On October 28, 2025, the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, together with the Görlitz Seniors' Representation of the District Seniors' Council and the Family Office, invites you to a varied morning on digital topics for older people. It offers exciting insights, opportunities to exchange ideas and practical tips for using technology to combat loneliness.
| Begin |
28. October 2025 -
09:00 Uhr |
| End | 28. October 2025 - 12:30 Uhr |
How can technology help to overcome loneliness in old age and enable social participation? What conditions are needed for it to really be used? Where are the hurdles, doubts and concerns?
Participants will gain an insight into how technology can reduce loneliness in old age. Current examples - from video telephony to digital meeting places - will be presented and experiences, wishes and ideas will be discussed together. The aim of the event is to understand technology not as a substitute, but as a meaningful addition to human encounters and to jointly develop ways in which it can connect older people instead of isolating them.
In the first part of the event, there will be reviews and current information: Susanne Werner from the Görlitz Family Office will present the results of the survey from the last event at the Görlitz District Office. The participants will then receive practical contributions about technology consultation hours and individual experiences as a technology ambassador for the district of Görlitz as well as other exciting insights into digital participation.
In the second part, guests can look forward to an interactive discovery session in which useful apps for everyday life in old age that promote participation will be presented. This will be followed by a presentation of selected technologies such as Alexa and the Enna tablet. To round off the morning, from 12:40 p. m. there will be an opportunity to exchange ideas over lunch and end the morning in a convivial atmosphere.
The event will also include contributions from the research projects VATI6a study on the use of technology in old age. The outlook for the future will be shaped by the presentation of the Practical Research Center Görlitz by Thomas Graf (HSZG) and Katharina Schneider (KHSB), which uses participatory methods to research the needs and interests of older people with regard to technology and digitalization.
Interested citizens, especially senior citizens, informal and professional caregivers and other stakeholders from science, care, social work, civil society, politics and technology development are invited.
The event offers plenty of space for exchange and discussion about challenges and doubts, but also opportunities and wishes for technology in old age.
So that technology in old age does not divide, but connects!
The event is fully booked. Registration is no longer possible.
| Time of day | Program point | Speaker |
| 09:00 - 09:30 a.m. | Arrival with coffee and snacks | |
| 09:30 - 9:35 a.m. | Welcome address | Prof. Dr. Andreas Hoff, Director of the GAT Institute, Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, Rose-Maria Zock, Senior Citizens' Representative Office Görlitz, Susanne Werner, Görlitz Family Office Sibylle Kruspe, Committed City of Görlitz |
| 09:35 a.m. - 09:45 a.m. | Evaluation of the survey from the last event | Susanne Werner, Family Office Görlitz Sibylle Kruspe, Committed City of Görlitz |
| 09:45 - 10:15 a.m. | "Together in the digital world" - Presentation of the association "gemeinsam digital" | Prof. Dr. Kristina Barczik, Chairwoman of the Board of the "gemeinsam digital" association |
| 10:15 - 10:30 a.m. | Technology ambassador - your helper for digital questions | Bärbel Moritz |
| 10:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. | Technology consultation hours in the district of Görlitz | Christian Thiele from the children and family center Niesky Helen Schübi & Eva Wunsch from the adult education center Dreiländereck |
| 10:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. | Coffee break | |
| 11:00 - 11:30 a.m. | Easily explained: Likewise - the app for like-minded people | Lisa Krüger, Social Network Lausitz |
| 11:30 - 12:00 a.m. | Easily explained: Alexa - digital friend at home | Maria Fabisch, Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences |
| 12:00 - 12:15 p.m. | Interim results of the VATI6 project at the GAT | Julian Saling, Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences |
| 12:15 - 12:30 p.m. | Outlook into the future: Presentation of the practical research center Görlitz | Thomas Graf, Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, Katharina Schneider, Catholic University of Applied Sciences Berlin |
| 12:30 - 14:00 | Degree and joint lunch | |
