in “Advances in Automation, Multimedia and Video Systems, and Modern Compuuter Science”, V.V. Kluev, C.E. D’Attellis, N. E. Mastorakis (Ed.s), WSES, ISBN 960-8052-44-0, pp. 279-284, Sept 2001 Virtual Communities and Elderly Support Luis M. Camarinha-Matos 1 and Hamideh Afsarmanesh 2 1 New University of Lisbon, Quinta da Torre, 2825 Monte Caparica, Portugal, cam@uninova.pt 2 University of Amsterdam, Kruislaan 403, 1098 SJ Amsterdam, The Netherlands, hamideh@science.uva.nl Abstract - This paper introduces the European IST project TeleCARE that aims to design and develop a configurable framework for virtual communities focused on supporting assistance to elderly people. The main innovative aspects introduced in the design of TeleCARE project and addressed in this paper features its tele-supervision and tele-assistance, based on the integration of multi-agent and federated information management approaches, introducing the concept of federated agency. Federated agencies comprise both stationary and mobile intelligent agents, combined with the services that are likely to be offered by the emerging ubiquitous computing and intelligent home appliances. Keywords: Intelligent agents, Tele-healthcare, Remote sensing, Federated information management. 1 Introduction There is an urgent need to develop new approaches for elderly care resorting to advanced information and communication technologies. Europe’s ageing population is growing rapidly, as a considerable proportion of the total while, more significantly, the proportion of the working population who will generate the means to support the elderly is shrinking. This trend may lead to a prospect of spiralling growth in social security costs unless new ways and facilities for providing care are devised. In fact [6] during the last three decades, the number of people aged from 60 years or more has risen about 50%. Today, more than 25% of Europe’s population is aged 60 years or more and this trend will continue. Within 20 years approximately a third of Europe’s population will be over 60 years old, a total in excess of 100 million citizens. The percentage of people over the age of 80 is growing even more rapidly: an increase of 300% has been forecasted for the period of 1960 to 2020. Moreover, the ratio between the working and elderly population is dramatically declining. In 1995 there were almost seven adults of working age per one elderly person (aged 65 or more), by 2025 the ratio is expected to decrease to close to four. These trends present a real challenge for European social policies in the years ahead and underline the importance of developing new and more cost-effective ways of and facilities providing care and support to the elderly. Furthermore, as a group in society, the elderly face the real threat of marginalization and exclusion from the benefits of further European integration in general and indeed, the internal market in particular, if steps are not taken to provide them with the means to exercise their freedom of choice and independence. Development of adequate Internet-based infrastructures may provide the base to facilitate the establishment of collaborative virtual communities involving the elderly, care provision organizations, and relatives of the elderly at a low cost. A number of technological enablers of such solution can be identified, including: - Wide dissemination of Internet access. - Recent developments in virtual organizations and computer supported collaboration tools. - Advanced user interfaces. - The emergence of the so-called ubiquitous or pervasive computing. Nevertheless, the introduction of a new technology for the elderly care sector certainly requires the analysis of its socio-economic, ethical, and organizational impacts. In this context, the recently launched IST TeleCARE project [7] aims at design and development of a configurable framework focused on virtual communities for elderly