Cáritas Coimbra led DAPAS Project User Advisory Board
DAPAS project aims to provide an innovative solution based on the needs of older people and their caregivers. The role of Caritas Coimbra is to develop the Portuguese pilot, in which the efficiency and acceptance of the DAPAS system are being tested with 40 users, and to organize and lead the meetings of the User Advisory Board. The last meeting took place on April 29, remotely, due to the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic and was chaired by the Project Coordinator of the Innovation Department, Natália Machado. Members of the Board from Portugal, Austria, and Luxembourg attended the meeting as well.
The Board met to discuss new documents that will be presented to the participants in the next phase of the project, premium version. This Board meeting reaffirms the team’s effort to ensure that users are well integrated into the project. In addition, users’ preferred benefits and features that would improve their experience were discussed.
At the end of the meeting, the Board agreed that the participation of older people in the project increased their digital literacy and helped to overcome the moments of isolation caused by COVID-19 restrictions and social distancing.
DAPAS is co-funded by the European Programme AAL (Active Assisted Living – ICT for Ageing, 2017) and in Portugal by the Foundation for Science and Technology Portugal, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia.
