Learning for Caregivers in Europe

Project summary

The "Learning for Caregivers in Europe" ("Learn4Carers") project targets family carers and professionals working with carers directly or indirectly and citizens in Greece, Belgium, Ireland, France, UK and more broadly in Europe. Carers or caregivers can be defined as persons who provide assistance or support to another family member or friend. The person receiving care is often a parent but can be a sibling, grandparent or other relative who is disabled or has some chronic illness, mental health problem or other condition connected with a need for care, support or supervision. Within the "Learn4Carers" project we will target carers, professionals working for carers of every age group and citizens. Carers of all age groups are, a group at risk of social exclusion, whose social and educational opportunities are often limited by the role they play in the family. This situation necessitates professional support from multiple sources. Not only does it concern mental health services and education support services, it may also call for family services, and in many cases support via the professional care and care counseling sector. Such multi-problem situations pose a big challenge for services, and countries such as Greece and Belgium have yet to find ways for collaborative support strategies involving all sectors affected. The project aims to overcome these problems by empowering caregivers and professionals and by sharing existing tools and methodologies to support caregivers in Greece, Belgium, France and Ireland. As the recognition of carers and the available support varies significantly within Europe, a transnational approach to establishing support services for carers and sharing good practice for professionals is a promising undertaking. The involvement of the project partners enables a strategic partnership that brings experience from the different sectors, be it through the partner institutions themselves or through their networks. Partners within the "Learn4Carers" project can build on an existing European network that includes countries such as Ireland and France which have good support services and countries like Greece and Belgium which have limited services for informal caregivers. As interest in the topic of carers is growing rapidly in Europe we included as partner Eurocarers, the European umbrella association working with carers. This European network representing informal carers and their 67 organisations in EU Member States and beyond will support the project by sharing information on the European policy agenda, due to their representation, actively supported by the European Parliament and dissemination of our exchange of best practices in a European level. Our associated partner EUFAMI will promote the project in an EU level. EPIONI as the lead partner is a new and dynamic organization of caregivers from Greece with practical experience in the support of caregivers. EPIONI has never been involved in a similar project, however EPIONI received support to improve internal organizational procedures from the more experienced organization and partner in this project PEPSAEE. The project can build on the existing experience that includes countries such as Scotland in UK which have good support services. . Our associated partners in U.K., Greece and Turkey will also share good practices and disseminate the results. The project will offer specific informal adult education opportunities and interventions by providing such learners with the opportunity to partake in international visits as well as to learn about the evolving provision of family carer supports both in their own country and abroad; through a range of mediums including face-to-face seminars, focus groups and on-line fora. Over the lifespan of the project, four transnational project meetings (M1-4) are planned. Each face to face, Transnational project meeting will include a Focus Group for Informal Caregivers. A webinar on the European policy for informal caregivers will be organized by Eurocarers and PEPSAEE. A 3minutes video of 2 members of the European Parliament sharing the important role of unpaid family carers by EPIONI and Eurocarers uploaded in the website of partners. Project partners in Greece and Belgium will benefit and learn from the Irish and French experience during the project, the webinar, the face to face meetings and will have several opportunities to mobilize and educate caregivers, professionals and citizens. Partners from France, Belgium and Ireland will benefit from best practices of the EPIONI carers association in Greece and the support of carers from organizations like PEPSAEE. We will conduct study visits to organizations working with carers in Ireland, Greece and France during the project meetings. We will include all the best practices, cases and experience in the "Practical guide of best cases in the support of Informal Caregivers in Europe" All the material will be available free at www.learn4carers.eu