Research group NWS
Region: Netherlands
Location: Nijmegen
For whom?
Research group Niemand tussen Wal en Schip (NWS) (=Nobody falls between the cracks), Department of Primary Care of the Raboudumc, focuses on the still largely unknown consequences of severe acquired brain injury, especially in long-term care.
The specific target groups include people with a prolonged disorder of consciousness (PDOC: unresponsive waking syndrome or minimally conscious state) and (young) people with severe ABI who are conscious and who live in nursing homes because of the residual consequences such as physical limitations (e.g. Locked-in Syndrome) and/or behavioral changes. The group was founded from the specialty elderly care medicine. (called nursing home medicine until 2009), with young people as a specific target group. They fall between the cracks.
What do we do?
Our mission is to develop knowledge to improve the care for people with severe ABI. The research group consists of geriatric specialists and a clinical neuropsychologist, in collaboration with geriatric specialist training courses and students. We also work together with various disciplines involved in this target group. In addition to conducting scientific research and publishing publications, we also value social contributions to disseminate knowledge and improve care, for example by giving presentations and working on the development of guidelines and care programs.
This research group therefore took the initiative to set up the expertise network EENnacoma, so that science is connected with practice, training and education. From 2023, the research group is connected to the Knowledge Center PDOC, in particular long-term care.
Anyone who wants to share this mission is welcome to explore collaboration; So that ultimately no more vulnerable people fall between the cracks.