Vision
The way we (as a society) deal with dementia is changing. Someone with dementia is much more than just their pathology ‘dementia’. Therefore, in developing and implementing technology, you must also keep an eye on the factors that are important for the well-being of every person: dignity, the freedom to make your own choices, feeling comfortable and safe.
We do this by putting the wishes, needs, and input of people with dementia and their relatives first in the development of technology and services. Too often people think for them, instead of with them. By doing so, we develop technology that is user-friendly and non-stigmatizing. We call this Warm Technology, and it builds on the emancipation slogan: ‘Nothing about us, without us’, a source of inspiration.
In the Expertise Center Dementia & Technology (ECDT) we have done a nation wide inquire with leading experts to define our vision, read more about this in our “verkenning ECDT 2021” (Dutch), below.
Themes
Based on the “Verkenning ECDT 2021” we choose to focus on the following four aspects in the coming years:
- Contribute to the development and visibility of Warm Technology
- Contribute to inclusive design and research
- Contribute to the business case of Warm Technology
- Building a knowledge network on Warm Technology and dementia
Alzheimer Nederland & TU/e
In collaboration with Alzheimer Nederland and Eindhoven University of Technology we continue to work on the development of the ECDT. Over the past years, Warm Technology has been defined, and we will start building a national network, and continue our work to design and research products and services together with people with dementia and their families.
Dementia
Dementia refers to a cluster of symptoms that affects memory, thought, language, motor skills and social skills. Dementia is mainly caused by several progressive neurodegenerative diseases. All are characterized by a number of characteristics. To learn more about the disease or find other ways of support you can find more information on the website of Alzheimer Nederland.
Collaborations
In collaboration with business and care organizations we can build a joint network and generates more resources for research. Within this collaboration, the partners want to change thinking about the use of technology in dementia care worldwide. And we are not going to be able to do that alone. The ECDT is a meeting place for designers, academics, entrepreneurs, informal caregivers, nurses, care administrators and others who can and want to help developing Warm Technology. Connected in an open community and meeting each other in different locations. Interested to join? Subscribe to our newsletter or send us an email.