The Government of Jersey has announced that it is awarding funding to projects that will support the transformation of the aging population.
Focusing on how communities can be empowered to live well, safely, and independently, the challenge will see funding allocated to projects that will use technology to improve the lives of Jersey’s population, which is getting older. This comes against the backdrop of Jersey’s digital connectivity credentials making it the ideal testbed for life-enhancing technology.
By 2040 the number of islanders over the age of 65 is expected to increase by 30%, with this also bringing a 50% increase in the number of people living into their 80s and beyond.
Deputy Kirsten Morel, Jersey’s Minister for Sustainable Development, said:
“In the next decade, the number of people aged 65 or more will significantly increase, both in number and as a proportion of the population. We are addressing the challenges that this demographic sift will bring for the Island’s health and care systems now. As one of the world’s most digitally connected jurisdictions, Jersey is primed to seize the opportunities that new technologies offer our citizens, enabling Islanders to enjoy life and retain their independence for longer.”
At the moment, Jersey is one of the most digitally connected countries on earth, with it sitting at the top of the worldwide broadband speed league table. All of the broadband connections on the island are gigabit Fibre to the Premises connections, whilst the island also benefits from three separate 4G networks – set to become island-wide 5G later this summer.
With a population of around 100,000 living in a community just 45 miles square, Jersey offers an ideal place to test technology innovations to improve lives.
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