DEMENTIA RIGHT – Developing a rights-based approach to dementia Erasmus Project

Project Title

DEMENTIA RIGHT – Developing a rights-based approach to dementia

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 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Disabilities – special needs; Inclusion – equity; ICT – new technologies – digital competences

Project Summary

DEMENTIA RIGHT project aims to empower people with dementia, those who support them and the community as a whole, to ensure their rights are recognised and respected, by developping a new rights-based approach to dementia and innovative learning materials ICT-based.

Dementia, a collective name for progressive brain syndromes, is the leading cause of disability and dependency among the elderly, affecting 50 million people worldwide, a number wich is set to increase substantially in the years ahead in Europe. People with dementia and their carers have the same human rights as every other citizen. However, in addition to the impact of the illness, they often face cultural, social and economic barriers to fulfilling these rights.

In order to contribute to improving their quality of life and inclusion, the target groups of this project are:
– health and social care professionals, social educators and other carers of people with dementia;
– informal caregivers and family members of people with dementia;
– board members of care homes and other care organizations, politicians, law professionals, the media and other decision-makers.

To empower these groups to guarantee, recognize and respect the fundamental rights of people with dementia, DEMENTIA RIGHT has four main objectives:
– Improving the quality of life, social inclusion and dignity of people living with dementia, their caregivers and family members;
– Developing a new approach to dementia, human rights-based, with effective guidelines for implementing and supervising the care provided in health/care facilities to people with dementia regarding their rights;
– Improving the professional competencies of health and social care professionals, social educators and other carers to revamp their care skills and their approach to dementia;
– Making care centres more inclusive and efficient to cope with the different needs of people living with dementia.

To achieve these objetives:
– a Charter of Rights for people with dementia and their caregivers will be developed to promote a better understanding of dementia, fight stigma and support the decision-making process of professionals, wich includes why this Charter is needed, a specific approach of the rights of people with dementia based on first person testimonies of people with dementia;
– an innovative Rights-based Approach to Dementia will be established and an European professional guide on Human rights-based approach will be developed, which includes a protocol with harmonized standards and guidelines to access and monitor the approach implementation;
– an online open-access digital platform for health and social care professionals and other carers will be developed, wich includes an ICT Learning Module based on the guide developed and a discussing forum for professionals, to promote experiential learning, supported by practice and social interaction, allowing the integration of the participants in an international community of practice.
– Innovative Learning Materials will be developed, which includes an informative video for digital media/platforms and social-networks and specific rights-booklets for strategic targets, such as political decisionmakers, media, informal caregivers or care organizations. Informative sessions will be promoted to the community based on this booklets, to a minimum of 100 participants;
– 1 “GETTING DEMENTIA RIGHT” multiplier course and 4 “GETTING DEMENTIA RIGHT” seminars to the minimum of 220 participants in total will be organized, to disseminate the project results and improve competencies of participants supporting people with dementia in the approach.

By enabling the participants to recognize and know how to respect and promote the rights of people with dementia, DEMENTIA RIGTH will be contributing to:
– address professionals needs for access to specific and valid information, offering them a better, updated, intervention strategy, based on new and innovative standardized protocols and instruments, improve their skills and empower and support them to make decisions that promote the absolut respect for the rights of people with dementia;
– empower people with dementia and their caregivers (professional and informal) to exercise their right to participate in decisions that affect them and allow them to have as much control as possible over their own lives, care and treatment and to be treated with dignity and respect and live as independently as possible, for as long as possible;
– contribute to a network of care centres more inclusive and efficient to cope with the specific needs of people with dementia;
– contribute to political decision-making that impacts the quality of life and contributes to the social inclusion of people with dementia;
– improve the quality of life, social inclusion and dignity of people with dementia, their caregivers and family members;
– reduce stigma associated with dementia;
– contribute to a more cohesive, inclusive and dementia friendly Europe.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 203400 Eur

Project Coordinator

Instituto S. João de Deus & Country: PT

Project Partners

• Saint John of God Hospital clg.
• Sosyal İçerme ve Eğitim Dernegi
• ELLINIKI ETAIRIA NOSOY ALZHEIMER KAI SYGGENON DIATARACHON SOMATEIO
• ASSOCIACAO PORTUGUESA DE FAMILIARESE AMIGOS DE DOENTES DE ALZHEIMER
• UNIVERSIDAD DE OVIEDO