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On May 28th, 2018 Stadtteil Kurier has published an article about Mobile Age.

You can read the English version below:

Hemelingen.

Hiking and city maps have one problem: They are usually very unwieldy, and however hard you try, they can actually never be folded up properly again. This is different with digital city guides and hiking maps. They can be conveniently placed on the computer, tablet or smartphone can be used, turned, enlarged, can display places of interest and shops and above all: you don't have to fold them up. Together with senior citizens and institutions in Hemelingen, the Institute for Information Management Bremen (IfIB) has now developed a digital district guide especially for older residents in Hemelingen's, which is available from now on.

The Hemelinger district guide for older adults is the second digital city guide, developed by the Institute. In the course of the EU project "Mobile Age" a map was created as a prototype for the district Osterholz, which meets the special needs of older users. This includes information on beautiful walks, toilets and benches. The digital guide that offers information on more than 70 institutions, meeting places, advice centres and sports and cultural activities has existed since January 2018.

In Hemelingen the scientists dedicated themselves to walks. The district guide describes paths, through the neighbourhoods Hemelingen, Hastedt, Sebaldsbrück, Mahndorf and Arbergen. "But it's also a project to help older people get more familiar with the digital media", explains Juliane Jarke from the Institute for Information Management Bremen. The older adults were actively involved in the development. They recorded information, wrote texts, took photos and created videos about the paths and at the same time got to know their district a little better.

"Some of us knew a lot about technology, others knew a lot about the district, so that everyone could bring in some expertise," says Juliane Jarke.

Above all, the cultural-historical walks raised interest. With the digital district guide the researchers have another hope. “The aim is to get people out of their homes and give them a tool with the district guide so that excursions can be better planned and the elderly also have confidence in them".

The digital city district guide Hemelingen can be called up with the home PC, by tablet or with the Smartphone on the Internet side www.bremen.de/Hemelingen/Senioren.

However, there is no special app for the smartphone. For all people who do not have digital access, there is also a printed version. This is available in the Bürgerhaus Hemelingen, in the Protestant meeting place and in the local authority Hemelingen. The Institute for Information Management is an economically independent institute of the University of Bremen.

The work focuses on the handling of information and computer management in public administration, in schools and universities as well as in clubs and associations.

The EU project "Mobile Age" aims to provide insights into how to involve older people in the development of online services whose interests differ from those of younger people.

The project ends this year.