Sustainable product development for elderly: optimising functional abilities

Healthy ageing means being able to do the things we value the most and is not related to the absence of illness. This paper utilises design as a powerful tool affecting all aspects of life, which means if we provide enough products that suit the changes related to ageing, elderly people will be able to optimise their functional abilities independently, and as a result, healthy ageing. This paper discusses the approach of adaptation of the existing products through modifications and extensions to suit the behaviour of the older adult population. Furthermore, this approach is supported by a case study that shows how diapers are modified in the same factory to meet the needs of the elderly population by altering the diaper's shape, materials and the associated production line.