The European Social Network (ESN) will celebrate an Autumn Seminar entitled “Retaining and regaining independence and inclusion in later life: the role of social services” on October 24-25 in Stuttgart (Germany). With this seminar, ESN members want to look at prevention and rehabilitation, and ask how to prevent loss of independence and social/family links among older people – and how to support older people to regain independence and social/family links as quickly as possible (e.g. following illness, health problems or bereavement).

The seminar will be organised around four main sessions, where EU and international policy initiatives focused on older people will be presented, as well as several European good practice cases:

• Prevention & rehabilitation in the context of long-term care in Europe
• Prevention through non-formal care and support
• Designing social and health services for prevention & rehabilitation
• Retaining and regaining independence and inclusion in later life

The event will conclude with a panel debate with representatives from AGE Platform Europe, Eurocarers, DART project, European Commission DG Health and Consumers and ESN.