Ongoing Projects

In Austria, an estimated 169,000 people live with dementia. Despite its prevalence, dementia remains frequently tabooed and stigmatized in society, and media often reinforce negative representations. The Austrian Dementia Strategy therefore emphasizes social participation and self-determination as key objectives. Awareness and educational measures - particularly for students - can strengthen knowledge, empathy, and an open attitude within society.

International nursing professionals – including those from the Philippines – play an important role in maintaining high-quality long-term care in Austria. As a result, they are actively recruited for the long-term care sector in the province of Upper Austria. It is essential, however, that these professionals are not regarded just as a response to workforce shortages. Instead, sustainable integration – both within the workplace and in the broader community – as well as their long-term retention in Upper Austria must be ensured. Insufficient workplace integration can create significant uncertainty, affecting both international nursing professionals and their colleagues.

Phytochemicals, also known as secondary plant metabolites, play an integral role in our daily lives, as evidenced by the colours, scents and flavours of plant-based foods. Not only do they protect plants, they also enrich our lives through their sensory properties and potential health benefits. The project 'Kids Explore Superpowers in Plants' introduces children and adolescents to these fascinating substances by combining scientific research with hands-on educational experiences. Our goal is to raise awareness of scientific work among pupils and to spark their interest in food as a research topic.

As a follow-up project to the Dyn-Sit-Pain study, this research aims to investigate the overall health as well as the physical and mental well-being through dynamic office chairs. The development of an innovative dynamic office chair concept will be professionally and scientifically supported, and the developed prototypes will be examined within the framework of usability studies.

Following a cooperation request a treaty was signed between medical staff of the Hemodialysis Ward (Steyr hospital), the Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (Steyr hospital) and the University of Applied Sciences for Health Professions Upper Austria. This cooperation comprises of six bachelor theses, proposals are already accomplished. Currently, the students are writing their theses, which should be finished at the end of January 2025.

There is a large and even growing need for qualified nurses to provide high-quality care for people with dementia in the healthcare system. At the same time, studies show that nursing students have low preferences working in dementia care.

Recruiting physiotherapists and timely filling vacancies are challenging for inpatient healthcare facilities. Understanding potential applicants’ preferences regarding future employment is crucial for making job offers and work conditions more attractive.

Assessment tools to evaluate the communicative abilities of people with dementia for healthcare professionals: a scoping review.

People with dementia are already affected by impairments in their communication skills in the early stages of the disease. This can lead to misunderstandings in daily communicative situations with relatives or carers. These problems in social interactions lead to people with dementia reducing their social contacts and participating less in leisure activities. Relationships, including with family members, can be difficult to maintain and lead to social withdrawal, which can negatively impact the quality of life of those affected and their relatives. One way of counteracting social withdrawal is to intensify the communication opportunities offered by family members or carers. To maintain dialogue, it is crucial to specifically collect and assess communication skills.