The OST - University of Applied Sciences of Eastern Switzerland focuses consistently on the topic of dementia and organizes the annual St.Gallen Dementia Congress.
"Competence center" dementia
Since 2010, the Department of Health at the OST - Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences has focused on dementia in various service areas and in the organization of the St.Gallen Dementia Congress.
Image: The topic of dementia meets a great and ongoing need.
Renowned congress
The 8th St. Gallen Dementia Congress will take place on November 16, 2022. The St.Gallen Dementia Congress has been organized by the Health Department of the OST - Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences in collaboration with Olma Messen since 2013. Every year, the congress attracts around 1000 registrations, so the congress and the topic meet a great and ongoing need for many carers and other interested people. Participants come mainly from German-speaking Switzerland, but also from neighboring German-speaking countries.
"Competence center"
The Department of Health at the OST - Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences took up the focus on dementia in 2010 and has since established it in all four service areas, research & development, services, teaching and continuing education. In 2014, the Dementia Unit was founded at the Institute of Nursing Science IPW-FHS, almost simultaneously with the adoption of the national dementia strategy by the Federal Office of Public Health. The OST - University of Applied Sciences Eastern Switzerland is the only university in Switzerland to focus consistently on the topic of dementia. Since 2020, the university of applied sciences has had the status of a "competence center" due to its intensive research activities and the establishment of the topic in all service areas.
The care and support of people with dementia is complex and multifaceted. It will continue to challenge us all in the coming years, both in the inpatient and outpatient sectors, but also in terms of society and health policy. Those responsible still see a great need for research and development in this area in order to provide good care and support, but also to enable people with dementia to participate in our society in the long term. It is also important to them to conduct research not only about and on people with dementia, but with them. They are guided by a person-centered, participatory research practice.
Focus
The strengths of the "Dementia Competence Center" compared to other universities lie in the focus of research and teaching on care and support aspects. The research is practical, application-oriented and interdisciplinary. By anchoring the topic of "dementia" in all areas of the university, the link between research, services, teaching and continuing education can be optimally practiced. Since 2020, research competencies have been expanded with those responsible for physiotherapy. In addition, the simulation in the area of Dementia Care - a living and meeting place for people with dementia and students - is unique at the OST - Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences.
The Dementia Competence Center is involved in various national and international research projects. However, regional anchoring is also important for the OST - University of Applied Sciences Eastern Switzerland. For example, those responsible are working on a practice development project with the Geriatric Clinic in St. Gallen, another network member of St.Gallen Health.