The Jagiellonian University Medical College will receive 403,000 euro for an international research project In-Touch as part of a larger grant worth 7.5 million euro awarded by the European Commission within the framework of the HORIZON Europe programme. The Polish team will be headed by Prof. Katarzyna Szczerbińska from the Section for Research on Aging Society at the JU MC Faculty of Medicine.

‘Implementation of a palliative care iNtervention To improve comfort and qUality of life of people with advanced dementia in Care Homes’ (In-Touch) is the full name of the project coordinated by Dr Nicola Cornally from the University College Cork in Ireland. It aims to assess the efficiency of a non-pharmacological method of caring for people suffering from advanced dementia designed to improve their quality of life.

The innovative In-Touch approach combines caregiving based on two concepts:

• Namaste Care – according to research, it can be an effective form of therapy and improving mood, has a positive impact on the relationship between the carer and patient, facilitates interactions, increases the level of energy and quality of life and offers the possibility of reducing the dosage of antipsychotic drugs.
• Comfort Care – planning treatment with respect to future needs of the patient regarding palliative care. The intervention is tailored to the conditions in specific countries and takes into account the cultural and ethical context as well as cost-effectiveness.

The consortium will carry out a pan-European, randomised study in 56 care homes in seven countries to assess the impact of the In-Touch interventions on the comfort, social engagement and quality of life of patients with dementia in the last stages of their life. In Poland, the intervention will be tested in four care houses and compared with a control group of another four.

The main goal of the project, which will last until 31 December 2028, will be the development of an innovative model of care for people with advanced dementia that will improve the quality of life of both them and their carers whilst reducing the overall cost.

The In-Touch project promotes the improvement of comfort and quality of life of people suffering from advanced dementia residing in care homes, development of a proactive approach of personnel to palliative care, supporting family-personnel collaboration in current and planned care as well as a culture of positive interactions between personnel, patients and their families.

For more information, visit cordis.europa.eu.