DigIDe 2.0 and DigIDe
The increasing life expectancy of people with intellectual disabilities and thus also the rise in age-related diseases, especially dementia, represents an enormous challenge for caregivers in disability care. By 2030, every second resident in residential homes for people with disabilities will be 60 years or older and belongs to the risk group for developing dementia.
The intensity of care and support required in connection with dementia in people with intellectual disabilities is significantly higher than in the case of non-dementia people with intellectual disabilities and represents a considerable additional burden on caregivers. Since the development of dementia is often very slow and gradual, it is not always clear to caregivers when dementia is imminent. However, early detection of dementia is necessary to be able to react to the challenges in care and support at an early stage and in a prepared manner, thus reducing physical and psychological stress.
The aim of this project is to design a digital tool for the early detection of dementia in people with intellectual disabilities and to develop a prototype for this purpose. This should minimize stressful situations that arise for caregivers due to dementia symptoms in people with intellectual disabilities and clarify possibilities for support and assistance. The tool will be developed in a participatory process with all stakeholders involved and is intended to facilitate everyday life for caregivers and expand their observation and communication options.
In designing the digital tool, particular attention is paid to the fact that it can be applied and used by caregivers of persons with disabilities without diagnostic knowledge. In addition, it should enable documentation of progress and use as an information tool for two-way communication. The tool strengthens the diagnostic capabilities of caregivers, facilitates observation, supports documentation and internal information sharing, identifies support options and reduces the burden on caregivers in everyday life.
The DigIDe project is funded by the Work 4.0 project fund of the Styrian Chamber of Labor as part of the digitalization offensive for two years (01.04.2021 - 31.03.2023).
Team
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DigIDe 2.0 (follow-up project)
Digital Tool for the Early Detection of Dementia in People with Intellectual Disabilities
Within the project "DigiDe", a digital tool enabling the early detection of dementia in people with intellectual disabilities was designed in a participative process.
In April 2023 the upcoming project, “DigIDe 2.0”, will be started. Aim is the technical implementation of the previously designed tool, to allow its actual adoption in care institutions for people with intellectual disabilities.
Thanks to its use, changes and decline in the level of functioning of adults with intellectual disabilities in everyday life tasks as well as cognitive and social-emotional abilities can be systematically monitored from formal caregivers. Promptly noticing those changes may enhance the chance of receiving a timely diagnosis of dementia.
An early diagnosis will strongly reduce the caregivers´ burden, allowing the care staff to accordingly adjust their care. Stressful situations due the mismanagement of dementia symptoms will this way be avoided.
In order to further reduce the caregiver burden, caregivers can also have access within the tool to good practice examples in the care of people with intellectual disability and dementia, collected through interviews with experts in the field. Moreover, the tool will support the internal communication between staff members, by giving the possibility of confronting the standardized observational reports made by different caregivers of the same person.
In the implementation of the digital tool, special attention will be paid to ensure a simple and self-explanatory usability by caregivers without diagnostic knowledge. In addition, care is taken to ensure that the interface to the documentation systems used by social services can be easily adapted and that the tool can be customized to existing systems. For this reason, the tool will be developed in a participatory process with the direct future users and stakeholders.
The DigIDe 2.0 project is funded by the Projektfonds Arbeit 4.0 of the Styrian Chamber of Labour as part of the digitalisation campaign and has a duration of two years (01.04.2023 - 31.03.2025).