The elderly in focus at Researchers' Friday

On Friday, September 27th, it was Researchers' Friday, a day when universities across the EU create meeting places and dialogue between researchers and the public. At Jönköping University, open lectures were held on the elderly and their conditions from a broad and interdisciplinary perspective, with lecturers from all four schools.

Johanna Johansson, PhD student at the School of Health and Welfare, talked about the HEAT project and the concept of good and bad places in the city during heatwaves. She presented this from the perspective of seniors themselves, using short films they recorded with iPads. HEAT is a collaboration between four Swedish universities and focuses on urban planning for an aging population in a warmer climate.

Johannes Hagen, Associate Professor of Economics at Jönköping International Business School, discussed trends in pension withdrawals and the phenomenon of "jobbonärer", people who continue to work after retirement. For instance, among middle-income earners, over four out of ten 67-year-olds still have income from work – and most indicators suggest that the trend toward later exits from working life will continue.

Helena Taubner, assistant professor of Special Education at the School of Education and Communication, spoke about a group that is relatively overlooked in research: older adults with intellectual disabilities living in group homes. They often rely on the help of others to maintain their "life story"—for example, through photos, furniture, or souvenirs. But who is responsible for ensuring that the story is preserved over time? How is the person's daily life and quality of life affected when the story fades?

Joakim Kävrestad, assistant professor in Computer Science at the School of Engineering, spoke about various online security threats and the importance of cybersecurity. Fraud and online data breaches are increasing significantly, with older adults being particularly vulnerable. Joakim discussed the threats to be aware of and the best ways to protect oneself. For example, he provided practical tips on how to create secure passwords that are also easy to remember.

Moderator was Anders Jonzon, the Communications Director at Jönköping University. The lectures were organized in collaboration with the Senioruniversitetet i Jönköping.