Vilans.org

Exciting news! 🗓️ On the International Day of Care and Support (October 29), honoring this important occasion, Vilans had the pleasure of participating in The Global Observatory of Long-Term Care (GOLTC) online event : 'Towards Robust, Responsive, and Equitable Long-Term Care Systems Around the World,' represented by our expert in Monitoring and Impact, Bellis Van Den Berg. The day-long webinar, joined by a diverse group of experts from all over the world, explored unmet needs, community care initiatives , workforce challenges, and quality improvement in LTC. Want to know more about the event? Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/e59CK9jG #InternationalDayOfCareAndSupport #LongTermCare #LTC #QualityImprovement #GlobalCollaboration #CommunityCare #Vilans #GOLTC #ILPN Let's work together to ensure that care is compassionate, dignified, and accessible worldwide! 🌍💙

On October 24th, it was a privilege for Vilans to host the Irish delegation, including representatives from Ireland's Department of Health, the Health Service Executive (HSE), and OECD Ireland. Prof.dr. Mirella MN Minkman and Ephrem Tesfay, welcomed the visitors to explore integrated care and long-term care approaches in the Netherlands. During the visit, we had valuable discussions on: 👉The role of Vilans as a knowledge institute in bridging research, lived experiences with practice in care and social support. 👉Dutch and Irish healthcare systems and Historical and ongoing reforms towards sustainable and integrated care. 👉Integrated Care in the Netherlands focusing on leadership and governance. Read more about our exchange and insights here: https://lnkd.in/eV9F6nv5 #IntegratedCare #HealthcareInnovation #LongTermCare #KnowledgeExchange #DutchHealthcare #HSE #Vilans #OECD

Last week, the 1st Occupational Therapy Europe Congress took place in Krakow. Here, occupational therapists from practice, education, and research came together to share developments within occupational therapy. Ergotherapy Netherlands brought the Dutch delegation together to strengthen collaboration within the Netherlands as well. There were many inspiring sessions from the world of occupational therapy, including themes such as Reablement and care technology. The Vilans Assistive Device Guide (Vilans Hulpmiddelenwijzer) also gave a presentation at the congress. It was great to share experiences and insights, especially now that the Vilans Assistive Device Guide, in addition to assistive devices, was increasingly sharing the knowledge of occupational therapists. We did this by providing inspiration about daily activities for people with care needs, with tips on how they could continue performing activities independently, even without assistive devices.

✨Exciting Visit from the Taiwanese Delegation: Digital Transformation in Long-Term Care ✨ We recently had the privilege of hosting a Taiwanese delegation led by Chun-Jung Su, Minister of the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration. The visit was part of the 2024 Study Group on Digital Transformation. Vilans digital care team, including Prof. Henk Herman Nap, Bob Hofstede, Sima Ipakchian Askari and Brent Opmeer, welcomed and hosted the delegates. Our team gained valuable insights into long-term care and the state of digital care technology in Taiwan and shared our work on long-term care technology implementation and evaluation. We discussed the role of knowledge institutes like Vilans in supporting the implementation and value determination of these technologies and explored further collaboration opportunities. Read more about the visit here: https://lnkd.in/eq6cz84x #DigitalTransformation #CareInnovation #Vilans #InternationalCollaboration #Taiwan #Netherlands #LongTermCare

🚀 Exciting news from Vilans on Assistive Technology! 🚀 We've enhanced our Assistive Technology Guide (Vilans Hulpmiddelenwijzer) with insights from occupational therapists to help people with functional limitations remain self-reliant. Whether it's assistive tech or simple hacks—like using an elastic band on a cutting board—our goal is practical solutions that work. With 70,000 monthly users, the Assistive Technology Guide empowers people to stay independent.We’re also adding video guides and focusing on care that starts with understanding individual needs, not just professional intervention. 💡We see opportunities for European collaboration, as many challenges and solutions in care are applicable across countries, allowing us to share knowledge and best practices. 👉 Read more here or meet us at the Occupational Therapy Europe Congress in Krakow: https://lnkd.in/ezHhkeEj #AssistiveTechnology #SelfReliance #OccupationalTherapy #Vilans #InnovationInCare

