Digital Tools for Dementia Caregivers

"<< Background >>The ""Digital Tools for Dementia Caregivers"" project application was driven by the growing and critical need to support family caregivers in the face of a projected surge in dementia cases across European society. The recent COVID-19 pandemic further underscored the vital importance of digital literacy and skills for digital transformation in all sectors. The project's primary aim is to develop an innovative and updated training curriculum that equips family caregivers with the necessary digital skills to effectively integrate new technologies into their daily caregiving experience. The project also developed an innovative educational model and a professional curriculum based on digital competences, potentially transforming caregiving into a professional opportunies. This directly addresses the need to merge existing competencies with advanced digital approaches and tools that can mitigate the challenges inherent in caring for individuals with dementia. Identified specific needs include the development of innovative skills tailored to this context, a firm commitment to the continuous upskilling of active caregivers, and the promotion of a more serene and manageable care experience for both the patient and the caregiver.<< Objectives >>The project responds to the national dementia strategy (such as the Dutch government's ""Dementia Delta-Plan"" 2021-2030) and the European call for support for this category, proposing a highly innovative educational model leading to the development of a professional curriculum based on the use of digital competences applied to the caregiving process. It combines innovation with the need to support family members in assisting patients with dementia, while involving international partners with the aim of sharing knowledge and good practices so that national results have a European impact.The specific objectives we achieved:•Developing new innovative skills for the family caregivers involved.•A strong commitment to the upskilling of active caregivers.•A serene care experience from the perspective of both the patient and the family caregiver.At an organizational level, the project responded to the need to increase the internationalization strategies of each of the participating organizations and access new valuable partnerships that would open up new opportunities. The participation of organizations working daily with patients with dementia and their family caregivers was crucial to understanding the true needs of the target group<< Implementation >>The key activities of the project included:•The realization of focus groups in Italy, Kosovo, Bulgaria and Greece, focused on the ""State of the Art and Curriculum Design Development"" (WP2) These groups sought to understand the specific needs of the caregivers.•The development of a training curriculum.This curriculum was designed based on the needs expressed by the caregivers and the research results.•The implementation of a virtual activity led by , also related to curriculum development (WP2)•The creation of the methodology and the theoretical structure to implement the training model.•The preparation of a questionnaire translated into the partners' languages to guide the analysis of the results of the focus groups•The exploration of the impact of digital tools in caregiving, recognizing the challenges faced by caregivers and how technology can offer resources and support.•The creation of a DEMO of the use of Virtual Reality to perceive dementia through the digital software .https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-G7ZTk5Mtk•3 transnational meetings• 2 promotional videos•Dissemination and Exploitation Plan activities and a Communication Toolkit, including the brand identity, an official website, and social media page<< Results >>The concrete project outputs were: •A State of the Art document supported by the results of the focus groups. To provide literature analysis of interventions used in curriculum design for family caregivers, identifying limits and resources of already used strategies. It was based on national reports from each partner.•A ""Digital Tools for Dementia Caregivers"" Curriculum.This curriculum defines course objectives, trainer profiles, duration, teaching and evaluation methodologies, necessary resources, and training units . •A training package based on the pilot curriculum. • Trainings and Participant certificates•The methodology and theoretical structure to implement the training model. •Focus group to review the curriculum and a questionnaire translated into the partners languages A Focus group results report. •A virtual Reality software VR led by STEPP related to curriculum development (WP2) was implemented. •A project's brand identity, an official website (https://dementiacaregivers.eu/)and social media pages (Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090029363327)• 5 Multiplier events• Dissemination activities such as online and offline press publications, including publication in scientific journal."