The AAL laboratory gives nursing staff in training an insight into the latest assistance technologies that can support older people in their everyday lives or relieve the burden on nursing staff themselves in their work.
Nursing staff and caregivers regularly visit the GAT Institute's Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) laboratory to find out about the latest developments in the field of assistance technologies. These technologies are playing an increasingly important role in making everyday life easier for people in need of care and improving their quality of life in old age. As care staff are increasingly also acting as advisors in the selection of technical and everyday aids, it is crucial for them to always be up to date.
In the AAL lab, they are given access to a variety of innovative assistance systems and technical aids that are often still little known and not yet available on the broad market. These technologies range from intelligent everyday aids to complex systems designed to promote the safety and independence of people in need of care in everyday life. Care staff and caregivers have the opportunity to experience the technology up close and try it out for themselves. This enables them to gain a sound understanding of the functions and practical benefits of the aids.
This direct practical relevance enables care staff to incorporate their experiences and assessments into their advisory work with people in need of care and their relatives. They are therefore in a position to recommend specific aids that meet the individual needs of their clients and can make their everyday lives noticeably easier. At the same time, the lab provides them with new impetus and ideas on how modern technology can sustainably improve the lives of older people. The AAL laboratory thus serves as a valuable interface between research, practice and consulting and helps to ensure that pioneering technologies find their way into practice more quickly.
Last Thursday, October 24, 2024, a nursing class from the Euroakademie Görlitz visited the GAT Institute's Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) laboratory. The excursion took place as part of the learning field "Rehabilitation" and the topic "Adaptation of living space and provision of aids and technical aids". The aim of the visit was to give the ten prospective nursing staff practical insights into the latest assistance technologies.
During the visit, the class explored the AAL laboratory's model apartment, where a variety of technical aids were presented. Some of these aids were already familiar to the trainees from their previous practice, while others were completely new to them. The opportunity to try out the technology together and share their own practical experiences was particularly valuable.
One particular highlight of the visit was the VR glasses, which open up innovative possibilities for training and simulations in nursing. The smart medication box, which ensures greater safety when taking medication, also aroused great interest. Both technologies were discussed in depth and encouraged visitors to think about their benefits in practice.
The visit to the AAL lab gave the trainees their first insights into the range of modern assistance technologies and their potential benefits for nursing care. The new impetus they gained will help them in future to perform their advisory role towards people in need of care and their relatives in a more informed manner and to recommend suitable aids to support them in their everyday lives.
