SiDECar -- Skills in DEmentia Care: a European project aimed to Promote the Psychosocial Knowledge in Dementia Care

Abstract

Skills In DEmentia Care - Building psychosocial knowledge and best practice in dementia care (SiDECar) is an Erasmus+ project funded under the KA2 Strategic Partnerships for Higher Education (2018-2021). Partners are: The University of Bologna (Italy, Project leader), Maastricht University (Netherlands), the University of Salamanca (Spain) and the Institutefor Postgraduate Medical Education (Czech Republic).

SiDECar aims to promote the psychosocial knowledge in dementia care in academic, professional and public policy fields. Nowadays, literature is not consistent, and university curricula are marginally focused on providing psychosocial knowledge in dementia care.

Moreover, practitioners are used to refer to medical assistance models. METHOD AND RESULTS: SiDECar has three main objectives.

First, a systematic literature review about dementia and best practices will be conducted in order to identify the most effective psychosocial interventions for people with dementia and their formal and informal caregivers (Aim 1). This will allow us to identify a list of topics that will become the core for the development of academic courses and/or curricula (Aim 2).

Several outcomes will be distilled: formalized courses/curricula syllabus and materials, guidelines, manuals and recommendations (Aim 3). SiDECar expected impact is situated on different levels: a) academic - for students and professors, Department and School Directors, Rectors; b) professional - for social workers, practitioners, Heads of Service, NGO Delegates, Agencies; c) political - for local, national and international social welfare policies.

CONCLUSIONS: Several dissemination events will be planned, a public website is being developed, and social media will be used to disseminate recommendations and actions concerning the project results. SiDeCar's final aim is to achieve a broad awareness towards dementia by keeping the focus on those psychosocial actions that can be implemented to improve quality of life of people with dementia, formal and informal caregivers.