Alzheimer Bulgaria is ranked for funding under the 2021 Social Innovation programme of the Municipality of Sofia for the project Digital Grandchild. The amount that the association will receive for the implementation of the project is BGN 4,910 (EUR 2,510). Digital Grandchild is a project that aims to create a handbook for an online therapeutic service that will enable older people (over 65) with dementia to receive attention and care during the pandemic. A guide will be created to help these people to use digital contact tools (namely Skype, Viber, Zoom and WhatsApp). The aim is to facilitate the connection between people with early dementia and their loved ones and help to overcome social isolation.
The handbook will include detailed information on the steps users need to follow in order to connect with their loved ones on one of the four platforms. It will be adapted by pre-testing to be suitable for use by older people with early dementia. The handbook will be developed by students pursuing related areas in the social fields, which will raise awareness among future professionals and will emphasise the need to improve social services for people with dementia and their loved ones. The project will also help create intergenerational contact and develop a more inclusive society for older people affected by dementia.
The project’s activities will take place over a period of eight months, during which the handbook will be developed, tested and edited. The final version is expected to be completed in November 2021, when it will be printed in 50 copies and the online version will be uploaded on the association's website, where it will be available for download, for anyone who is interested. Further information is available on the Alzheimer Bulgaria website (in Bulgarian): https://bit.ly/3nIbdGg
Pictured: The project team (LtR) Irina, Viktoria, Polina and Kalina.
