To get to know each other and to get to know the people behind the projects, members of QoLEAD have started to interview each other. Following the first interview, during which Anne Kolmans (PhD in WP4) was interviewed, Anne interviewed Dirk Steijger (PhD in WP3). After a succesful second interview, Dirk in turn interviewed Hans Arnold, project manager of QoLEAD. Read more about Hans, his personal motivations and his vision on AI! Hans and the Power of AIHans is the founder of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Network (JAIN). JAIN focuses on improving the quality of life for people with dementia…

Endowed professor Rens Brankaert – expert in the field of technology in healthcare – shared his vision in the media on transforming elderly care through technology and social innovations. “We must dare to rethink our care system,” he states, as nursing homes are expected to reach full capacity. Brankaert shares the story of his grandfather with dementia and the development of the ‘Wel Thuis Kompas,’ a GPS-driven device that helps people with dementia navigate home. This compass is an example of how technology can aid in care, but Brankaert stresses that technology alone is not enough; social innovation and new…

By Rianne Tessers (QoLEAD) – 12-02-2025  QoLEAD at the annual DEMPACT day! On Thursday, January 23rd – almost a year after the kick-off of DEMPACT – we gathered at The Social Impact Factory in the heart of Utrecht. QoLEAD was also present (Hans Arnold, project manager and Rianne Tessers, impact manager) . The DEMPACT project (dementia and impact), initiated by Alzheimer Nederland, focuses on increasing the societal impact of dementia research by promoting the use of research results and developed products. In the coming years, DEMPACT will support 10 research consortia in the Netherlands (NCDC, ABOARD, MODEM, BIRD-NL, NDPI, SPREAD+,…

Thanks to Malou van de Noort en Noortje Broeder – 04-04-2024 Every quarter we invite one of the care partners involved in QoLEAD to share their perspectives – on AI, design or on working in academic project. This time sharing their insights: Avoord. What does ageing well with dementia look like? Do we want to be as self-sufficient and autonomous as the situation allows? Do we mostly want company and be held in meaningful relations, perhaps? And what role do we want AI to play in upholding these values in daily life with dementia? During the QoLEAD co-creation workshop, hosted…

By Anne Kolmans – 15-02-2024  Every quarter one consortium member interviews another consortium member to get to know each other member and help us to get to know the people behind the project. Following the first interview, during which Anne Kolmans (PhD in WP4) was interviewed, she in her turn has a Q&A with Dirk Steijger (PhD in WP3). Who is Dirk? Could you tell us something about your background and the organization you work for?  “I am 31 years old and live in Tilburg. I first pursued a bachelor’s degree in Pharmaceutical Business Administration at Utrecht University of Applied…

By Teuni Wolters (Alzheimer Nederland) & Karlijn van Rijen (QoLEAD) – 15-02-2024  On the 8th of February, more than 40 researchers spread across the country travelled to the Social Impact Factory – what’s in a name – for the DEMPACT kick-off. On behalf of QoLEAD, on this day referred to as ‘the project with AI and dementia’, Wijnand IJsselsteijn, scientific project coordinator, Hans Arnold, project manager and Karlijn van Rijen, impact manager, were present.  DEMPACT (dementia and impact) is a project that aims to increase the social impact of dementia research by increasing the usage of knowledge and products from…

Each newsletter will feature a microlearning: a short and quick learning activity with insights from our project partners. The micro-learnings will cover lessons from AI, care practice, design insights and more.

This first microlearning was provided by Vilans’ Henk Herman Nap and Dirk Lukkien, and tells us the three key insights for our QoLEAD community following from their recently published whitepaper ‘Wat gaat AI betekenen voor de ouderenzorg’:

SVRZ, a leading care organization in Zeeland, is teaming up with the academia in the QoLEAD project. They offer care and rehab for elderly, including those with dementia. SVRZ is working hard to connect academic ideas with real-world care challenges, hoping to put the latest knowledge into practice faster. Teis Arets, PhD candidate in QoLEAD, did an internship past summer with SVRZ to better understand the daily challenges caregivers face with people with dementia.

Read more about SVRZ’s perspectives on the project and how they experienced having an academic over in their care practice…

Anne Kolmans is one of the PhD’s working in QoLEAD. Teis Arets, a fellow PhD, interviewed her for this newsitem.

In this interview, Anne shares her journey from psychology to robotics and ultimately her PhD research at Radboud UMC about the social connectedness of people with dementia. Special is Anne’s early experience in elderly care, with a mother working in a nursing home: “we helped with bingo, delivering meals, and for example at Christmas celebrations”.

Anne’s research focuses on co-designing AI with people with dementia to improve social relationships. Her advice to fellow researchers: really get to know your target group.

Join Hannah Christie, postdoctoral researcher at Alzheimer Center Limburg, who is taking us with her in the recent Yearly Consortium Meeting on 18-9 in Eindhoven. The day, featuring presentations by Arlene Astell and Rens Brankaert, showcased challenges in technology-based dementia projects and emphasized practical co-design strategies. The meeting highlighted the significance of involving stakeholders and navigating industry collaborations in AI-driven dementia research. The gathering reflects QoLEAD’s ongoing commitment to advancing person-centered dementia care.

Within the KIC call Living with Dementia, two research projects have been awarded funding. Consortia of researchers, companies, and societal organisations will investigate ways to improve the quality of life of people with dementia by 25% in 2030. The two funded projects have jointly received 5.25 million euros. Societal and private partners will contribute a further 936,000 euros in co-funding as well.