In 2014, the Friuli Venezia Giulia Autonomous Region adopted a regional law on Healthy and Active Ageing, recently updated in 2020 by introducing the theme of combating loneliness.
The three-year and annual operational programmes, approved by the regional government, identify specific actions in the various sectors with the aim of supporting active ageing by a multi-sectoral and multi-level approach. So active ageing is supported by promoting social inclusion, cultural enrichment, encouraging local tourism, launching mobility programmes accessible to all, with a view to health in all policies and a lifelong approach, with particular emphasis on cross-generational, digitalisation and gender equality issues.
The FVG Region has promoted an innovative cross-collaboration modality on active ageing among seven of its Central Directorates and the Brussels Liaison Office thanks to the creation of an inter-directional technical Table. The Table is composed of the Central Directorate for health, social policies and disability, the Central Directorate for labour, training, education and family; the Central Directorate for infrastructure and territory; the Central Directorate for culture and sport; the Central Directorate for productive activities; the General Directorate; the Central Directorate for Local Government, Security and Immigration Policies. Other stakeholders of the Quadruple helix are involved from time to time, depending on the themes, with special attention to representatives of civil society.
A Regulation of the President of the FVG Region gives concrete implementation to the principles of the law. This implementation is made through the financing of projects aimed at recognizing and supporting the role of the elderly person in the community, facilitating paths of autonomy and both physical, mental and social well-being, implementing projects aimed at combating the phenomenon of loneliness, also in order to prevent the emergence of this phenomenon. The beneficiaries are public and third sector bodies, universities and research and training institutes.
The regional Sustainable Smart Specialization Strategy (S4) in force for the next programming period 2021-2027 envisages, among the specialisation areas identified, the area “Health, Quality of life, Agrifood and Bioeconomy”, dealing with quality of life from a human, animal and environmental point of you, according to the One health approach as well. Health, in its various aspects, has been confirmed as a regional strategic asset for research and innovation consistently with the 2014-2020 S3, in which one area was devoted to Smart Health. The regional cluster devoted to Life Sciences (managed by Polo Tecnologico Alto Adriatico) is in charge of animating the sector, with the involvement of regional stakeholders.
Projects
Among the various projects implemented by the FVG Region we want to briefly mention three of them: the Ithaca project, the international project “Inclusive Cities for Sustainable Families” and the Acsell project.
Ithaca – InnovaTion in Health And Care for All: The project, funded under the “INTERREG EUROPE” Programme 2014-2020, aims to create effective regional ecosystems to support initiatives and services for active and healthy ageing and the development of innovative solutions in the field of health. The final goals are smarter and more effective healthcare policies and, on the other hand, stronger regional and interregional ecosystems for the benefit of European citizens. The initiative envisages the involvement of local stakeholders. The Programme fosters collaboration and the exchange of ideas and good practices in particular between public authorities across Europe. During 2022, project partners and stakeholders from their territories shared a learning process of the innovations experienced by each to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing in particular on digital innovations for mental health, care and well-being and support for businesses. (Project link: https://projects2014-2020.interregeurope.eu/ithaca/).
Inclusive Cities for Sustainable Families: The FVG Region is a partner of the international project “Inclusive Cities for Sustainable Families”, together with the Veneto and Carinthia Region, IFFD – International Federation for Family Development, ELISAN – European Local Inclusion & Social Action Network, and many other European Regions and Cities as well as Brazil and Mexico. Thanks to this project, Friuli Venezia Giulia has joined the “Venice Charter”, which involves cities and territories that wish to actively contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG11). The Venice Declaration, officially presented at the United Nations in New York in October 2018, focuses on different aspects of inclusion policies, with particular attention to vulnerable groups, people with disabilities and the elderly (project link: https://familyperspective.org/2022/07/11/inclusive-cities-for-sustainable-families-3/).
Acsell: The overall objective of ACSELL is to sensitize the public sector, innovation intermediaries (e.g., chambers of commerce, technology transfer offices, etc.) and SMEs to expand SME competencies by promoting open innovation ecosystems and early integrating the user in the innovation process with a (interregional) living lab approach.
The project is targeted at the enterprises, but the importance of developing and supporting demand-driven innovation has soon become clear in order to bring research and innovation closer to everyday practice in the field of social and health care.
(project link: https://projects2014-2020.interregeurope.eu/acsell/)
FVG Final event link: https://projects2014-2020.interregeurope.eu/ithaca/news/news-article/15354/health-and-assistance/)
Areas of Good Practice
Project “Prism 7 – Experimental screening protocol for the conduct of an active surveillance-intervention program in the elderly population at risk of fragility”:
The project is being developed in two phases:
- the first phase consists of screening the potential fragility, by mapping it involving more than 100,000 regional citizens over 75.
- the second phase consists of taking charge of the identified potential fragility in advance, carrying it out in an integrated manner by involving health districts, social services of municipalities and general practitioners.
Project “Si Fa Rete” (Network breaks):
The project is the result of a co-design between the FVG Region and some Third Sector Entities in order to support together the fragility of the elderly. Among the project pillars, there are the development of communities through the improvement of the quality of life of citizens through collective actions; the consolidation of a competent community; the listening, information and community animation in the perspective of the welfare community; the training and guidance of caregivers and family caregivers.
News
Friuli Venezia Giulia
Member of the WHO European Regions for Health (RHN) network, here you’ll find out about the networks FVG is part of.
Upcoming Events
Friuli Venezia Giulia Events
In this section, you’ll find direct links to the Events & news within FVG Region.
Website, and other social media links to the AHA Reference Site
The Region has recently renewed its website dedicated to healthy and active ageing, to which 82 organisations and associations are currently registered. The site regularly publishes news, events and good practices implemented in the region.
The photos taken by the citizens as part of a photo contest illustrate the site, representing in an authentic way the territory and the citizens of Friuli Venezia Giulia. (https://invecchiamentoattivo.regione.fvg.it/it/).
Video about the health ecosystem in Friuli Venezia Giulia region.