The programme committee awarded three authors for their contribution: 1. Excellent Innovation; 2. Early-stage Researcher; and 3. Best Poster Presentation. Each winner received a certificate plus € 500,-.

Jan Jukema winner of the Best Innovation Award

For his abstract ‘’Older people as co-creators of education and research programs in nursing and gerontology’’ Jan S. Jukema PhD of Windesheim University of Applied Sciences recieved the Best Innovation Award. His abstract distinguishes on the criteria ‘overall quality of the abstract’, ‘effect of the innovation for caring for older people’, ‘potential for broad implementation’ and ‘public and patient involvement’. The winning abstract is an example of a social innovation process whereby the target population, e.g. older people, are included as co-creators in the development of education and research programs. The inclusion and use of older people’s expertise and network will strongly benefit the quality and timeliness of the education program. Moreover, it will focus the research program on issues important from the user perspective.

Irma Everink wins Early-stage Researcher Award

Irma Everink of Maastricht University is the recipient of the Early-stage researcher Award for her study abstract: “Effects of an integrated care pathway within geriatric rehabilitation: preliminary results”. This abstract was chosen by the international  jury because it exemplifies a well-designed translational study in which research is vented by a multidisciplinary work group and evaluated for both direct patient outcomes and the economic impact of this intervention. Improving transitions of care is a significant issue, especially for older adults. The design of the study incorporates intra-professional collaboration that facilitates a pathway across several care settings. The prospective cohort design is the ideal method to evaluate outcomes for this complex intervention. We look forward to hearing the results of the final evaluation.Early-stage Researcher are researchers in the first four years (full-time equivalent) of their research activity, including the period of research training. (Definition: Euraxess Researchers in motion)

 Best Poster Presentation by Leen Van Landschoot

Leen Van Landschoot, University College Ghent, is awarded the Best Poster Presentation Award for his poster The role of the nurse in integrating healthcare and social care to support ‘ageing in place’. The quality of the visual presentation was high. A difficult concept of the role of the nurse in integrating healthcare and social care was made visible in one view. This project was both an innovation and a research study with as well as patient involvement as public involvement well established.