All countries in Europe are experiencing an ageing of their populations. Indeed, the impact of several factors, such as demographic ageing and higher life expectancy, is leading to significant population ageing within the European Union (EU). This is already becoming apparent in several EU Member States, and will even increase in the future. Moreover, the number of older people with multiple and complex chronic conditions – the segment of the population that is already putting the greatest demands on health and social care services – is growing rapidly. It is expected so that demand will rise for both technically less complex care, as for instance, in Home Care for Elderly People and technically more complex care, as new technologies, such as genomics, metabolic testing, and computer-assisted surgery,… In this context, the Integrated Care model has erupted in Europe as a new approach demanding a better coordinated care pathway for frail elder and dependent people at home, through the coordinated team work of multidisciplinary professional from the health and care services fields. Integrated Care services are more closely oriented to the needs of patients /users, multidisciplinary, well-co-ordinated and accessible, as well as anchored in community and Home Care settings. The CAREVOLUTION project focuses on some of the challenges faced on the implementation of such Integrated Care models, taking the side and perspective of the Home Care workers professional profile on the implementation of such models. In fact, the CAREVOLUTION project aims at replying to the specific objective of improving and uplifting the competences and skills of the professional profile of Home Care workers in Europe by the update and review of their current Professional Qualifications, for the inclusion of new competences and skills demanded for the adoption by these professionals of new tasks and roles in the framework of Integrated Care models. With this objective, the CAREVOLUTION partnership was established with 5 different organizations which have a complementary profile and are all working in the fields of the people dependency, the health and social care services and the VET training for care workers. In addition, 4 different countries are represented in order to enlarge the geographical scope of this project. The CAREVOLUTION project will lead to the realization of (1) a Comparative Study on Integrated Care models; (2) a Study on Unmet Needs regarding an Integrated Home Care for Elderly People with Chronic Diseases; (3) an Update/Evolution of Home Care Professional Profile for an Integrated Home Care for Elderly People with Chronic Diseases; (4) a New Training Curricula and Learning Materials for new professional profiles of Home Care workers in the frame of Integrated Care model; (5) Policy Recommendations for update/review of national/EU qualifications for Integrated Home Care models; and (6) the CAREVOLUTION for an Integrated Home Care for Elderly People with Chronic Diseases, providing sustainability to the delivered methods and materials. As a result, CAREVOLUTION project will contribute to foster and facilitate the implementation of new Integrated Care models in Europe, closely oriented to the needs of patients /users, multidisciplinary, co-ordinated and accessible, anchored in community and Home Care settings, which will enhance the quality of life and empowerment of parents and informal carers alike.
Demographic change is a globally recognized societal challenge. All countries in Europe are experiencing an ageing of their populations, and this trend will even increase in the future. Moreover, the number of older people with multiple and complex chronic conditions – the segment of the population that is already putting the greatest demands on health and social care services – is growing rapidly. It is expected so that demand will rise for both technically less complex care, as for instance, in Home Care for Elderly People and technically more complex care, as new technologies, such as genomics, metabolic testing, and computer-assisted surgery,… However currently there are not sustainable models for health and care delivery. In this context, the Integrated Care model has erupted in Europe as a new approach to get the long-term sustainability of health and care systems. This new approach promotes a better coordinated care pathway for patients, through team work of multidisciplinary professionals from the health and social services fields. Integrated Care services are more closely oriented to the needs of patients /users, multidisciplinary, well-co-ordinated and accessible, as well as anchored in community and Home Care settings. An enabler that will support the process of transformation of health and care delivery towards integrated care is the workforce. The CAREVOLUTION Project focuses on the side and perspective of professionals that work at Home Care Service, the homecare workers. Home care workers are the closest professional in contact with the elderly. It is for that reason that it is expected they might support the process of implementation of integrated care systems and models, delivering new higher added value tasks. Currently they cannot complete these tasks, because they do not have the necessary competences to complete them. Existing professional qualification frameworks for homecare workers do not contemplate which potential roles homecare workers might play within integrated care systems and models, hindering thus any kind of training efforts of such workforce on the skills necessary for the adoption of such roles. The overall goal of the CAREVOLUTION project was to improve and uplift the competences and skills of the professional profile of Home Care Workers in Europe by the update and review of their current professional profile and qualifications, for the inclusion of new competences and skills demanded for the adoption by these professionals of new tasks and roles in the framework of Integrated Care models. Consequently, the CAREVOLUTION partnership was established with 5 different organizations which have a complementary profile and are all working in the fields of the people dependency, the health and social care services and the VET training for care workers. In addition, 4 different countries are represented in order to enlarge the geographical scope of this project. The CAREVOLUTION project has led to the realization of a) 3 PREPARATORY ACTIVITIES (description of Good practices of Integrated Care Models; description of Unmet needs of elderly people with chronic diseases; description of the new Professional Profile of Home Care Worker.); b) 1 GENERAL TRAINING CURRICULA composed of 4 Units, responding to the new competences and skills to be provided to Home Care Workers on Integrated Care models; c) 4 ADAPTATION AT REGONAL / NATIONAL LEVEL taking into consideration the specific needs and context; d) 3 PILOT TESTING implemented and evaluated in Spain, the Netherlands and Scotland, which involved 56 Home Care Workers and 8 Trainers, and outreached indirect beneficiaries (approx. 164 Elderly people and 260 Informal caregivers); e) 1 SPANISH TRAINING CURRICULA WITH THEIR LEARNING MATERIALS adapted to the Basque Country; f) 1 ITALIAN TRAINING CURRICULA adapted to Emilia Romagna Region; g) 1 DUTCH TRAINING CURRICULA WITH THEIR LEARNING MATERIALS adapted to the Netherlands; h) 1 SCOTTISH TRAINING CURRICULA WITH THEIR LEARNING MATERIALS adapted to Scotland; i) 5 DISSEMINATION WORKSHOPS in 3 different countries (Italy, Scotland and the Netherlands) with 94 local participants; j) 1 FINAL CONFERENCE in Spain with 21 local participants.; and k) 37 DISSEMINATION ACTIONS were ran all along the project in the different participating countries. As a result, CAREVOLUTION project contributes to foster and facilitate the implementation of new Integrated Care models in Europe, allows Home Care Workers to access to new training opportunities on competences demanded for new integrated care models, enhancing their professional qualification and employability and uplifting the social consideration of these professionals, by the adoption of new functions and roles requiring a bigger qualification, and definitely enhances the quality of life and empowerment of patients and their family.