Who actually looks after the healthcare professionals?
29-09-2022
The research project 'Who Takes Care?' has been specially set up to spare busy care professionals in dementia care: through the development and deployment of smart technological innovations - such as an Intelligent Care Environment - the high workload can be greatly reduced.
And that is necessary, because an increase in the number of elderly people with dementia also increases the demand for care, while the shortage of care professionals is growing. The Digital Life professorship of the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (DMCI Faculty) is the coordinator of this research.
The Interactive Living Room
The official kick-off of the project took place at the end of September, with all consortium partners meeting in Arnhem. There, a prototype of such an Intelligent, Interactive Living Environment was built for the previous project 'Guiding Environment' - the predecessor of 'Who Cares?'.
You can literally see and experience what technological scenarios there are for allowing elderly people with dementia to support them to live independently at home for longer: for example, there is 'digital help' (without the intervention of a healthcare professional) when getting up, having breakfast, lunchtime and going to bed. 'in the evening.
Human-centered
Saskia Robben, senior researcher at Digital Life and involved in 'Who Takes Care?', says about this: ‘Sensor technology and artificial intelligence offer many opportunities for healthcare, but in the end they are only tools at the service of people. That is why we do the development together with the people who will use this tool. The healthcare professionals are therefore central to this project, so that they can help determine what they consider important.'
The entire consortium is looking forward to the collaboration, developments and results of the research, the kick-off with delicious cake was a successful kick-off!
In short: 'Who Takes Care' takes care of the healthcare professionals!