TerzStiftung

terzStiftung is a non-profit foundation based in Berlingen, Switzerland. The foundation works in two main areas: as a representative body for mature people and as a general service provider in the market for elderly people. In our role as a service provider, we offer consulting services and an information-desk, consisting of a hotline, an online-magazine and a web-portal to advise and solve the problems of our more than 6000 benefactors, in the subjects “prevention &health”, “living &habitation”, “finances &law” and “mobility &activity”. As the representative body for mature people, terzStiftung works as a consumer-interest-organisation and as a lobbyist for the needs of the generations 50+. Our research department has access to a panel with about 800 participants from the generations 50+. About 330 trained and qualified experts, aged between 50 and 85 years are available to voluntarily engage in the testing of products, facilities, infrastructure and services in their role as mature end-users and critical, informed customers. Our reach covers amongst other people with different levels of independence, different types of housing as well as characteristics related to specific physical conditions, including dementia, visual, auditive and / or motoric impairments (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis patients, rehabilitating stroke patients). terzStiftung has been involved in 10 AAL-projects to date in the capacity of an end-user organization. User-requirements analyses (e.g. surveys, interviews, workshops), conceptual design and prototype-tests (lab and field) as well as research activities regarding market- and policy-relevant issues have ranked among our major responsibilities in this context. As part of our national campaigns, we have completed or accompanied several studies in improving the health conditions of elderly people, such as in the area of fitness-trainings: Reference projects are 4 days of fitness – „Blib fit-Aktionstage“ (2010 and 2013 in 4 different cities), the pilot-project „Blib fit und mobil“ (2012, 48 aged persons, 6 locations, duration 3 months) or „Effects of a 3-month-muscle-and-balance-training on functional health and subjective quality of life on inhabitants of a retirement and care-home“ (2013, 38 participants)