DEVELOPMENT OF A TRAINING PROGRAM FOR ENHANCING THE AUTONOMY OF PERSONS WITH ALZHEIMER Erasmus Project

Project Title

DEVELOPMENT OF A TRAINING PROGRAM FOR ENHANCING THE AUTONOMY OF PERSONS WITH ALZHEIMER

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for adult education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Inclusion – equity; ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Health and wellbeing

Project Summary

When a person begins to develop Alzheimer Disease (AD), they may begin to have difficulties living independently. Episodes occur in which the relatives of the affected person can detect difficulties in the administration of money, driving a vehicle or the ability to live alone on the part of the person suffering from cognitive impairment. In the early stages of AD, some people still believe that they can function without problems, and may even insist that they are well and that it makes no sense to try to interfere with their lives

AD-AUTONOMY is launched with the main objective of increasing the competences (attitudes, skills, knowledge) of Persons with Initial/Mild Alzheimer (PwA), Families and Caregivers, about how to improve Quality of Life of PwA through Autonomy through an innovative training program

The project has the next specific objectives:

• Aware and motivate this group on the importance of maintaining the autonomy of people, within a security and support environment, as an element of QoL for PwA and their families.

• To increase the Autonomy of PwA for taking decisions and live independently with a global Wellbeing and QoL approach.

• Transfer good practices and recommendations to this group to promote Autonomy through training in the execution of daily routines

• Transfer tools, including Apps and Assistive Technologies, to support the processes of empowering and increasing Autonomy of PwA.

• Transfer techniques for the emotional management of impairment associated with illness and related problems, based on the concept of mindfulness.

• Involve professionals and supports

In order to cover all the needed competences, the consortium includes:

• 3 entities working in the field of supporting PwA (AFAC, SPO, Derneği), involving a big collective of persons, families and professionals. These organizations have own staff and also established cooperation with experts in their countries in order to give technical support to the University and Technological Centre when adapting the outputs to PwA.

• 3 Universities (UPV, BU, AUTH) specialized in development and application of ICT solutions adapted to collectives with special needs, specially Alzheimer

Through the execution of this Project the next results will be obtained;

• Co-Created Methodological Guide will be developed, with the direct participation of End Users, with the main objective of determining the key contents, methodologies and tools needed for creating and improving the critical competences of persons with Alzheimer, their supports (families and professionals) and professionals regarding Autonomy for increasing their Quality of Life.

• Training Materials addressed to persons with Alzheimer, families and professionals for facilitating the implementation of Autonomy in a safe and supported environment.

• Designed Experiential Training Activities addressed to persons with Alzheimer, families and professionals for facilitating the implementation of Autonomy in a safe and supported environment.

• Development of an e-Training Platform, including awareness, training contents and references or links to existing ICT Tools/ICT Assistive Technologies solutions for supporting the implementation of Training Materials and Designed Experiential Training Activities.

• Creation of 5 AD-AUTONOMY UNITS in all the countries of the Consortium in order to ensure the sustainable exploitation of the project after the project lifetime.

• Development of Dissemination Actions addressed to the European collective related to persons with Alzheimer.

VALIDATION ACTIONS will be organized on each country, based on the practical implementation of Training Materials, Designed Experiential Activities and e-Training Platform, involving about 30 persons, including persons with Alzheimer and families, and 10 caregivers. Evaluation and analysis will be done.

Project Activities will be completed with Management and Implementation actions

AD-AUTONOMY will benefit a number of persons during the project lifetime:

• 150 persons with Alzheimer and their families will be trained (30 in Spain, United Kingdom, Slovenia, Turkey and Greece), through their participation in the validation actions of Training Materials, Designed Experiential Training Activities and e-Training Platform.

• 50 professionals (10 in Spain, United Kingdom, Slovenia, Turkey and Greece), will be trained, through their participation in the validation actions of Training Materials, Designed Experiential Training Activities and e-Training Platform.

• 1500 persons with Alzheimer, families and professionals (300 in Spain, United Kingdom, Slovenia, Turkey and Greece), will be aware, through the dissemination actions to be carried on through the project website, newsletters, leaflets, etc.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 225111 Eur

Project Coordinator

ASOCIACIÓN PROVINCIAL DE FAMILIARES DE PERSONAS CON LA ENFERMEDAD DE ALZHEIMER Y OTRAS DEMENCIAS DE CASTELLÓN & Country: ES

Project Partners

• UNIVERSITAT POLITECNICA DE VALENCIA
• BOURNEMOUTH UNIVERSITY
• SLOVENSKO ZDRUZENJE ZA POMOC PRI DEMENCI – SPOMINCICA ALZHEIMER SLOVENIJA
• Turkiye Alzheimer Dernegi
• ARISTOTELIO PANEPISTIMIO THESSALONIKIS