CO-ACT – Co-Designing Adaptive Care Transformations for Ageing Communities

The objective of this project is to enhance existing healthy ageing initiatives, adapt them to local needs, and implement and evaluate them in real-world settings. Building on the lessons learned, we will develop an implementation and scaling package to support the wider adoption of effective, integrated health and care pathways within community settings.

• Ecosystem maps for the four participating regions. 
• A repository of promising healthy ageing and care solutions, which will be updated with acquired knowledge 
• Validated and locally adapted interventions ready for implementation in the living labs. 
• Real-world implementation of selected solutions across four regions. 
• Evaluation report on feasibility, usability, acceptability, health outcomes, and equity impacts. 
• Case studies and recommendations for improving integrated health and care pathways.
• Webinar series, workshops, and training activities. 
• Scalability and transferability strategy with evidence-based recommendations. 
• Practical implementation resources for adoption in other regions and countries

The project is organised into four work packages:

• WP1: ecosystem mapping (University of Galway)
• WP2: living lab implementation (JAMK University of Applied Sciences)
• WP3:  scalability and dissemination (NOVA University Lisbon)
• WP4: project coordination (HU University of Applied Sciences)

The project will be implemented in four European regions in the Netherlands, Finland, Ireland, and Portugal, where existing community initiatives serve as living labs. We will first map local health and care ecosystems to identify needs, opportunities, and barriers. Together with older adults, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and other stakeholders, we will then select and refine evidence-based healthy ageing solutions. These solutions will be adapted to local contexts, implemented in real-world settings, and evaluated for feasibility, usability, acceptability, and impact. Based on the findings, we will develop knowledge, tools, and strategies to support the wider adoption and scaling of successful integrated care solutions across Europe.

In all four sites, students will be participating in the research and learn new research skills.