On 24 October during the by INDUCT organised parallel session at the 29th Alzheimer Europe conference in the Hague and chaired by prof Frans Verhey, the web-based Best Practice Guidance on Interaction with Technology in Dementia (www.www.dementiainduct.eu/guidance/) was officially launched by prof Rose-Marie Dröes, research coordinator of the INDUCT Innovative Training Network (ITN). After an introduction by INDUCT coördinator Prof Martin Orrell who explained the aim and methods of INDUCT, 11 Early Stage Researchers pitched one or two of the recommendations regarding technology use in Dementia that came out of the research projects they carried out the last three years. The dynamic web-based Best Practice Guidance contains already more than 40 recommendations in three different areas of technology (everyday life, meaningful activities and health care) relevant for a variety of target groups, such as users, designers/developers, care professionals and providers, researchers, politicians and the media, who can all easily find specific recommendations relevant to them by means of theme- and target group-oriented search engines. Additional recommendations will be added in the coming months. Also recommendations resulting from the just started new DISTINCT-ITN which will focus on technology to promote Social health in people with dementia will be included in this web-based Best Practice Guidance in the coming years.
Take a look at www.dementiainduct.eu/guidance/ and find out which recommendations are relevant for you!
Rose-Marie Dröes, Dept of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, location VU medical center, The Netherlands
As training manager of INDUCT, I am responsible for the overall coordination and organization of the individual and network-wide training of our 15 ESRs. My main task is the organization of five INDUCT Summer and Winter Schools. Together with the local and management team, we identify needs and interests among the ESRs, compose a varied program for the week including training sessions, project meetings and social and networking events, invite academic and non-academic expert speakers, organize practical matters, and afterwards we evaluate the event, write a report, and try to incorporate all suggestions in our future training events.