Impact
By developing open-access, evidence-based courses, ProCon will enhance the skills and competences of educators in Higher Education, Vocational Education and Training providers. Educators will strengthen their expertise in key areas such as healthcare innovation, continence care for older adults, digital skills, emerging technologies in gerontechnology (including artificial intelligence), entrepreneurship, green and resilience skills, and sustainable development. Additionally, the integration of innovative teaching methods, such as virtual simulations, gamification, and clinical scenarios, will improve educational effectiveness.
ProCon’s innovative training courses will boost the skills and competences of students in Higher Education and VET programmes, particularly in gerontology, innovation, and entrepreneurship. These students will be better equipped to serve a rapidly growing ageing population. The courses, available in multiple languages, will be integrated into existing educational programmes to ensure accessibility and long-term sustainability.
Through the free availability of ProCon’s educational programmes and the creation of a Virtual Community of Practice (VCoP) (an online platform for professional collaboration and knowledge sharing) the project will facilitate knowledge exchange between nursing home staff and experts. This will lead to improved skills and competences among personnel, enhancing the overall quality of care and driving innovation in the sector.
The ProCon educational toolkit, designed specifically for nursing home residents and their relatives, will increase knowledge and understanding of continence care. By providing accessible and engaging educational materials, such as videos and infographics, the toolkit will empower individuals to actively participate in continence management. Developed through a co-creation process involving staff, residents, relatives, experts, and students, the toolkit ensures a patient-centred approach.
Continence care represents a strategic opportunity within the health and ageing sector. Through co-created recommendations and innovative educational outputs, ProCon will foster entrepreneurship, stimulate innovation in nursing homes, and enhance employability across a range of professional profiles, including engineers and business professionals. Collaboration between academic and non-academic partners will strengthen knowledge exchange and generate lasting labour market impact. The project will also improve working conditions, increase job attractiveness in nursing homes, and support the upskilling of healthcare professionals.
The ProCon project is strategically positioned to influence policy development in health, ageing, and continence care. A key deliverable, policy recommendations for innovation and continence care in nursing homes, will be co-created with stakeholders and policymakers. This participatory approach will ensure that the recommendations are grounded in real-world needs while facilitating their adoption and implementation.
By engaging policymakers, ProCon aims to deliver significant socio-economic benefits. For example, urinary incontinence is a major risk factor for falls among older adults, one in five of which leads to serious injury, such as hip fractures or head trauma. By promoting improved continence care, the project can help reduce fall rates, lower healthcare costs, and support healthier ageing across the population.