Since 2022, the AFECO consortium (Empowering older adults to apply affordable eco- and age-friendly solutions to age in place) has been working on learning materials and an online learning platform for older people. The consortium consists of AFEdemy (the Netherlands, coordinator), The Hague University of Applied Sciences (the Netherlands), SHINE 2Europe (Portugal), ISIS Institut für Sozialforschung (Germany), Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences (Poland), FRODIZO (Greece) and ISRAA (Italy). In the spring of 2025, we finalised the learning materials and the learning platform with the help of more than 100 older people and 60 trainers and carers, who provided feedback on how to improve the AFECO result. Our results can be found at: www.afeco.eu.

The main objective of AFECO was to enable older people to apply affordable, age-friendly (or age-friendly) and environmentally friendly solutions in their own living environment. Age-friendly principles are practical solutions to improve the health, participation and safety of older people, thereby increasing their quality of life. Environmentally friendly principles are practical solutions that help older people act more sustainably and contribute to the environment. 

AFECO delivers the following: 

• An overview of the educational needs of older people in Greece, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Portugal and Italy for learning affordable age-friendly and environmentally friendly solutions at home and in the community. 
• Learning materials co-created with older people from the same countries.
• An interactive online learning platform with a virtual coach (Alfi), the learning materials and self-tests. 
• A validation report on the testing of the learning materials and learning platform by older people, trainers and carers. 
• A handbook for older people and professionals on how to use and transfer the learning materials.