Reable Labs

With reable labs we bring reablement or help people take care of themselves in a real setting. We are testing this in co-creation with the healthcare sector. The preliminary research was already carried out in the research project 'Reablement in Flanders: an innovative way of working in home care', in which we investigated whether Flemish primary care was ready for reablement.

Field of interest: Health and Care

Duration: 1/09/2022 - 1/09/2023

Financing: PWO

What is reablement?

Reablement is helping people to take care of themselves. It is a home-based and person-centred approach to care aimed at maintaining and improving important daily activities for the client.

What is a reable lab?

Reable labs are based on a living lab. They are small-scale, dynamic projects where the principles of reablement are tested together with the stakeholders of primary care.

There are important features of a reable lab. Based on the concept of living labs, a reable lab is an example of co-creation in which companies, governments, designers, researchers and users innovate together and where all participants are equally valuable.

Is the Flemish primary care ready for reablement?

Within the research project 'Reablement in Flanders: an innovative way of working in home care', we investigated whether Flemish primary care is ready for reablement.

We did this through:

literature review;
focus groups with healthcare professionals;
in-depth interviews with people with care and support needs in home situations.

These were the results:

There is a lot of interest from healthcare professionals. The purpose and added value of reablement is self-evident and paramedics also want to participate.
There is a need for knowledge and concrete information.
People with a chronic illness mainly want to retain control over their lives, indicate that there are other roles in their lives and that 'the system' is making the decisions, especially now.

Testing reablement in reable lab

Within this research project, we will be testing a reable lab in a small-scale real setting, together with the healthcare sector and the researchers.

We want to develop a first prototype with clear frameworks. Then we want to try this out and make adjustments until we arrive at a second prototype about intervention in reablement.

Healthcare professionals, clients, designers-researchers reflect and develop a suitable reablement intervention together.
A detailed and described prototype reablement intervention + training.
To further test for acceptance, feasibility, relevance and effectiveness.

Are you a primary care organization?
Are you active in home care or care at home with people with a chronic condition?
Are you a carer or occupational therapist?
Do you like to work in a goal-oriented and person-oriented way?
Do you embrace innovation and co-creation?

And would you like to develop an internal lab for 3 to 6 months on a project basis? Then we need to talk, contact us!

Because together we can make best practices visible and help people with a chronic illness take better care of themselves.