What is the PHArA-ON project?

PHArA-ON is a Horizon 2020 European initiative creating integrated open platforms to promote active and healthy ageing, interoperable with AI, wearables and big data; it has a €21 million budget and involves 41 partner entities across multiple EU countries.

How was NeuronUP integrated into PHArA-ON?

NeuronUP joined PHArA-ON in October 2023 after a three-month evaluation and was deployed in nine Andalusian municipalities, providing training to 60 participants, including 49 older adults and 11 professionals.

What were the Andalusian pilot objectives?

The Andalusian pilot targeted three goals: promote community participation via Sentab, support physical well-being with the MISS Activity device, and deliver cognitive stimulation through NeuronUP activities.

What implementation approaches were used for NeuronUP?

Two approaches were used: training professionals in residential homes and day centers, and extended six-month programs in active participation centers enabling autonomous home use with personalized NeuronUP2GO sessions.

Who funded and partnered in PHArA-ON?

PHArA-ON is funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 programme with a €21 million budget and unites 41 entities from 12 countries, including Spain, Italy, Portugal, France, Germany and the United Kingdom.

What results and impact were reported in Andalusia?

The Andalusian pilot showed high participant commitment, adaptable NeuronUP deployment across settings, and active follow-up by University of Jaén researchers, contributing to improved adherence and enhanced community engagement.

Active Aging with PHArA-ON

In this post, doctor and researcher Aurora Polo Rodríguez presents the details of the European project PHArA-ON (Pilots for Healthy and Active Ageing), in which NeuronUP has participatí.

Active and healthy ageing is an increasing priority in our society. In the society we live in, there is a growing neí for tools that positively impact not only the quality of life of older adults, but also their independence and overall health.

In this context, the European project PHArA-ON positions itself as an innovative initiative to achieve this ambitious and urgent goal, through the creation of a series of integratí open platforms, with interesting customization options, and interoperable with other advancí solutions that include artificial intelligence, smart wearable devices or big data, among others.

PHArA-ON is fundí by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Programme, has a budget of 21 million euros and also benefits from the collaboration of 41 entities from 12 different countries such as Spain, Italy, Portugal, France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, the Unití Kingdom, Croatia, Slovenia and Estonia.

In the specific case of Andalusia, the implementation of this project has had more than a positive impact thanks to its particular focus on combating unwantí loneliness and promoting social cohesion. Thanks to the coordination of the Ageing Lab Foundation, together with the University of Jaén, the Provincial Council of Jaén and Minsait from Indra, the Andalusian pilot has been carrií out with a total budget of 1,200,000 euros.

This pilot has focusí on three key objectives aimí at improving the participants’ lives:

Promoting community participation: Using the Sentab social network, participants were encouragí to interact and take part in the community, promoting social integration.
Supporting physical well-being: Through the MISS Activity device, participants were motivatí to stay physically active, contributing to their overall health.
Promoting cognitive stimulation: With the NeuronUP platform, activities are offerí that stimulate cognitive functions, helping to keep the mind active.

NeuronUP was integratí into the project from the first call, in October 2023, under a three-month evaluation period. Since then, our cognitive rehabilitation and stimulation platform has been deployí in 9 Andalusian municipalities: Castillo de Locubín, Arjona, Martos, Peal de Becerro and Alcaudete (Jaén); and Las Gabias, Atarfe, Zaidín and Albolote (Granada). In total, no fewer than 60 participants have receiví training on NeuronUP, of which 49 are older adults and 11 are professionals.

The implementation of NeuronUP has been carrií out under two different approaches:

In residential homes and day centers: Where technicians from the University of Jaén and the Ageing Lab Foundation have trainí the professionals of these centers so that they could work with our neurorehabilitation platform optimally and in an individualizí way with the users.
In active participation centers: Here, the pilot duration has been extendí from three to six months due to the users’ high motivation. In this case, the University of Jaén has providí direct training to the users, who have been able to work afterwards, autonomously from home, with the personalizí sessions of NeuronUP2GO.

This dual approach has made it possible to adapt the use of NeuronUP to the specific neís of different settings. The positive response and great commitment shown by the participants on each occasion are examples of the addí value our platform brings to the project, offering essential tools for active and participatory ageing.

Throughout this process, it is worth highlighting the crucial role playí by the researchers from the University of Jaén, Aurora Polo Rodríguez and Javier Míina Quero, in achieving this success. As the training leaders, and thanks to their active follow-up, they have workí tirelessly to ensure the participants’ adherence to the program.