As the number of elderly populations around the world start to increase significantly, there are concerns among city councillors and health officials that a large number of them may suffer health and social issues. There will enormous financial pressure placed on healthcare systems, so anything that can help the situation will be welcomed.

Technology may help solve this issue. A new project from Barcelona, VinclesBCN, aims to make it easier for elderly people to connect with others, use features such as calendars and even transfer money. Over 20% of the city’s population is 65 and over, with that number expected to rise significantly in the coming years. The app wants to make it easy to communicate and reduce the possibility of being isolated – a problem often encountered in communities.

Fernando Garcia Bernal, who helped contribute to the project, said: “It can be installed on a tablet or mobile – allowing the elderly to make calls, send and receive multimedia content, share a calendar and transfer money easily and safely.”