Summary
ALCOVE is an acronym for ¨ALzheimer’s COoperative Valuation in Europe¨. This is a 2 year Joint Action (JA) project, co-financed by the European Commission. The ALCOVE project aims to improve knowledge about dementia and promote the exchange of information with a view to preserving the health, quality of life, autonomy and dignity of people living with dementia and their carers (principally in EU member states).
Research is concentrated on the following areas:
- Improving data for better knowledge about dementia prevalence.
- Improving access to dementia diagnosis as early as possible.
- Improving care for people living with dementia, particularly for those with behavioural disorders.
- Improving the rights of people with dementia, particularly in respect to advance declarations of will (ADW).
“ALCOVE is a Joint Action between EU Member States and the European Commission which aims to both improve knowledge on dementia and its consequences and to promote the exchange of information to preserve health, quality of life, autonomy and dignity of people living with dementia and their carers in European Union Member States”.
Read more: ALCOVE Official Website.
The UK Contribution: University of Worcester’s Association for Dementia Studies (ADS)
The project has been split into seven “Work Packages”, each led by a different EU country, as follows:
- Work Package 1: France.
- Work Package 2: Spain.
- Work Package 3: Slovakia.
- Work Package 4: Italy.
- Work Package 5: UK (Association for Dementia Studies, University of Worcester).
- Work Package 6: Finland.
- Work Package 7: Belgium.
The Association for Dementia Studies (ADS), tackling Work Package 5, will address diagnosis, and aims to:
- Compare national recommendations for the diagnosis of dementia, and arrive at a common definition.
- Assess the different approaches of healthcare systems internationally to develop recommendations for improving early diagnosis.
The ADS team comprises:
- Professor Dawn Brooker: Work Package 5 Lead for the UK.
- Dr Simon Evans: Senior Research Fellow.
- Jenny La Fontaine: Senior Lecturer.
- Jennifer Bray: Research Assistant.
The Work Package 5 team also involves key stakeholders from the UK:
- Professor Alistair Burns: National Clinical Adviser for Dementia.
- Jerry Bird: Department of Health Project Manager on the Dementia Strategy.
- Dr Karim Saad: Department of Health Clinical Adviser on the ALCOVE Project.
- Peter Ashley: Alzheimer’s Society Ambassador.
- Dr Bernie Coope: Lead Consultant for Older Adult Services with Worcestershire Mental Health Trust.
Reference
Sharing knowledge to advance healthcare policies in Europe for people living with dementia and their carers. Worcester: University of Worcester; Association for Dementia Studies, November 2012.
[A brief reference to this item features in Dementia and Elderly Care: the Latest Evidence Newsletter (RWNHST), Volume 3 Issue 5, January 2013].
