A unique bungalow, constructed in the basement of the University of East Anglia (UEA), was opened by Norman Lamb MP on Friday 27th September.
UEA’s School of Rehabilitation Sciences has created the fully-furnished home as a showcase for assistive technology – assistive, adaptive and rehabilitative products designed to provide greater independence for older people and people with disabilities.
Called NEAT Centre (Norwich Electronic Assistive Technology), the home links together education, research, training and product development and is the first facility of its kind at a university.
The team which created the home, fitted with the best in assistive technology equipment, will use the home not only to help students in their studies but to ensure products coming to the market are fit for purpose.
Prof Ian Harvey, executive dean for the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences said: “This is an exciting development for the faculty. The NEAT Centre offers a unique opportunity to link together education, research, training and product development. Our aim is to raise awareness of assistive technology, increase its use and ensure that new products truly meet the needs of an ever-growing market.”
Prof Val Lattimer, head of the School of Rehabilitation Sciences, believes the centre will provide much-needed opportunities for those across the assistive technology industry. She said: “The NEAT Centre will allow us to provide innovative and interactive training for healthcare and care home professionals; to work with assistive technology manufacturers to develop new products; and to work with end users and their carers.”
The centre has been created with the assistance of funding from the Norfolk & Suffolk Dementia Alliance. Director Willie Cruikshank said: “The Norfolk and Suffolk Dementia Alliance and their strategic partners at Health Education East of England are very proud to have contributed funding to enable the development of the NEAT Centre at the UEA.
“Although the initial concept for this innovative centre was around training students in the use of assistive technology, the state of the art facility has subsequently been identified as a multiple-use training resource.
“With a growing number of older people living in the East, developing the dementia workforce is a priority for Health Education East of England and, in response, the Norfolk & Suffolk Dementia Alliance have embarked on delivering a pioneering experiential learning programme across the region.
“With its realistic care-setting appearance and comprehensive video playback debriefing capability, the UEA’s NEAT Centre has been selected as the site for the programme’s first Dementia Care Simulator Facility and health and social students will start being put through their paces in the new year. This is a major innovation in the development of the health and social care workforce of the future and we are delighted to be working with the UEA on such an exciting programme.”
The NEAT Centre is the ideal venue for business meetings or showcase events. Colleagues and customers can watch and participate from anywhere in the world using the interactive AV systems. The facilities can also be hired to help with your product development and provide you with the opportunity to see customers using your products or you could shoot a promotional video with your products installed in a ‘real-life environment’.
For more information about hiring the NEAT Centre contact: David Rutt[email protected] +44(0)1603 591991https://www.uea.ac.uk/rehabilitation-sciences/enterprise/neat
