Virtual training for caring relatives: Support from Immacare

Virtual training for caring relatives: Support from Immacare

A new training offer for home care was developed as part of the research project "Immacare" at the St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences. This innovative program is aimed at caring relatives and specialists in the field of domestic care and uses modern technology such as extended reality (XR) to carry out training courses.

The idea behind "Immacare" is to create a easily accessible training offer that is specially tailored to the challenges and stress of care during COVID-19 pandemic. Studies show that around 950,000 people in Austria look after their relatives at home, which underlines the relevance of such initiatives. In order to offer these nurses to improved support, the researchers Manuel Schwanda and Benjamin Roszipal have developed a hands-on training program for falling prophylaxis together with partners such as Caritas and the Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund.

practice -oriented training

Knowledge gained is conveyed in a virtual environment in which nourishing learning can be learned how to create a fall -safe environment. "How do I recognize potential sources of danger in a living space?" Is only one of the questions treated during training. The scenario varies with every passage so that a wide range of situations can be simulated. This enables the participants to practice practical skills in a safe environment without taking the risk of a real accident.

Barbara Riegler-Spitzer, nursing expert at Caritas, emphasizes how important this type of training is, especially in mobile care: "Employees must be well trained and competent to ensure the security of those in need of care." The technology is used to realistically simulate the living environment of the customer, which makes the training particularly effective.

Integration into the training

The integration of XR into the training is a central aspect of "Immacare". In cooperation with the Bachelor's degree in Health and Nursing Plus at the St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences, students are also actively involved in the project. This gives future specialists the opportunity to familiarize themselves with innovative methods at an early stage and to deepen their knowledge in realistic scenarios.

Benjamin Roszipal explains that the combination of the latest technologies and new teaching methods contributes decisively to improve the quality of health care sustainably. Thanks to such initiatives, nurses can be optimally trained and trained, which ultimately benefits those in need of care.

The “Immacare” project was largely promoted by the Lower Austria Chamber of Lower Law and includes close cooperation with various actors in the field of domestic care. Current information about the training offers are on the research website available.

This innovative approach shows how important support for nursing staff is in order to deal with both their tasks and to promote their own health. The use of digital training forms is a long overdue step in the further development of nursing training in Austria.