By Jonas Bernitt & Elena Curtopassi
đź’ˇ SACRED is the abbreviation for “Sharing And Caring for at-Risk Elderly with Dementia or Disabilities”. Co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme for higher education, the project aims to develop a co-created E-Learning Platform for healthcare students and professionals, focusing on the care of older adults living with dementia and multimorbidity. Through applied research, field exchange, and cross-border cooperation, the project contributes to improved training and awareness in long-term care.
🇬🇷 From 26 to 30 May 2025, the partners of the European SACRED project met in Greece for a Transnational Project Meeting! In Athens (municipality of Paleo Faliro) and the island of Syros (Hermopoulis), the meeting focused on practical insights, good practice exchange, and collaborative work on the project results. For more details and pictures, have a look below!
Â
(26th of May) | Good practice insights in Paleo Faliro
The partner meeting began on 26 May in the coastal municipality of Paleo Faliro in Athens, an associated partner of the SACRED project. The consortium members were welcomed by mayor Giannis Fostiropoulos, together with deputy mayor Giannis Arkoumanis, who introduced the city’s strategic approach to ageing and community health.
The full group joined a guided walking tour through key locations in Paleo Faliro, including a visit to the municipal library, a space that plays a central role in promoting digital and cultural access for older citizens. Staff introduced the library’s intergenerational initiatives and its role as a public learning hub for people of all ages. In addition, the group shortly visited the office of the social services of Paleo Faliro.
In the further course of the day, the group also visited the KAPI (“Open Care Centres for the Elderly”) of Paleo Faliro. The program of the KAPI includes creative employment, primary medical care, physiotherapy, visits to cultural sites, artistic activities, multi-day excursions, day trips and walks. The goal is to familiarise older adults with the problems of ageing, providing a supportive environment for the adaptation to new living conditions, especially for people whose family does not have the financial means to take care of them. KAPI are widely established in Greece, they play a central role in community-based elderly care by offering non-residential support, preventive services, physical activity programmes, and opportunities for social interaction. During the visit, partners were invited to a dinner with regular visitors and could experience first-hand, how these centres promote active ageing, relieve informal carers, and help older adults stay socially connected within their communities.
Â
(28th – 29th of May) | Work sessions on the SACRED project
After the practical perspectives in Paleo Faliro (Athens), the TPM continued on the island of Syros, hosted by the partner Social Cooperative Altera Vita. Surrounded by the landscapes of the Cyclades, the consortium engaged in working sessions on the project, focused on the Needs Assessment, Context Analysis, Evidence Based Interventions, the E-Learning Data Base of Good Practices and the planned structure of the gap analysis.
An important milestone during these sessions was the review of the initial MOODLE-based SACRED E-Learning Platform, which will serve as the core educational tool of the project. Partners worked together to shape the structure and accessibility of the platform and discussed key content areas based on the project’s research and fieldwork.
Moreover, the communication and dissemination team presented a draft strategy for upcoming outputs, including a plan to maximise public outreach to raise awareness about dementia and multimorbidity.
Â
(29th – 30th of May) | Good practice insights in Syros
On the afternoon of 29 May, the consortium members visited the KAPI in Syros, where they were introduced to the programme “Comprehensive Elderly Care”. This 130-hour training course, which began in December 2024 and concluded on 30 May 2025, is aimed at both informal and formal caregivers. Divided into three thematic sections, the programme is designed to improve practical competencies and awareness in the care of older people. In this context, the partners were joining a session on the memory café method, supporting people with dementia in remembering through pictures and music of their past.
The TPM concluded on 30 May with a visit to the Dementia Unit at Syros General Hospital, where participants were introduced to the “INTRINSIC” Programme. Led by Professor Antonios Politis from the University of Athens, the programme is focusing on psychological health assessments for older adults through videoconferencing. It is implemented in selected regions of Greece and promotes early diagnosis, integrated care planning and support structures for people with dementia in rural areas. Scientific publications and open-access findings were shared with participants, who expressed interest in further knowledge exchange.
As the last point of the agenda, the group visited the Retirement Home of the Sisters of Mercy of Saint Vincent de Paul, a long-standing care facility providing residential support to older adults. The visit offered valuable insights on how to design care to allow dignified living arrangements and person-centred services. In this context, the retirement home also presented their community-based approach, highlighting the importance of social contact and inclusion within elderly care.
To summarise, the SACRED TPM held in Greece offered a productive opportunity to visit practical initiatives and see how care concepts in relation to dementia and multimorbidity are being applied on the ground. The practical insights will directly support the next steps in developing SACRED’s training tools and resources. The next in person meeting is scheduled in Valencia, Spain, from 25th to 27th of November 2025. It will be hosted by the Polibienestar Research Institute.
If you are interested in the results, please stay tuned, the needs analysis and a collection of good practices (from Greece, Netherlands, Italy and Spain) will be published soon!
Â
Stay tuned!
For more information about SACRED, you can keep on exploring our website. If you want to stay tuned about the project progress, also consider following our social media channels! Just click on the icons below:
