The Department of Psychiatry and the Alzheimer Centre of the Vrije Universiteit Medical Center (VUMC) have extensive research expertise in the field of dementia and other cognitive dysfunctions, especially in diagnostics and psychosocial care. They have links to many organizations for the elderly, the Dutch Alzheimer Organization, and care settings in The Netherlands as well as to people with dementia living in the community and their informal carers, as they are the initiators of the Meeting Centres Support Programme for people with dementia and their carers in The Netherlands.

They are also active members of the scientific Eurodem group and European Interdem group on early detection and timely intervention in dementia and as such have experience with international collaboration in projects. Since 2003 the VUMC has been involved in several ICTprojects as a domain expert, i.e. the Healthcare pilot of the FReeband User eXperience (FRUX) project and the project Mobile Coaching for persons with dementia.

The VUMC will bring its domain knowledge on the needs of persons with dementia and their carers, the present social chart of care and welfare services and specific support programs for people with dementia and their carers (e.g. Meeting Centres Support Program, Alzheimer cafés, National Dementia Program), as well as methodological know-how on conducting effect and implementation studies of healthcare innovations in the target group.

Its roles in the project are involvement in the content and functional specification of the device that will be developed as well as in the evaluation of the device in a field study by measuring user experiences and effects on aspects of quality of life of persons with dementia and their carers.

The VUMC will participate in WP1: Human Factors Analysis; WP4: Field Testing (of the prototype, especially among Dutch users recruited form the Meeting Centres); WP5: Evaluation, and WP6: Scientific Dissemination.

Key Personnel:

• Prof. Cees Jonker;
• Dr. Rose-Marie Dröes;
• Dr. Franka Meiland;