Dementia: Respect and Respite Erasmus Project

Project Title

Dementia: Respect and Respite

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 vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Disabilities – special needs; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Health and wellbeing

Project Summary

Populations around the world are rapidly ageing. However, during the last 50 years in Europe there has been an increase in diseases linked to aging, such as dementia. It is estimated that by 2050 there will be approximately 18.66 million Europeans with a dementia disease.

People who are affected by dementia often face cognitive, behavioral and psychosocial difficulties. These difficulties often pose a challenge for engaging socially, reinforcing their effects and reducing personal well-being. As well as the impact on the person, dementia also has a considerable effect on those supporting the person. Most care for people with dementia is provided by family and friends—‘carers’. Most carers feel unprepared to take on this new role. Caring often my cause physical and mental health problems to caregivers caused by stress that caring for someone with dementia brings. Moreover, work and other relationships suffer. Left with inner conflict and resentment, they neglect their own needs. Caring is also a difficult and stressful task for the professional caregivers and they need more knowledge /tools

The need of training for caregivers of people affected by dementia is projected to be covered by D-Care project, through the creation of educational program in the form of blended learning, where the caregivers of people with dementia (professionals and non-professionals), will be able to acquire basic skills how to help people with dementia and how to avoid feeling isolated. The program can be used in VET education and training, in-work training to care staff and by volunteers and in adult lifelong learning.

The partnership consists of different types of organisations: public and private VET institutions, public employers of professional caregivers, NGOs and SMSs from UK, Denmark, Spain and Greece and a European-wide professional association with its base in Brussels, Belgium. This provides a unique opportunity to find creative solutions together.

Partners to the project are:
– USER Insieme Regionale Umbria (Perugia, Italy). Lead Partner
– Associazione Omnis (Perugia, Italy)
– SOSU Østjylland (Aarhus, Denmark)
– Age UK (Bristol, UK)
– CEBANK (San Sebastian, Spain)
– Errotu (San Sebastian, Spain)
– p-consulting (Patras, Greece)
– Kispe FAROS (Patras, Greece)
– Efvet (Brussels, Belgium)

The target groups for this project are professional carers, non-professional carers – family members/friends/volunteers, students in health and social care, training providers – teachers, trainers and other workers who will be trained in how to work with dementia sufferers and their caregivers, dementia sufferers.

More than 2.000 people will benefit indirectly from or will be the target of the activities organised by the project.

Following the teacher training, two courses will be developed; the first will involve professional carers who want to work with dementia sufferers, training in CST and knowledge about setting up groups; the second will involve the non-professional carers in order to help them care for the dementia sufferer, to give them a break (respite) and knowledge about setting up groups for dementia sufferers; the second.

The improvement of qualifications of professional carers is one of the priorities of the D-Care project, as through their training they will gain new professional competences, which will enable them to deliver quality services;

People with dementia themselves are constantly involved as co-developers in the process

Also, the use of ICT and digital area will enable teachers and learners (professionals and non-professionals) to improve their digital skills.

The D-Care project is expected to bring positive and long–lasting effects on the participants, as it is intended to produce the following outcomes:
• Improve knowledge on dementia and its consequences and preserving quality of life, autonomy and the rights of people living with dementia and their caregivers.
• More active participation in society and more positive attitude towards EU values

At a systemic level, D-Care project it is expected to response in a positive way to the policies of Europe concerning:
• Active citizenship
• Promotion of social inclusion and non-discrimination
• Lifelong learning

The main sustainable effects of the project will include: increased focus on the benefits of innovative dementia care for people living with dementia which includes improved health and well-being and sustainable improvement in support and respite given to carers.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 288137 Eur

Project Coordinator

AUSER Insieme Regionale Umbria & Country: IT

Project Partners

• SOSU OSTJYLLAND
• C.M. SKOULIDI & SIA E.E.
• ASSOCIAZIONE OMNIS
• Age UK Bath and North East Somerset
• EUROPEAN FORUM OF TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING
• Errotu Taldea S.L.P
• Koinonikos Synetairismos Periorismenis Efthinis To.Ps.Y. N.Axaias FAROS