DISTINCT · Dementia: Intersectorial Strategy for Training and Innovation Network for Current Technology (DISTINCT)

Dementia: Intersectorial Strategy for Training and Innovation Network for Current Technology (DISTINCT)

Dementia was identified by the European Commission as a ‘societal challenge’ which relates to its impact on ‘social health’ that is people’s ability to: fulfil their potential & engage with the moral, legal and communal rules & regulations that govern the societies in which they live; act appropriately in a variety of settings & manage their own daily life; participate in meaningful & social activities, forming satisfying interpersonal relationships with others. Dementia raises complex social health challenges for people with dementia, their families and society since it leads to progressive deterioration in cognitive functioning and activities of daily living, resulting in people becoming less able to function with the rights and obligations of a citizen in society with the risk of being socially excluded and stigmatised; less able to communicate resulting in unmet needs, feelings of insecurity and crises if not well cared for; and less able to participate in meaningful and social activities resulting in feeling of uselessness, social isolation and poor quality of life if not adequately supported. The recent position paper of the INTERDEM Social Health Taskforce showed that, besides personal and disease related factors, carer functioning is one of the most important social factors influencing the ability of the person to manage life with some independence. This means there is an immediate need for research specialists working to improve dementia care and supporting people at home and so limiting the economic and societal costs. The ‘Dementia: Intersectorial Strategy for Training and Innovation Network for Current Technology’ (DISTINCT) programme will develop 15 Early Stage Researchers (ESRs), who become experts in the health and social needs of people with dementia and the effective application of technological solutions to support them. The main aim of DISTINCT was to develop a premier quality multi-disciplinary, multi-professional and intersectorial education and training research framework for Europe aimed at improving technology and care for people with dementia and their carers, and to use coherent themes and interrelated ESRs within DISTINCT to provide the evidence to show how technology can improve the lives of people with dementia. DISTINCT focused on the promotion of social health in people with dementia through technology that will enable them to 1) fulfil their potential on a societal level, 2) manage their own life and 3) participate in social and meaningful activities, while investigating the usability of enabling technology for the target group, evaluating its (cost-)effectiveness and identifying conditions for successful implementation. DISTINCT will contribute to a more inclusive society, better health and improved quality of life of people with dementia and family carers and decreased costs because of improved self-management and less crises and mental illness.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union