SimDeC - a meeting place in St.Gallen

SimDeC stands for "Simulation in Dementia Care" and, in a local sense, is a model apartment that has been designed and furnished to help as many people as possible in their everyday lives. A place of encounter, a living laboratory, a hub for knowledge, the name is basically irrelevant, what is important is what is done, taught and researched in this place. How can I live in my usual living space for as long as possible? The SimDeC, headed by care scientist and lecturer Josef M. Huber, is investigating this and other questions. Originating from the Dementia Competence Center at the Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences OST, the focus is on people rather than dementia. At SimDeC, the competence center wants to invite people to engage in dialogue. Many people and various institutions are involved in order to achieve the goal of finding not the best solution, but the most appropriate one. It is about sharing knowledge and experience. For those responsible, the most important target group is individuals who are faced with a specific problem that they would like to solve using technology. According to Josef M. Huber, "we are then happy to invite them for "research-based consulting" - we want to understand the problem in detail - and of course offer our expertise to help solve the problem." He emphasizes that SimDeC is not in competition with other advisory services such as ProSenectute, Spitex, etc. "Our aim is to understand and jointly create the knowledge that is still missing."

There is a solution for "everything".

The kitchen is tailored to requirements, with anti-slip mats, storage containers that can be opened with just one hand, simple medication systems or supportive drinking cups. The bathroom is dedicated to the topic of visual perception. The mirror is blinded, which can be useful if you are not oriented to your own person and are startled when you think someone else is standing in front of you. Orange towels, toilet seats and markings support perception through contrasts, which is unlike a hospital. In the bedroom, for example, there are fall detection systems and automatic window closers. There is a solution for "everything". Is it possible to try out living in the show apartment? No, the SimDeC is not a place where you could really live well. An unfamiliar environment often creates uncertainty. According to Josef M. Huber, many people are overwhelmed when they enter the apartment for the first time. "There are technical solutions on site that are very easy to understand and then there are technical solutions that you have to work your way into." However, mobile items can be borrowed, which can then be tested at home in the normal living environment. This way, interested parties only have one factor to change and those responsible receive first-hand, relevant feedback.

Knowledge for practice

Students on the Master's degree course in Nursing at the University of Applied Sciences OST and students on the Joint Medical Master's degree course at the University of St.Gallen have the unique opportunity to get to know SimDeC better. The aim is to broaden their horizons. "We have found that we have a knowledge problem - if you don't know that there is a solution, you are not sensitive to a problem. This often leads to people living with a problem instead of using it as a starting point for prevention." In this sense, SimDeC uses questions and problems from practice to generate very specific knowledge for practice.