Assistive technology for longer independent living (AW Technology for Home)

Assistive devices are of great importance in supporting and improving the users' independence, quality of life and participation in society. With the right aids, people who experience limitations in daily life can also live independently at home for longer. They are also needed to meet the growing demand for care. By using aids, a lot of care can take place in the home situation. The Academic Workshop: Technology for Home* will conduct research that will help to use aids intelligently and effectively in the home situation.

This is important because there are still many problems with using aids in practice. For example, little is known about the quality, effectiveness and efficiency of many aids. Also, the dispensing process is often complex, and professionals and clients have relatively little knowledge about which aids are available and how to use them. Another problem is that aids are often individual; that which is a good solution for one person may not have any added value for another. And finally, the reimbursement differs per municipality and/or health insurer. These problems mean that there is still much room for improvement in the proper use of aids. 

Research

The primary objective of the Academic Workshop Technology for the Home is to obtain a clearer picture of how clients in the Haaglanden region think about the use of aids, what experiences they have with aids and their provision.

It also examines to what extent and how they use aids, what ideas they have about possible improvements for policy and practice, and what other aspects they consider important. Research is being conducted into how the needs assessment, selection and provision can be improved so that, together with the user, a suitable aid can be found that meets the wishes and needs. The focus is on aids that support daily functioning.

Collaboration

The academic workshop is intended to promote a solid knowledge and research infrastructure for healthcare aids in the home. We do this together with many parties in the city. At the moment, the care parties Basalt, Tzorg, Saffier and Pieter van Foreest are involved.

As representatives of the target group, the user organisations Voorall and the Stedelijke Ouderen Commissie are also participating, as are educational and knowledge institutions ROC Mondriaan, LUMC and The Hague University of Applied Sciences and of course the Municipality of The Hague.

The education and training of end-users and care professionals are designed together with the care parties. They also ensure the dissemination of research results.

The care parties Basalt, T-zorg, Pieter van Foreest and Saffier, and the municipality of The Hague ensure that projects are well embedded in and aligned with the reality of care and implement the results.

1) The Hague University of Applied Sciences (THUAS);
2) LUMC
3) ROC Mondriaan with the Centrum voor Innovatief Vakmanschap (CIV);
4) Municipality of The Hague (GDH);
5) Voorall the organisation for people with disabilities in The Hague;
6) The Stedelijke Ouderen Commissie (SOC) The Hague;
7) Basalt Revalidatie;
8) Pieter van Foreest ouderenzorg (PvF);
9) Home care organisation Tzorg
10) Sapphire

Duration

This project started on 15 June 2022 and its duration is 72 months (6 years).

Team

The collaborating parties all have a delegation in the steering committee. At the start of the project, the steering committee defined a number of projects that will be implemented jointly. In the coming months, we will develop these further together. In addition, there may be other issues from parties that will be implemented within this project or the LL Social Domain and Technology. 

Contact

• Luc de Witte, Project Leader
• Gaby Weij, Project Coordinator
• Ilse Lelieveld, Director of the Living Lab Social Domain and Technology

*In an academic workshop, ideas, plans and policies are made and conceived by researchers, students, municipal officials and policy staff. Together, they think about how something can be done better, more efficiently as well as more innovatively.