Largest event in trade fair history / 960 exhibitors from 40 countries present aids and knowledge for independent living / Central theme: Digitalisation as an opportunity for inclusion
From 26 to 29 September 2018, the international rehabilitation and care industry will be setting a record for REHACARE at the Düsseldorf exhibition grounds. In six exhibition halls at the trade fair, 960 exhibitors from 40 countries, including 546 foreign exhibitors, will be presenting aids that make everyday life easier for senior citizens as well as people with disabilities or the need for nursing care. “REHACARE 2018 will thus be the largest event in the long series of rehabilitation trade fairs we have been organising at our Düsseldorf location since 1977,” says Horst Giesen, Global Portfolio Director of Health and Medical Technologies, Messe Düsseldorf. “We are registering historic highs in all currently available trade fair key figures, in the number of exhibitors and countries, in the rented exhibition space and also in international participation. Far more than every second company (57 percent) is coming from outside Germany this year.”
A strong step forward: Wheelchairs, walking aids and more
Almost all leading manufacturers of medical aids will be represented at REHACARE 2018. Wheelchairs, travel devices and walking aids will have a strong presence in the Düsseldorf exhibition halls: around 600 suppliers will be exhibiting everything that makes people with disabilities mobile and that promotes and maintains mobility in old age. Unique in the rehabilitation trade fair landscape is the car show in Hall 6: On an exhibition area of 2000 square metres, 50 retrofitters will be presenting customised cars for drivers with limited mobility. This year, the representatives of the automotive industry will be joined by AUDI, Fiat, Daimler and Volkswagen, who will be presenting their current models with driving aids installed already in the factory. Everyday aids, nursing care aids and communication technology for people with sensory disabilities and limitations in their motor capabilities will also be part of the core segment of the trade fair. A large number of ideas and products for barrier-free living, leisure and travel, as well as a wide range of sports items for the disabled, will round out the product range on offer.
The CYBATHLON Experience: Assistance technology today and tomorrow
The CYBATHLON Experience of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich – ETH Zurich – is expected to attract a great deal of attention in Hall 3. This event, organised in conjunction with REHACARE, was held in Düsseldorf for the first time last year and immediately became a highlight of the event. In exciting competitive games, people with physical disabilities battled it out to see which technical assistance system was the best. Obstacle courses had to be overcome using wheelchairs and robotic exoskeletons. This year there will be additional courses, on which arm and leg prostheses will be used. Virtual races with mind control or “brain-computer interface races”, in which the aim is to control an avatar via brain-computer interface, allow a glimpse into the future. In future, this technology will assist people with quadriplegia, for example, in using devices such as computers or wheelchairs.
The CYBATHLON competition promotes research into, development of and implementation of modern assistance systems. This event aims to demonstrate how well these systems already support people with disabilities today and what they will have to do in future in order to gain broad acceptance.
REHACARE Forum: Current issues, culture and entertainment
The REHACARE Forum in Hall 3 will be a central point for meet-ups and obtaining information. Representatives from the political sphere, the self-help field and associations will give presentations and extend invitations to panel discussions and exchange of experiences. The focus will be on topics relating to life and housing in old age, mobility, culture and sport, the rights and entitlements of patients in the provision of medical aids, and assessment of the quality of care following the introduction of Germany’s Medical Aid and Medical Device Provision Act (HHVG).
Living with [email protected] Forum Knowledge for everyday nursing care
The fourth Living with [email protected] Forum in Hall 3 will shed light on old-age illnesses and the resulting nursing care requirements for relatives and nursing professionals providing care. Each day of the fair is dedicated to a different set of topics, including caring for people with dementia and palliative care at home. Due to the increasing importance of the topic of wounds and wound care, presentations especially for wound experts will be held each day in cooperation with the Chronic Wounds Initiative (ICW) for the first time.
The entire information and further education program will be organised and moderated by Pflegeakademie Niederrhein, Willich (Nursing Academy of Lower Rhine, Willich) and Messe Düsseldorf. The ICW will award recertification points for attending the further education event on 26, 27 and 29 September.
Congress: Digitally Shaping Our Lives in the Community
The REHACARE Congress “We for the Quarter” on Friday 28 September 2018 will focus on the topic of the “Digital Design of Life in the Quarter”. It will offer everyone active in community work the opportunity to get to know established and promising community models that incorporate digital structures and solutions. The focus is on projects designed for older people and groups of people with special needs, such as people with reduced mobility or dementia. Digital information and communication technologies and technical aids have enormous potential for social participation and offer these target groups in particular the prospect of leading an independent and active life in a familiar environment for longer.
Düsseldorf premiere: M-Enabling Forum
The first M-Enabling Forum in Germany on Thursday 27 September 2018 during REHACARE 2018 will focus on digital accessibility and assistive technologies. E.J.Krause & Associates and G3ict (The Global Initiative for Inclusive Information and Communication Technologies) are organising this conference with accompanying table-top exhibition for barrier-free digital technologies and environments. The forum will provide information about current legal issues and guidelines. In case studies, it will be demonstrated how people with disabilities and the elderly can benefit from mobile communication technologies and support services.
About REHACARE Düsseldorf
REHACARE is the world’s leading trade fair for rehabilitation and medical care. Held annually at Messe Düsseldorf, it offers a representative overview of the devices and current knowledge available for helping people to lead independent lives. The trade fair will be opening its doors from Wednesday to Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tickets for the trade fair and congress are available in the online ticket shop. Further information is available at www.rehacare.de.
Düsseldorf, 30 August 2018