We were happy to welcome and host a roundtable discussion yesterday morning at Vilans with a Canadian delegation, part of their fact-finding mission on elderly care and innovation in the Netherlands. Our discussions highlighted the pivotal and unique role that knowledge institutes like Vilans play in driving long-term care innovation. Key presentations included: 👉Value-Based Digital Care Innovations – Presented by Prof. Dr. Henk Herman Nap, Professor of Value-Based Digital Care Innovations at Eindhoven University of Technology and Theme Coordinator Digital Health at Vilans, and Bob Hofstede, Digital Care Researcher at Vilans. They outlined Vilans' role in the uniform evaluation of care technologies, AI ethics, and support for care organizations in implementing digital innovations. 👉Health System Transformation through Large-Scale Improvement Programs – Presented by Mrs. Anneke Augustinus, Director of Knowledge Application and Aging Society at Vilans. She provided a detailed view of Vilans' role in large-scale long-term care improvement and sustainability programs in the Netherlands. 👉Integrated Care in Networks in the Netherlands – Presented by Nick Zonneveld, Senior Researcher and Theme Manager Network Governance at Vilans and Tilburg University. Nick emphasized the importance of cross-domain collaboration and the integration of care and support services. As our population ages and care needs grow more complex, he explained the need for professionals from multiple organizations and sectors to combine their expertise. He also provided an insightful overview of various care networks and integrated care models, illustrating Vilans’ role in supporting these networks and collaborations. The session also underscored the importance of international knowledge exchange in addressing the challenges of aging populations and healthcare innovation and possible future collaborations in digital care and other themes. Monica Schagen Ministerie van Volksgezondheid, Welzijn en Sport Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) | Partner in Sustainable #ElderlyCare #HealthcareInnovation #DigitalHealth #IntegratedCare #ValueBasedCare #LongTermCare #InternationalCollaboration #CareTechnology #Sustainability #KnowledgeExchange #Vilans

🌍 Welcoming International Visitors at Vilans! 🇳🇱🇭🇰 Today, we had the pleasure of hosting a delegation of 8 enthusiastic occupational therapists from the Hong Kong Hospital Authority for a study tour. The visit focused on exchanging knowledge about long-term care (LTC), specifically how technology and innovative care environments enhance the quality of life for individuals with special needs and cognitive impairments. The visitors were incredibly engaged, and we had some lively discussions as we explored: • Gerontechnology innovations that promote independence in LTC. • Practical examples of how social assistive robotics (SAR) can support individuals with special needs. The highlight of the visit was the engaging presentation by Bob Hofstede on gerontechnology with a focus on SAR and uniform evaluation of gerontechnology, sparking discussions and exchange of experience drawing from our visitors direct caregiving practice as OTs and our digital care team research insights. During an office tour, we also came across our researcher, Tom van Hoesel , who enthusiastically shared his current research project with the delegation—further enriching the experience. We’re excited to continue building these global connections to contribute to the improvement of LTC! 🤝 #InternationalCollaboration #LongTermCare #Gerontechnology #DigitalCare #KnowledgeExchange #InnovationInCare

🌍 Vilans at ISG 2024 in Frankfurt 🎉 In early September, Vilans Digital Care team participated in the 14th International Society for Geotechnology (ISG) Conference in Frankfurt, presenting several insightful studies that explore practical technological solutions in long-term care. Key topics included socially assistive robots (SARs) for companionship, AI-driven decision support systems for caregivers, digital solutions to combat malnutrition, and adopting technology to address workforce challenges in long-term care. Their work emphasized how these innovations can be developed and implemented to support the development of more sustainable and resilient care systems. The team’s focus on co-design with end-users and responsible innovation ensures that these technologies are not only effective but also aligned with the real needs of both older adults and (In)formal caregivers. Read the full news story here: https://lnkd.in/emckzxfU #ISG2024 #Gerontechnology #Sustainability #LongTermCare #Innovation #Vilans

🚀 Talk About Tomorrow Today! The Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Sport (VWS) and social organizations are championing an essential initiative for those aged 60-75. The "Talk About Tomorrow Today" campaign encourages continuous conversations about the future, focusing on looking out for each other, comfortable living, and staying healthy and fit. These discussions are vital, not just nationally but on a global scale, ensuring that we all move forward together. Let’s keep these conversations alive and thriving, worldwide!  #TalkAboutTomorrowToday #HealthyAgeing #ElderlyCare #VWS For more details, please read the full story here 👉https://lnkd.in/eXZKVbdY

🌟 Enhancing Self-Reliance in Elderly Care 🌟 Care organizations are embracing 'reablement' to improve self-reliance, autonomy, and independence of their residents. How can care professionals best support clients in this? And how do they adapt to a more 'hands-off' approach? This portrait series explores care organizations successfully implementing reablement. In this edition, we hear from a district nurse at Careaz, discussing the profound impact of reablement on both clients and care providers. Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/e56iYJYs #ElderlyCare #Reablement #QualityOfLife #HealthcareInnovation #Autonomy #Independence