PROJECT SUMMARY
Strategic partnerships for adult education
Dem@entoring will use an inclusive educational and training approach, addressing health, wellbeing and promotion of ICT activities to people with dementia and their formal and informal caregivers in order to understand their disease and to efficiently cope with the dementia symptoms, raise awareness, improve understanding and decrease the fear of stigmatization.
By implementing this training in different EU countries, we will have the opportunity to respond to the growing numbers of people with dementia by upskilling formal and informal caregivers who wish to gain a greater understanding of the disease.
The percentage of people aged >60 is predicted to rise from 12% of the current population to 22% between 2015 and 2050. Rising life expectancy is associated with increased prevalence of chronic diseases like dementia. There were an estimated 46.8 million people worldwide living with dementia in 2015 and this number will almost double every 20 years. These increases will have a marked impact on states’ health care systems; and families and caregivers.
According to studies, it is estimated that two caregivers are needed to take care of one person with dementia. AD poses real challenges for both the person diagnosed with AD and to those who assume care giving responsibilities. This does not mean that there will no longer be times of joy, shared laughter, and companionship. AD often develops gradually, offering time to adjust to the diagnosis, plan ahead, and spend quality time together.
Dementia is not a specific disease. It's an overall term that describes a wide range of symptoms associated with a decline in memory or other thinking skills severe enough to reduce a person's ability to perform everyday activities. Alzheimer's disease accounts for 60 to 80 percent of cases.
The project aims to provide training and services to all involved target groups through mentoring. The target group will, through the project’s website be trained on issues related to the dementia, behavioral and psychiatric symptoms – non pharmacological interventions – caregivers burden etc. Experienced project partners will locate and motivate more users to attend. All training material will be OERs accessible as e&m-learning supporting ICT-based training, using a social learning approach and translated into partner languages and, accessible through the platform.
People with dementia, formal and informal caregivers, NGOs, social enterprises, key stakeholders, health care professionals and educational providers are targeted by the dem@entoring project and we estimate that during the project’s lifecycle, approximately 5,000 persons and organisations will be reached. This through a comprehensive strategy using diverse channels to reach all levels involved.
Diverse activities are envisaged ranging from the initial needs analysis, the design and development of e-mentoring, of the dem@entoring system and the underlining training approach (inclusive education, interactivity, decision based), with a bottom-up approach while in parallel integrating higher level interaction and input. A key element is the dissemination strategy where the plan developed will dictate partner activities and actions. Three multiplier events, seminars, webinars and one learning activity will be organized as part of the effort to involve target group members, with specific channels and methods for their selection and promotion.
A clear project methodology with tasks, activities, time plan and milestones is designed to allow:
a. implementation of tasks according to plan and quality criteria,
b. target group involvement and input,
c. promotion and raising awareness,
d. an underlying inclusive approach traceable to all activities,
e. reporting and meetings to discuss,
f. sustainability actions and transferability possibilities of results.
a. Decrease of social exclusion numbers among people with dementia in society,
b. Increase of uptake of ICT activities and an improved healthier lifestyle,
c. Increased interactions with diverse groups within one’s environment thus, promoting equal opportunities, wellbeing, democratic value, proactive approach, active participation,
d. Practical examples to stakeholders and educational providers on applying EU policies and priorities, and many more.
