Virtual Wellness: The Future of Physical Activity in Elderly Care

The rapid aging of the European population and low levels of physical activity among older adults are placing increasing pressure on health and care systems. Older adults in residential care or those with chronic conditions, in particular, have limited access to structured, adapted sport and physical activity initiatives. Furthermore, sports organizations and care facilities often lack the shared methodologies and competencies needed to offer Health-Enhancing Physical Activity (HEPA) in a sustainable and inclusive manner. The Virtual Wellness project aims to bridge this gap through transnational collaboration involving higher education institutions, sports organizations, care facilities, and European networks. The project seeks to develop and validate a European Virtual Wellness framework for adapted HEPA for older adults, with a specific focus on vulnerable groups and those with fewer opportunities. A participatory approach is used to identify needs across different countries and to co-create the framework with older adults, care providers, and sports professionals. Based on this, a digitally supported training curriculum will be developed and rolled out to enhance the competencies of sports and care professionals as well as volunteers. The framework and training programs will be tested through pilot projects in both residential and community settings. The project will result in a validated European framework, a trained workforce, increased physical activity participation among older adults, and a practical implementation toolkit. In doing so, the project contributes to active and healthy aging, strengthened collaboration between the sports and care sectors, and scalable solutions applicable beyond the consortium itself.