Research group NWS
Region: Netherlands
Location: Nijmegen
For whom?
Research group Nsomeone between Wal and Schip (NWS), Department of Primary Care of the Raboudumc, focuses on the still largely unknown consequences of severe acquired brain injury, especially in long-term care.
The specific target groups include people with a long-term disorder of consciousness (LBS: unresponsive waking syndrome or minimally conscious state) and (young) people with severe ABI who are conscious and who live in nursing homes because of the residual consequences such as physical limitations (e.g. Locked-in Syndrome) and/or behavioral changes. The group was founded from the specialty of geriatric medicine (called nursing home medicine until 2009), with young people as a specific target group. They fall between two stools.
What do we do?
Our mission is to develop knowledge to improve the care for people with severe ABI. The research group consists of geriatric specialists and a clinical neuropsychologist, in collaboration with geriatric specialist training courses and students. We also work together with various disciplines involved in this target group. In addition to conducting scientific research and publishing publications, we also value social contributions to disseminate knowledge and improve care, for example by giving presentations and working on the development of guidelines and care programs.
This research group therefore took the initiative to set up this expertise network, so that science is connected with practice, training and education. From 2023, the research group will merge into a Knowledge Centre, linked to a target group network and expertise centres for people with LBS.
Anyone who wants to share this mission is welcome to explore collaboration; So that ultimately no more vulnerable people fall between two stools.