The elderly population is increasing all over the world, especially in European countries. The most important reasons for this are technological developments in the field of health over the last 20 years, the development of healthier living conditions, the increase in education and the development of health services. With significantly declining mortality rates, people live longer and there is an overall decline in birth rates in developed countries. Depending on the stress of daily life, Alzheimer's disease, especially in those 65 years and older, is rapidly increasing on a global scale. Direct treatment of Alzheimer's disease is not possible. During the onset of the disease, various exercises, cognative, social and cultural activities are all precautionary measures that can be taken to slow the progression of the disease. Cognative activities that exercise thinking and memory skills have positive effects on psychology and the general over all improvement in people’s performance. The USE IT OR LOSE IT project aims to prevent and draw attention to Alzheimer's disease by developing innovative practices and implementing co-operative initiatives, mutual learning and exchnage experiences to promote cooperation at the European level. Specific Objectives of the project; - Prevention and awareness of Alzheimer’s and the early onset of the disease. - To İncrease awarness and draw attention to Alzheimer's disease at local, national and international level. - Creating an activity book (occupational therapy guide) for local and Europe-wide usage to assist in the improvement of memory in Altzheimer’s patients and those with early onset dementia. - To establish co-operation and partnership at the European level. Within the scope of the Erasmus + Strategic Partnership Program, it is aimed to establish a guidebook for occupational therapy and treatment of Alzheimer's patients and their families. It will be a guide for patients with the onset of Alzheimer's outlining what activities can be performed to combat the disease, beneficial nutrition, what care and responsibilities the family can provide and which social activities will be effective in combating Alzheimer's. The guidebook will be translated in several languages, primarily English ,the languages of the partners moreover Arabic for Syrian refugees. The activities in the guidebook will be used in the occupational therapy rooms of local nursing homes which belong to our institution that provide services for the elderly directed by an occupational therapist. Furthermore, Partners will use this guidebook in Europe. Our Project partners are Kahramanmaras Family and Social Policies Provincial Directorate, Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam Health Services University, Alzheimer Bulgaria Association (Bulgaria) , SSW Collegium Balticum(Polond), Anaptyxıako Kentro Thessalıas (Greece), International Centre for the Promotion of Education and Development (Italy)
The overall Objective of the USE OR LOSE project is to prevent and draw attention to Alzheimer's disease by developing innovative practices and implementing co-operative initiatives, mutual learning and exchange experiences to promote cooperation at the European level. Specific Objectives of the project; - Prevention and awareness of Alzheimer’s and the early onset of the disease. - To raise awareness and draw attention to Alzheimer's disease at the local, national and international level. - Creating occupational therapy guidebooks for local and Europe-wide usage to assist in the improvement of memory in Alzheimer's patients and those with early-onset dementia. The first management meeting was held in Kahramanmaraş with the local partners on 15.01.2019. The meeting covered the project preparation phase and the sub-structure of the project team was established. A project team composed of local consortium members was formed to assure the successful undertaking of the project. The duties of the project teams were determined together with local partners. The kick-off meeting for “Use or Lose” was held on February 6-7, 2019 in Kahramanmaraş. Tasks and responsibilities were allocated to the partners. After discussions, a final (Pillar) decision on how to effectively and efficiently manage the project was taken. Each country was prepared reports based on the results of the latest data collected, from which both statistical and needs analysis was made. A questionnaire was prepared for caregivers and patients about the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. The second transnational project meeting was held on May 9-10, 2019 in Palermo, Italy. The main aim of this meeting was to review and discuss the surveys and the latest reports presented by the partners, as well as sharing dissemination and management issues. Each partner has applied the survey to the project target groups and the results were being analysed. The content for an occupational therapy guide book was shaped according to the results of surveys. The State Art Report was created according to the result of surveys, the latest collected data, figures, recommendations for Alzheimer and dementia care and the best available strategies in each partners’ country. The third transnational project meeting was held on 5-6 September 2019 in Trikala Greece. The sections of the guidebook per partner for the relatives of Alzheimer patients were identified. The sections of the guidebook were created per partner for the Alzheimer patients were decided in the TPM. The dissemination portfolio was created about how the project dissemination activities should be made properly. The fourth TPM was conducted in the SSW Collegium Balticum on 3-4 December 2019 in Szczecin, Poland. The fifth TPM was held on 26-26 February 2020 by Alzheimer Bulgaria in Sofia, Bulgaria. The closing meeting was held online on 14 January 2021 by KMM in Kahramanmaraş, Turkey participation of all project partners. The online multiplier events were held by KMM on 11-12 January 2021 in Kahramanmaraş with the participation of the local project partners and stakeholders. The publicity of the Occupational Therapy Guidebooks was made in the multiplier events. The project website has been established and it has been translated into project partners’ language (www.useorlose.org). The project video has been created in English and showed the project partners websites. Within the scope of the project, publicity and visibility activities were implemented. The Occupational Therapy Activities Guidebooks were created by project partners. Also, the guidebooks were printed and distributed to project partners and all relevant stakeholders. The Occupational Therapy Guidebooks for Alzheimer and Other Forms of Dementia were created for occupational therapy and treatment of Alzheimer's patients, their families and caregivers. One of them for Relatives and Caregiver and another one for Alzheimer patients. The e-books of all guidebooks were created and existed on the project website. It was a guide for patients with the onset of Alzheimer's outlining what activities can be performed to combat the disease, beneficial nutrition, what care and responsibilities the family can provide and which social activities were being effective in combating Alzheimer's. The Recommendation for Alzheimer and Dementia Patient Care Guidebook was created. the guidebook consists of suggestions for relatives of Alzheimer and dementia patients and the common misconception about Alzheimer and dementia. Despite we decided to prepare only one guidebook at the beginning of the project, we created seven guidebooks that were prepared in different languages at the end of the project. The guidebooks were created in English, Turkish, Polish, Greek, Italian, Arabic and Bulgarian language for patients and relatives and caregivers of Alzheimer patients.