Dementia.active.life – a health initiative for physical activity in people with dementia: Eva Mir

Issue/Problem

Dementia is one of the most challenging actual and future health issues regarding ageing population. The development, implementation and evaluation of high-quality and innovative measures for prevention and care are needed. Due to the missing success in medical healing, interventions such as physical activity for reducing the progress of dementia attract attention. People with dementia, their relatives as well as health professionals must be sensibilized for the importance of physical activity to promote health literacy and the willingness for participation.

Description of the problem

Therefore the health initiative “dementia.active.life” was launched in the winter term 2014/2015 at the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences (Austria). How can the development of such an initiative be included in the curriculum of a study program focusing on health and care management? Which materials are needed to sensibilize for physical activity in people with dementia?

Results

In the context of a lecture which is embedded in a module about health promotion, student teams developed theory driven materials: A poster, a series of post cards as well as a flyer inform about forms of physical activity which have been proven to have positive effects on motoric and cognitive functioning as well as on quality of life. Furthermore a video was developed focusing on dementia facts and the importance of social integration and physical activity. All materials were disseminated via internet and regionally in printed version.

Lessons

The health initiative was realized successfully as part of the study program. The students got the possibility to work practically on the development and dissemination of health-related sensibilization materials. Various materials were developed to reach people with dementia, their relatives as well as health professionals. Furthermore students as future change agents beyond the campus were also sensibilized for physical activity in people with dementia.

Key messages:

• Universities must engage in health initiatives regarding dementia care and prevention to promote sensitization.

• Health initiatives can be successfully integrated in the curricula of health-related study programs.