News for Oct. 27, 2020
UC Davis Health contract with Bear River Land Holdings, LLC will fund a new report examining the current academic research and state-of-the-art technology for designing age-friendly communities
(Sacramento) — Bear River Land Holdings, LLC has selected UC Davis Health to write a report on the current academic research and industry best practices for designing technology-driven communities that support the unique needs of older adults and adults with disabilities.
In this report, researchers at the UC Davis Center for Healthcare Policy and Research and the Center for Health and Technology will act as independent consultants and review the current trends, opportunities and potential challenges to creating a new and innovative age-friendly community. It will include recommendations on the latest architectural designs for homes and surrounding areas, utilizing embedded and expandable technology, and incorporating features that are shown to improve health and well-being such as walkability and access to green space.
Additionally, the team will explore common barriers to accessing health and other support services within the community and describe novel methods for promoting health and independence among older adults and adults with disabilities. The final report will be used to inform future development and land use plans, to identify potential partners for technology and care delivery, and to outline possible next steps for creating demonstration homes and apartments to research design options.
This project is part of a UC Davis Big Idea: Healthy Aging in a Digital World, an initiative dedicated to researching how technology can benefit the aging population and their caregivers. The initiative is led by Tom Nesbitt, emeritus associate vice chancellor for strategic technologies, and Heather M. Young, dean emerita of the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing.
