Exchange in the AAL lab

On August 7, 2025, we welcomed Jana Horcickova, Care Coordinator at the Görlitz District Office, Bärbel Schuster, Board Member of the State Initiative Dementia Saxony e.V., and other dedicated moderators of self-help initiatives for family caregivers in the Görlitz district to the Active-Assisted-Living Laboratory in Görlitz.

The visit began with a brief introduction round, where the guests and the team got to know each other. Afterwards, laboratory director Maria Fabisch introduced the AAL Laboratory with its projects, goals, and current assistive technologies for the home environment. During this introduction, an intensive discussion quickly emerged regarding the challenges and opportunities in home care.

The Importance of Care Coordination and Self-Help

In her role as Care Coordinator, Jana Horcickova serves as an important liaison between affected individuals, family members, care institutions, and authorities. She helps families find the appropriate support services, provides advice on organizational and financial matters, and plays a significant role in guiding people through the often complex care system. The leaders of self-help groups for family caregivers, on the other hand, are an indispensable support for many: They provide space for exchange, offer expert information, strengthen the sense of community, and help to better cope with the challenges of everyday caregiving.

Exchange on Challenges and Ideas for the Future

The visit provided an opportunity for an in-depth exchange on the current challenges in home care and the question of how we can further strengthen the regional care and support landscape together. Concrete ideas were also developed on how the AAL Laboratory can serve even more as an interface between innovation, advice, and self-help in the future.

AAL Laboratory as Part of Saxony⁵

This exchange is also closely linked to the goals of the Saxony⁵ project. As an interdisciplinary transfer initiative of the five Saxon Universities of Applied Sciences, Saxony⁵ aims to transfer scientific knowledge and technological developments into practice, making them directly effective in society. The AAL Laboratory is a prime example of this transfer in action: on the one hand, it makes innovative assistive technologies tangible and accessible, while on the other hand, it collects feedback and needs from users, family members, and professionals.

Especially in the area of care, the importance of this reciprocal knowledge transfer becomes clear. Only when the perspectives of affected individuals, family members, and professional support structures are integrated into the development process from the outset can technologies be created that are truly practical and gain acceptance. The visit of Ms. Horcickova, Ms. Schuster, and the moderators of the self-help groups exemplifies how the Saxony⁵ network understands transfer work: as a bridge between universities, practice, and civil society, working together on sustainable solutions for regional challenges.

We would like to sincerely thank all those involved for their inspiring visit and valuable contribution – together, we are making support more visible and accessible, thereby strengthening not only care but also the core idea of Saxony⁵: Innovation through cooperation.