3D4elderly is a project aimed to create innovative learning pathways that increase the quality of the work of caregivers and staff members dealing with people with Alzheimer and elderly people with dementia and also to raise the quality of the life of the patients by using 3D technology. The project will be 24 months long and include partners from Lithuania, Italy, Bulgaria and Spain. Alzheimer is a degenerative neurological disease that affects the brain, progressively leading the patient to a state of total dependence, thus creating a very complex and difficult situation for people who take care of them. The causes of the disease are still unknown but there is a multi-factorial origin connected to various factors such as genetics, environment and lifestyle. In addition, an important factor is the age, indeed the disease develops mainly between 75 and 85 years of age, however, this may not always also affect some younger people, while others older, over eighty or even centenarians may not find it at all. One of the first symptoms of an Alzheimer's patient is short-term memory loss. Some research stated that it is possible in the early stages of Alzheimer's to recover lost memories, stimulating specific hippocampal neurons, the area of the brain responsible for recording short-term memories. For this reason, people with Alzheimer need cognitive stimulation exercises that stimulate memories, language, perceptions, reasoning, creativity, sociability and above all well-being. The use of 3D printing will help these people by offering them a multisensory experience thanks to the tools created. In particular, the 3D Printing is a technology that allows the production of prototypes, considered as anything that is not included in the market, so not possible to buy anywhere. Through 3D printing, it is possible to produce any type of useful tool to support the development of specific cognitive functions. With the use of these new and customised object, the patient can take advantage of them quickly and individually. This technology can be useful to support visual, tactile and therapeutic methods. The hands-on experience and this technology will help the person to receive an infinite number of requests which have a direct action on the brain areas connected to instincts and senses, with positive effects on the cognitive and relational sphere. On the other side, unfortunately, the adoption of this new technology in the different field is often stifled because the use of the 3D printing technology is considered too difficult, without an educational, learning and training support. However, the situation at the international level is improving, as special learning and training paths are being established for the use and application of these technologies. 3D4elderly project aims to create innovative learning pathways that increase the quality of the work of caregivers and staff members dealing with people with Alzheimer and elderly people with dementia. To achieve the goals of the project, the consortium has defined the following intellectual outputs: • IO1: A guideline for caregivers about the use of 3D Printing. • IO2: A set of memory exercises created with 3DP for helping people with Alzheimer and elderly people with dementia. • IO3: A web platform to collect exercises created with 3DP to be used with people with Alzheimer and dementia. • IO4: A Training for experts, caregivers and other staffs involved in the work with people with Alzheimer and elderly people with dementia. • IO5: Creation of a methodological guideline (therapy guide) to assist in the improvement of memory in Alzheimer’s patients and those with early-onset dementia accessible to all Alzheimer centers. 3D4elderly project is aimed to match the experience and the skills of new technologies and people who work in Alzheimer centers for increasing the quality of the patient care processes. Our project team is composed by 4 partners from 4 different European countries (Italy, Spain, Bulgaria and Lithuania) and with different profiles: 3D printing experts (CEIPES and CETEM) close to the academic and business sector, a non-governmental voluntary organisation in the community interest, ABA who works with people with Alzheimer and BETI a Research Institute who is working in the field of ICT and education technologies in target group composed by adults. The aim of the project also follows the goal of the European Alzheimer's Alliance, an institution that was established in the European Parliament (EP) in 2007. It is a non-exclusive, multinational and cross-cutting group that brings together members committed to supporting Alzheimer's Europe and its members by tariff so that dementia becomes a priority of the public health in Europe.
3D4elderly project aims to prevent and draw attention to Alzheimer's disease and dementia by developing innovative practices and implementing cooperative initiatives, mutual learning and exchange experiences, promotes cooperation at the European level by using one of the most innovative technology: 3D printing. The specific aims of the project are: • To raise awareness of Alzheimer's and dementia and the early onset of the diseases. • To raise awareness and draw attention to Alzheimer's disease and dementia at local, national and international levels. • To increase the quality of the educational and caregiving process of staff working with people with the target group. • To create activity tools for local and Europe-wide usage to assist in the improvement of memory in Alzheimer’s patients and those with early-onset dementia. • To develop and promote competencies related to the technology for staff and organisations working with people with Alzheimer's and elderly with dementia. • To promote a European up-skills pathway, carried out in different countries for using 3D Printing technology in different kinds of work. • To increase the quality of the education of people with those diseases for basic skills important for their life.
Alzheimer's is a degenerative neurological disease that affects the brain, progressively leading the patient to a state of total dependence, thus creating a very complex and difficult situation for people who take care of them. The causes of the disease are still unknown but there is a multi-factorial origin connected to various factors such as genetics, environment, and lifestyle. In addition, an important factor is an age, indeed the disease develops mainly between 75 and 85 years of age, however, this may not always also affect some younger people, while others older, over eighty, or even centenarians may not find it at all. One of the first symptoms of an Alzheimer's patient is short-term memory loss. Some research stated that it is possible in the early stages of Alzheimer's to recover lost memories, by stimulating specific hippocampal neurons, the area of the brain responsible for recording short-term memories. For this reason, people with Alzheimer's need cognitive stimulation exercises that stimulate memories, language, perceptions, reasoning, creativity, sociability, and above all well-being. The use of 3D printing helps these people by offering them a multisensory experience thanks to the tools created.