 752.35, of which the EU’s European Regional Development Fund is contributing EUR 1 253 752.35 from the operational programme “Cross-border cooperation programme Slovenia – Italy” for the 2007 to 2013 programming period.