In September 2018 the international trade fair “Rehacare 2018” took place in Düsseldorf. The University of Siegen was represented with the department “IT for the Aging Society” and its innovative projects, especially in the field of appropriation support for older people in dealing with technical applications, were met with great approval and resonance.
On 28.09.2018 the nursing fair Rehacare took place in Düsseldorf. This congress offers an interdisciplinary information and exchange platform for municipalities, the housing industry and social service providers. Innovations in the field of rehabilitation and care were presented. 967 exhibitors from 42 countries provided information on aids that enable people with disabilities, people in need of care or older people to lead largely self-determined lives.
This year’s focus was on the topic of “Designing life digitally in the neighbourhood”. Basically, the question was asked about the potential of digital and technical instruments to improve the quality of life for more participation and to secure the supply structures. In the affiliated topic area “We for the neighbourhood”, representatives of the University of Siegen under the direction of Jun-Prof.in C. Müller presented the project ACCESS, which deals with the topic of digital education and learning in old age. This project investigates various learning settings and learning methods that support the acquisition of technical aids and make it easier for older people to learn how to use digital technology. ACCESS and other projects in the field of “IT for an ageing society” were presented on the basis of the vividly designed exhibition stand and informative flyers. As a result, a lively dialogue-centered exchange developed with interested congress participants as well as with social service providers and representatives from local authorities, the housing industry and organised citizens.