Marja Vaarama is Professor of Social Work and Social Gerontology at the University of Lapland, Finland. Her areas of research include quality of life in old age, quality and performance of long-term care for older people, gerontological social work, information technology for planning, evaluation and management of long term care for older people. She is the co-ordinator of the EU-funded Care Keys research project.Richard Pieper is Professor of Urban Studies and Social Planning at the University of Bamberg, Germany. His main fields of research are in theory of social and regional integration and collective identity, and aging and technology, elderly care planning, and social and health care… systems.Andrew Sixsmith is Lecturer in Social Gerontology in the Department of Primary Care at the University of Liverpool. His current research interests focus on new technologies to facilitate the delivery of community health and welfare services.