Innovation for Dementia in the Danube Region (INDEED)

DTP2-087-1.2-INDEED

Program co-funded by the European Union

 

The concept of the INDEED project arises from the practical experience and need for improvement of the framework for diverse activities involved in dementia diagnosis, treatment and care in most of the countries in the Danube region.The INDEED proposal is governed by three principles:

      a) the World Health Organization concept of dementia as a bio-psycho-social disease

      b) Principle of person-centered care approach for people with dementia and

      c) United Nations’ Convention of the Rights of People with Disabilities.

The INDEED proposal is governed by these principles which are incorporated in all project activities.

    

      The goal of INDEED is to improve dementia care and contribute to the development and implementation of dementia plans in the Danube region by a coherent educational strategy addressing institutions involved in dementia care. The concept of such educational strategy is to enhance the knowledge, expertise, competence and skills of the dementia related institutions, to enrich their collaboration and possibilities to exchange information and experience in the field within and between Danube countries. One core goal of the INDEED project is to promote the field of dementia care as a market place for diverse health and social activities and enterprises.

      By targeting institutions (e. g. higher education bodies, medical and nursing schools, professional boards, municipal authorities, policy makers, business schools, chambers of commerce) rather than individual healthcare professionals, INDEED employs a top-down strategy of information delivery. The institutions will act as multipliers of the information provided, ensure a broad outreach and sustain the project’s outputs after its termination. Representatives of targeted institutions will be involved from the beginning of the project throughout its course to ensure that their needs, views and preferences are met.

      The INDEED project does not attempt to replace existing curricula on dementia for the various health and social care professions, but complement occupation-specific education by contents that incorporate most recent research findings, promote the mutual understanding and collaboration of professional groups and help to implement a holistic person-centered model of dementia care.

      To facilitate take-up of its outputs within and beyond the project area, contents and formats will be developed in a transnational collaborative effort of all involved partners/countries. In this way, INDEED contributes to improving and harmonizing dementia care across borders, and thus enhances territorial cohesion in the Danube region.

      Included partners/countries - Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Slovenia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovakia, Romania, Hungary.