Training & Consult
Improving and innovating the care for people with dementia and their carers is my mission. I want to contribute to this through trainings, consultations or lectures.
Because of the lack of an effective medication, the increase in the number of people with dementia, the pressure on informal carers and professional care, it is of utmost importance to provide good care and support for people with dementia and their carers. It is in this field that I have more than 30 years of experience with scientific research and I want to put the gained knowledge into practice as much as possible. My main topics are psychosocial and eHealth interventions that help to better deal with the consequences of dementia, such as changes in behaviour, meaningful activities and social participation, relationships and roles, and in living situations. I have experience with the development, evaluation and implementation of psychosocial and eHealth interventions.
Regarding psychosocial interventions one can think of meaningful activities and work for people with dementia (DemenTalent), reminiscence (retrieving memories and sharing personal memories and experiences), cognitive stimulation therapy (therapy session according to themes with activities that stimulate mental and social functioning) or music interventions for people with dementia. For informal carers there are support groups, psychoeducation (aimed at education and better dealing with the consequences of dementia), courses. And for people with dementia and informal carers together, there are, for example, Meeting Centers or psychoeducation + occupational therapy or exercise interventions.
Regarding eHealth interventions one can think of a tablet with supporting functions (agenda, reminders, simple social contact), GPS that allows you to go outside independently, sensors in the house for monitoring of behaviour and detection of falls, and social robots. For family carers there are digital systems to better share the care with others (MyInlife, Sharecare) or online courses (STAR, Dementie.nl) or an intervention to experience what it is like to have dementia (IntoD’mentia).
Trainings, consultations and lectures in these areas are possible. Target groups are mainly family carers, volunteers and professionals in dementia care.
Do you want to know more?
Trainings
Examples of (my contributions to) trainings:
Course for staff of Meeting Centres for people with dementia and family carers
themes:
- Emotional burden of professional carers
- Offering new interventions/ innovations in the context of Meeting Centres
NCOI – Pro Education – Psychogeriatry course
theme:
- Assistive technology
Minor psychogeriatry for care workers and students
themes:
- Dementia and psychosocial interventions
- Assistive technology
- Safety management
Train-the-trainer course GRIP on challenging behaviour – Gerion
Consultations
What are proven effective and useful applications for people with dementia? What should you consider when you want to implement these in practice, which conditions must be met? You can contact me for questions like this and for advice on eHealth innovations in dementia care.
Among other things I have advised on eHealth applications for older adults for ZonMw (Joint Programme Innovation, More Years Better Life). A report on this has been published. To enhance information exchange regarding eHealth interventions in dementia, I am part of a team to facilitate this, together with Alzheimer Nederland, ZonMw (Active and Assistive Living) and Vilans.
In the project Veilig Langer Thuis (Safe longer at home) I advise a physiotherapist and occupational therapist on the use of eHealth applications. All three of us are very motivated move forward in this field and we hope that this will enable the elderly to live safely and pleasantly longer at home. For more information, please visit the Veilig Langer Thuis website.
I advise (among others) on technology and social robots in dementia at the Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE – Witten, Germany).
Lectures
