Prolonging life independence in healthy ageing

Empowering Older Adults: Innovative Health and Care Technologies

With populations living longer, Dr Alan Gow, Dr Mauro Dragone and Professor Lynne Baillie are at the forefront of research at Heriot-Watt University aimed at extending quality life years for older adults. Their work focuses on understanding and improving factors that contribute to cognitive resilience, physical well-being, and social engagement in later life. As global populations age, the need for innovative strategies to support healthy and independent living for older adults is more critical than ever.

While developing assistive technologies like smart homes and telecare systems to help older adults maintain their independence and safety, our research also explores lifestyle and behavioural factors such as physical activity, social connections and cognitive engagement, and creating targeted interventions to enhance these areas.

Committed to user-centred design and participatory research, our research involves older adults in every stage of the development process, ensuring that solutions are effective and aligned with end-user needs. Encompassing a broad range of projects aimed at supporting the ageing population, this collaborative approach bridges the gap between innovative technology and real-world application, ensuring tangible benefits for the ageing population.

The Global Research Institute in Health and Care Technologies is dedicated to advancing solutions for some of the world’s most critical health challenges. By uniting researchers from across Heriot-Watt’s school-based institutes, this institute fosters a multidisciplinary environment where engineers, healthcare professionals, and scientists work together to deliver impactful health innovations. The institute also collaborates extensively with other global research institutes at Heriot-Watt, enhancing its capacity to drive forward research that improves patient care and health outcomes on a global scale.