What is the PHArA-ON project?

PHArA-ON is a Horizon 2020 European project creating integrated open platforms for healthy and active ageing, combining AI, wearables and big data. It has a €21 million budget and involves 41 entities across 12 countries.

What role did NeuronUP have in PHArA-ON?

NeuronUP provided a cognitive rehabilitation and stimulation platform, integrated from the first call in October 2023, deployed across nine Andalusian municipalities and used to train 60 participants, including older adults and professionals.

What were the three key objectives of the Andalusian pilot?

The pilot targeted promoting community participation via Sentab, supporting physical well-being with the MISS Activity device, and promoting cognitive stimulation using the NeuronUP platform.

How was the Andalusian pilot implemented and funded?

The Andalusian pilot, coordinated by the Ageing Lab Foundation and University of Jaén with local partners, operated with a €1,200,000 budget and local collaboration from public and private institutions.

What implementation approaches were used for NeuronUP in the pilot?

Two approaches were used: staff-trained deployment in residential homes and day centers, and extended six‑month programs in active participation centers with direct user training and autonomous home use via NeuronUP2GO.

What outcomes and benefits were reported from the pilot?

Reported outcomes include high participant engagement, improved social cohesion, reduced loneliness, adaptable use across settings, and strong adherence supported by University of Jaén researchers and trainers.

Active aging with PHArA-ON

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

Active and healthy ageing is a growing priority in our society. In the society we live in, the need to have tools that positively impact not only the quality of life of older adults, but also their independence and overall health, is increasingly apparent.

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 integrated open platforms, with interesting customization options, and interoperable with other advanced solutions that include artificial intelligence, smart wearable devices or big data, among others.

PHArA-ON is funded 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 United 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 unwanted 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 of Indra, it has been possible to carry out the Andalusian pilot with a total budget of 1.200.000 euros.

This has been focused on three key objectives aimed at improving participants’ lives:

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

NeuronUP was integrated 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 managed to be deployed 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 less than 60 participants have received training on NeuronUP, of whom 49 are older adults and 11 are professionals.

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

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

This dual approach has allowed adapting the use of NeuronUP to the specific needs of different settings. The positive response and the great commitment that participants have shown on each occasion are examples of the added value that our platform brings to the project, offering essential tools for active and participatory ageing.

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