Later Stage Dementia Care – Blended Learning for Families Erasmus Project

Project Title

Later Stage Dementia Care – Blended Learning for Families

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 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Health and wellbeing; Open and distance learning

Project Summary

Context: Alzheimer’s and dementia are growing health and social care issues right across Europe. As the proportion of older people in European societies increases, so too does the likelihood of ever increasing numbers of people with the disease. Family carers already provide care and support for loved ones with dementia. It is important that family members providing care to loved one’s with dementia receive appropriate education and training so that they can carry out their caring duties effectively. During the project, the outbreak of COVID-19 led to increased isolation for people with dementia and their family carers.

Objectives: We developed, delivered, evaluated and refined a blended learning training programme to support family carers looking after a loved one with dementia. The emphasis of this course is on later stage and end of life dementia care. We produced two outputs which are available as open education resources: the blended learning course called Later Stage Dementia Care – Blended Learning for Families available at https://dementia-care-downloads.moodlecloud.com/course/view.php?id=6; and a Blended Learning Handbook for educators or others interested in finding out more about developing and delivering a blended learning programme to adult learners. This is available to view and download at: https://fleksibelutdanning.no/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Handbook-Later-Stage-Dementia-Care-Blended-Learning-for-Families-PDF.pdf

Participants: 57 family carers took part in the 4 pilot courses we delivered over the lifetime of the project (target was 40). Staff from The Alzheimer Society of Ireland (6), Ic Dien (5) and Flexible Education Norway (1) participated in the production of the intellectual outputs. They were joined by 4 adult learners who provided feedback on early drafts of the learning outcomes for the blended learning course.

Activities: The production of the intellectual outputs involved establishment of a small group of tutors who worked together on the development of the blended learning course. They researched existing programmes in terms of content and structure of the course, they delivered the first pilot course. The project coordinator and administration staff gathered feedback from learners and tutors. This feedback was assessed, and on the basis of this assessment adjustments were made to course syllabus and delivery structure for a second pilot course. The second pilot course was delivered and again we gathered feedback from learners and tutors, assessed this feedback and make adjustments for the final course structure and content.

Methodology: we used David Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle as the basis for the methodology guiding this project. This allowed us to deploy an iterative approach to course development and delivery. The result of the project will be a freely available, high quality and user-friendly course to support family carers looking after a loved one in later stage dementia.

Results and Impact: 57 learners received a high-quality blended training course during the project leading to a more confident and skilled set of family carers. We were joined by 24 external participants at our Multiplier Event (target figure at time of application was 20). We would hope that some of them would find the Blended Learning Handbook a useful resource.

Project Website

http://www.alzheimer.ie

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 51328 Eur

Project Coordinator

The Alzheimer Society of Ireland & Country: IE

Project Partners

• Hoger beroepsonderwijs Verpleegkunde IC DIEN
• Fleksibel utdanning Norge