STIP and Supportive Neighbourhoods

This proposal addresses a growing European challenge caused by population ageing, housing shortages, and a lack of care professionals. It highlights the need for integrated approaches combining housing, care, welfare, and community support to enable aging in place. Current systems are fragmented, placing pressure on informal caregivers and leaving older adults, especially those with different brain disorders like dementia, at risk of loneliness and institutionalization.
The STIP-Method (Personalized Integrated Stepped-Care) is proposed to detect, prevent and treat behavioural problems early and coordinate support between formal and informal caregivers. The project aims to build a European network to explore integrated care and supportive neighbourhood strategies for healthier, inclusive ageing communities.
The network brings together research institutions and practice partners from the Netherlands, Italy, and Germany to strengthen collaboration between research organizations, formal care services, informal caregivers, and community support systems. Its goal is to build a transdisciplinary European consortium capable of submitting joint proposals to European research programmes on integrated care and ageing in place. Partners contribute complementary expertise in healthcare innovation, spatial design, dementia support, and community development, while pilot sites in Italy and Germany support practical experimentation and knowledge exchange.
The collective interest of this collaboration aligns with SDG goals as defined in Cluster 1 (Health) and Cluster 2 (Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society), addressing challenges such as dementia, ageing populations, and pressure on healthcare systems. It builds on expertise and thematic goals from Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences,
The 12-month project is organized around three Transnational Partner Meetings in Rotterdam, Italy, and Germany to build collaboration and develop European research proposals. Activities include conceptual alignment on dementia care and supportive neighbourhoods, site visits, and joint working sessions. Outputs include a shared research agenda, governance structure, proposal concepts, and an expanded European consortium.