DEVELOPMENT OF A TRAINING PROGRAM FOR IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE OF PERSONS WITH ALZHEIMER AND OTHERS DEMENTIAS THROUGH INNOVATIVE CREATIVE ARTS THERAPIES SUPPORTED BY DIGITAL TOOLS Erasmus Project

Project Title

DEVELOPMENT OF A TRAINING PROGRAM FOR IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE OF PERSONS WITH ALZHEIMER AND OTHERS DEMENTIAS THROUGH INNOVATIVE CREATIVE ARTS THERAPIES SUPPORTED BY DIGITAL TOOLS

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 2019

Project Topics

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

Project Summary

There are > 6 million Persons with Alzheimer and other Dementia (PwAD) in Europe, affecting 10% of the population >65 and 50% of those >85. Due to the increased life expectancy, this disease is becoming an epidemic, affecting the sufferer, relatives and caregivers

Creative Arts Therapies (CATs), the “planned and creative use of art, dance, drama or music to accomplish individualized clinical goals”, is used to complement other therapies focused in minimizing this cognitive and behavioral decline of PwAD

Digital CATs are a relative newcomer to CATs methods and materials that can be defined as “all forms of technology-based media that are used by arts therapists to assist clients in creating art as part of the process of therapy”.

Despite on the availability of CATs and supporting Digital Tools, their implementation is not extended and, therefore, their potential for improving QoL of PwAD is underexploited

AD-ARTS is launched with the main objective of increasing the competences (attitudes, knowledge, skills) of PwAD (Mild and Moderate), Relatives and Professionals on the implementation of CATs supported by DTs for improving Quality of Life.

Specific objectives:

• To aware/motivate this group about the importance of CATs for QoL
• To transfer knowledge, guidelines and procedures on how to implement CATs for producing proper behavioral and emotional outcomes.
• To transfer knowledge, guidelines and procedures on how to use DTs for supporting the implementation of CATs.
• To improve socialization of PwAD, including the participation of Relatives in the implementation of CATs supported by DTs with PwAD out of the care centers

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

• Co-Created Methodological Guide (I.O.1) will be developed, involving 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 PwAD, Relatives and Professionals about how to implement Creative Arts Therapies with the support of Digital Tools

• Designed Experiential Training Activities (I.O.2); They will be the core of the Training Program and they will enhance the practical and experiential training of PwAD, Families and Professionals, including the optimal and oriented exploitation of aforementioned Training Materials within real environments.

Designed Experiential Training Activities (DETAs) will be specifically ADDRESSED TO TRAINERS, including guidelines for its implementation and conduction and how to properly use the Training Materials developed in I.O.3

DETAs will include the design of Face-to-Face and Online Sessions, based on Group Dynamics, Practical Activities, and, specially, Experiential Activities, where PwAD, relatives and Professionals will directly exploit Creative Arts Therapies Supported by Digital Tools, while increasing their competences through putting into practice methods and tools during the Training Activities.

• Training Materials (I.O.3) addressed PwAD, Families and Professionals about how to implement Creative Arts Therapies with the support of Digital Tools. I.O.2 is different and complementary to I.O.3, both needed for the implementation of the Training Program

• Development of an e-Training Platform (I.O.4), for supporting the implementation of the Designed Experiential Training Activities (I.O.2), including Training Materials (I.O.3), Workspace and link to applicable ICT Tools.

• Creation of 5 D-ARTS UNITS, one per country, in order to ensure the sustainable exploitation of the project after the project lifetime.

• Implementation of 6 Multiplier Events on the application of Creative Arts Therapies supported by Digital Tools addressed to stakeholders that could multiply the impact of the project. 5 Multiplier Events will be implemented on each country and an additional Multiplier Event-Final Conference will be implemented in Turkey.

• Development of Dissemination Actions addressed to the European collective related to Alzheimer and Other Dementias and to the collective working in the field of Creative Arts Therapies.

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

• 130 persons will be trained, including Persons with Alzheimer and Other Dementia (PwAD), Relatives and Professionals (30 in Spain, Slovenia, Turkey, Italy and 10 in Greece) through their participation in the validation actions of Training Materials, Designed Experiential Training Activities and e-Training Platform.

• 2.500 Persons with Alzheimer and Other Dementia (PwAD), Relatives and Professionals (500 in Spain, Slovenia, Turkey, Italy and Greece) will be aware, through multiplier events and dissemination actions to be carried on through the project website, newsletters, leaflets, etc…

Project Website

https://www.adarts.eu/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 134396 Eur

Project Coordinator

ASOCIACIÓN FAMILIARES ENFERMOS ALZHEIMER VALENCIA & Country: ES

Project Partners

• UNIVERSITAT POLITECNICA DE VALENCIA
• SPOMINCICA – ALZHEIMER SLOVENIJA – SLOVENSKO ZDRUZENJE ZA POMOC PRI DEMENCI
• Turkiye Alzheimer Dernegi
• IL CERCHIO Società cooperative sociale consortile
• ARISTOTELIO PANEPISTIMIO THESSALONIKIS