LABEL HS2®: a label focused on people and use
What is the silver economy?
The silver economy is a sector in its own right. It encompasses all the economic players involved in the day-to-day care of the elderly, with a range of products and services.
It covers all activities designed to improve the daily lives of the frail.
What are the social, societal and health challenges of an ageing population?
From an economic and social point of view, the challenges of an ageing population are crucial. The elderly will represent 1/3 of the population by 2040. They are economic players in their own right, but they are also people in fragile situations, with specific needs and expectations.
Today, the challenge is to prevent the loss of autonomy of the elderly, to postpone it as far as possible, so as to reduce the cost of dependency and increase support at home: increasing an elderly person's life at home by 5 extra years, as opposed to their placement in a retirement home, would save €200-300,000 per person!
What solutions has the Apave Group put in place to prevent this loss of autonomy?
The Apave Group, through its subsidiary Apave Certification, is rolling out the HS2® label to economic players, in response to the 3rd Dimension of Sustainable Development, Social, Societal = Health, Solidarity, Safety, and in line with HQE (2nd Dimension of Sustainable Development), which focuses on a building's environmental footprint. The HS2® label focuses on the individual.
We're targeting a fairly broad audience. This ecosystem includes players in the real estate sector (property developers, social landlords), day-to-day management (managers of independent living residences, assisted-living residences, pharmacies) and local authorities. Today, it is important for a local authority to support and give impetus to a territorial project in favor of well-being, living well and ageing well.
The HS2® label is also aimed at financial players such as mutual insurance companies, pension funds and insurers, who take preventive action and raise awareness of the aspects of loss of autonomy. But also investment funds that finance real estate projects.
And so, for all these players, we provide standards that meet the challenges of an ageing population.
What is the HS2® label?
It's an approach whose aim is to enable elderly and frail people to live as long as possible in their own homes or in a chosen living environment. To achieve this, all the factors contributing to loss of autonomy must be eliminated. This means implementing a certain number of safety standards, for example in the home to prevent falls, and specific bathroom fittings.
It's also about taking into account the environment in which the home is located: proximity to services, easy access to healthcare, mobility solutions and the promotion of a social life. All these aspects help us to lead as normal a life as possible. Growing old is not an illness, and you need to have the right living conditions to enjoy it.
What are the advantages of the HS2® label?
Our standards have been designed in conjunction with professionals and specialists in the various fields of the silver economy.
For example, the HS2® “Housing” standard recommends the use of flat-top showers. This standard will only come into force for all new buildings from summer 2021.
By committing to a certification process, you can demonstrate to your customers and partners that you are complying with standards defined by a reference system, and that you have been assessed by a third party. The criteria are precise and demanding. The label is a guarantee of trust.
It is also an element of differentiation. More than a quality approach, the HS2® label is a social and collaborative approach, and a network of potential partners. Today, we have more than 183 projects in 45 départements with social landlords, property developers, service providers, pharmacies, SAADs and local authorities..., and all these professionals can meet, work together and provide solutions to the challenges of an ageing population.
How do you obtain the HS2® label?
On entering the process, the project owner is first made aware of the various criteria, and then a number of audits are carried out to ensure that the various criteria are correctly met.
How is the approach innovative? How can the HS2® label meet today's needs?
The HS2® approach starts with the user, to develop new operating models that will dictate the structures designed for tomorrow. It's not up to the user to adapt, but to society as a whole. It's only natural that the HS2® approach should involve all local players in a single objective: to improve the living environment of people in need.
It's a fact that the French demographic landscape is changing. Our country is aging, and this trend is set to accelerate in the years ahead. This metamorphosis of society is an opportunity to provide responses adapted to the needs of this aging population, so that they do not find themselves in situations that will precipitate their loss of autonomy.
Several factors can precipitate the loss of autonomy: falls, for example, we can limit falls by adapting homes, we can create spaces for exchanges to break the isolation or create moments for the elderly to enjoy a social life. Thinking upstream in terms of the urban area, roads, internal connections, local services and mobility means that these factors can be taken into account in the development of the various HS2® standards. The HS2® label is designed to be an ecosystem-based label, bringing together all the players in the field with a common goal in mind: to make daily life easier for people in need.
The HS2® label is therefore a tool for meeting the challenges of adapting our society to ageing.
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