Demographic trends show that modern assistive technologies will become an increasingly important part of care for the ageing Czech population in the years ahead. That is why the Liberec Region is already testing how these tools can work in real-life settings. In cooperation with its Regional Development Agency (ARR) and the organisation Dohled na dosah, the region has equipped a pilot apartment at RoSa Residence with smart devices. The aim is to find out whether assistive technologies can help seniors remain safely at home for longer. According to regional estimates, the number of residents aged over 65 in the Liberec Region is expected to rise from 94,000 in 2025 to more than 102,000 as early as 2035.
As the number of seniors grows, so too will the need for intensive care. Existing social service capacities, however, will not be enough on their own to meet this challenge. According to calculations by the Liberec Region, the capacity of residential care services would need to increase by as many as 1,460 beds by 2032, while key services would also need to be strengthened by more than 1,000 additional staff.
“Our priority is to ensure a good quality of life for residents even as demographic change accelerates. But we cannot do that without smart links between innovation and social services. Modern technologies can help us respond to the challenges ahead effectively,” says Martin Půta, Governor of the Liberec Region.
According to him, the key is a shift in approach: innovative solutions can make the work of scarce care staff more efficient and help them respond to health risks among seniors in time. As a result, even people who currently need more intensive support could be able to stay at home for longer.
“Digitalisation is crucial not only for the competitiveness of our region, but also in areas where you might not expect it at first glance. In the social sector, for example, our ARR has connected the region with the private and non-profit sectors. At RoSa Residence, it is now starting to test digital technologies in everyday use,” says Edvard Kožušník, Statutory Deputy Governor of the Liberec Region for Economic and Strategic Development.
Through ARR and the regional business incubator Lipo.ink, the region also supports the growth of startups and technology companies whose solutions can be directed specifically towards the social sector. This is creating an innovation environment that is unique in the Czech Republic: practical, hands-on and focused on tangible results.
Pilot apartment at RoSa Residence
The pilot apartment is connected to a digital laboratory based at ARR and makes it possible to monitor how smart devices work in the real environment of a social service. The initiative was created through a four-way partnership between the Liberec Region, ARR, RoSa Residence Liberec and the organisation Dohled na dosah.
“The pilot project will allow us to test solutions in practice that have the potential to better evaluate clients’ current situations and help us intervene in time when unexpected events occur or when their health condition changes. I believe this can lead to a more effective and sustainable model of care that will significantly ease the burden on the social system in the future,” adds Anna Provazníková, Regional Councillor for Social Affairs.
The main outputs should be recommendations for the further development of assistive technologies in the region’s own facilities, as well as for the wider roll-out of these solutions into home care.
The solution includes SOS buttons, indoor environment sensors measuring temperature, humidity and CO₂ concentration, as well as telemedicine devices. These include an oximeter, blood pressure monitor, glucometer and digital thermometers. The testing focuses not only on the individual devices themselves, but also on how they connect to a monitoring system that operates independently of the building’s IT infrastructure.
The team at Dohled na dosah has configured the complex system specifically for RoSa Residence. “The goal is to integrate modern technologies sensitively into the work of care professionals. Testing in real-life practice is essential for us, because it is the only way to verify whether the technologies genuinely benefit both clients and staff,” says Viktor Kubát, Chair of the association.
“From the very beginning, we have tried to offer our clients top-level care in many different respects. We want to show that the social sector, too, can benefit from the current trend towards modernisation and digitalisation of services,” adds Anna Ježková, Managing Director of RoSa Residence Liberec, a community home for seniors.
The future lies in assistive technologies
The pilot project is part of the upcoming Strategy for Care for People with Disabilities and Seniors in the Liberec Region for 2027–2032. It was possible to launch it already this year thanks to ARR and its involvement in the network of European Digital Innovation Hubs, or EDIH.
EDIH Northeast Bohemia, in which ARR leads the consortium, supports the development of digital skills in public organisations and social services in the Liberec and Hradec Králové regions. Through its “Test before invest” service, it enables digital solutions to be tested before they are introduced into practice. In the social sector, it has already helped test ANUME smart mats for monitoring client positioning and vital signs, as well as assessing the benefits of the Robic robot for activating clients with autism spectrum disorder. It has also supported the implementation of smart sensors for monitoring indoor environments in schools and libraries.
