Three-quarters of people in Germany who require care are looked after at home by family members—who make up “Germany’s largest care service.” These family members are often under a great deal of stress and tend to neglect their own health or realize the need for it too late. To help them become more aware of their own situation, digiDEM Bayern has developed a new, free online tool: the Caregiver Traffic Light.
The digiDEM Bayern caregiver traffic light aims to clarify the degree of personal burden for caregivers. Based on ten questions, for example, about physical exhaustion and life satisfaction, caregivers can find out about their individual situation. The result – green, yellow, or red – includes a recommendation for the next steps and thus provides an impetus for changing their life situation.
The free and anonymous online self-test is offered in four languages (German, English, Turkish, Russian).
Effectiveness proven in extensive studies
The relatives“ traffic light is the short form of the ”Home Care Scale (HPS)". This assessment tool was developed by scientists from the Center for Medical Supply Research at Erlangen University Hospital. It is available in over 20 languages and has been used worldwide for six years. In a comprehensive scientific study With 351 caregivers, it was proven that the HPS reliably measures the extent of experienced burden. In another study With 386 caregivers, the validity of the traffic light system was proven. The results showed the risk of health impairments for a caregiver at a specific stress level of the HPS. On this basis, a classification was made, which in turn formed the basis for the traffic light system.
Digital, everyday solutions to support daily life
The relative traffic light is one of several online services provided as part of the dementia research project “Digital Dementia Register Bavaria,” or digiDEM Bavaria for short. The aim is to support people with dementia, relatives, and volunteers through digital, everyday solutions. digiDEM Bavaria already offers two free online services for knowledge transfer about dementia: the webinar series “Science Watch LIVE” and the newsletter “Science Watch”.
Long-term surveys of people with dementia and their caregivers
In addition to digital services, the digiDEM Bavaria project also includes surveys of people with dementia and their caregivers throughout Bavaria over a period of three years. This aims to gain insights into the course of the disease and the situation of caregivers, and to identify potential deficits.
digiDEM Bavaria forms a consortium of Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, represented by the Interdisciplinary Center for Salud Technology Assessment and Public Salud (Director: Prof. Dr. med. Peter Kolominsky-Rabas) and the Chair of Medical Informatics (Head: Prof. Dr. Hans-Ulrich Prokosch), the University Hospital Erlangen, represented by the Center for Medical Care Research (Head: Prof. Dr. med. Elmar Gräßel) and the Innovation Cluster Medical Valley European Metropolitan Region Nuremberg Board of Directors: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Erich R. Reinhardt, Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Jürgen Schüttler.
digiDEM Bayern is part of the Bavarian Dementia Strategy and is designed for five years (2019-2023). The research project is funded by the Bavarian State Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.
