The Senior Living Lab: an example of nursing leadership

Abstract

The Senior Living Lab (SLL) is dedicated to the care of older adults and exemplifies how nursing leadership can influence clinical practice by designing research models capable of configuring interdisciplinary partnerships with the potential of generating innovative practices and better older patient outcomes. Demographic change resulting in growing numbers of older adults requires a societal approach, uniting stakeholders in social innovation processes. The LL approach is an innovative research method that values user perceptions and participation in the cocreation of new products and services. The SLL is crafting a platform responsive to change. It is a learning organization facilitating community-based participatory research methods in the field. Advanced nurse practitioners are well positioned to lead the way forward, fostering interdisciplinary academic collaborations dedicated to healthy aging at home. The SLL demonstrates how nursing science is taking the lead in the field of social innovation.

Keywords:

• community-based participatory approach
• Living Lab
• nursing leadership
• nursing practice
• Senior Living Lab
• social innovation

Acknowledgments

We thank our partners Luc Bergeron, Nathalie Nyffeler, Elena Muggelini, Delphine Roulet Schwab, and Nataly Viens Python for their participation in this research project. We also thank the University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland, ECAL, Lausanne, Switzerland, the University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland School of Business and Engineering, Yverdon, Switzerland, and the University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland School of Engineering and Architecture, Fribourg, Switzerland for their contribution. This research project was funded in part by Gebert Rüf Stiftung and the University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland School of Nursing La Source, Lausanne, Switzerland.

Author contributions

All authors contributed toward data analysis, drafting and critically revising the paper and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.