The 2015 Ageing Report states that ageing is a fact in EU countries & increases job-demand for support of elderly. In 2013, EU counted with 13.3% elderly people (people aged 65-79 y).Projections for the period 2013-2060 show that the number of elderly people (+65) and oldest-old (+80) will increase in large shares. The current EU trend - of more elderly people who need some form of professional care,especially those with dementia who require extra attention and more services - requires an update in education&training of all level workers in this field. Elderly care workers feel many times a lack of preparation and of proper communication skills, alongside with lower levels of training in care practices, increasing their emotional distress and decreasing the satisfaction receiving from their profession (Nilsson & Engstrom,2015). The use of a humanistic approach in delivering services to elderly people is seen as strategic solution to address the challenges in an ageing population; research (Bezold,2005;Olsson et al,2009;Reid et al,2009;WHO,2015; Picker Inst EU,2016) «indicates that person-centred approaches are associated with better clinical outcomes and improved cost effectiveness» and thus, supporting the pressure that EU is facing in welfare systems for social and health care. This kind of humanistic approaches sees customers as “unique individuals”,taking in consideration their perspective and will in the decision-making process,by respect,courtesy,availability,communication. The project TENDER4LIFE aims to promote the professional development of low skilled adults working in elderly care,by providing them with a complementary and alternative curriculum, based on humanistic approach. The specific goals are: -Identify the new job profile and competences for elderly care, which is emerging from the contemporary changes in care services -Develop a multimedia training course to enhance the competences of low skilled elderly care workers to perform a better job role, to address care organisations’ needs and to complement the initial qualifications of these care workers -Pilot the B-learning training course for elderly care workers -Create a good practices guide on humanist approach to support elderly care settings towards Participants in TENDER4LIFE are: _Partner’s staff members _Care & VET providers _VET Trainers/ Teachers _Elderly care workers _Experts _Policy and decision makers TENDER4LIFE projections aim at about 300 direct participants in all different activities of the project, both in the development of outputs, piloting or multiplier events. Partners foresee to reach a wider audience using the social media dissemination, plus the influence of all participants in direct colleagues and/ or families. On project completion, we expect to get more prepared elderly care workforce, able and skilled to deliver care services to older adults, and thus promoting their quality of life and dignity. We foresee to enhance caretakers’ satisfaction with care and to increase job-related skills of low skilled care workers. In turn, we expect that those low-level care workers can regain motivation and satisfaction to perform their job, be willing to retain their job place and keep stable in labour market.
The 2015 Ageing Report states that ageing is a fact in EU countries & increases job-demand for support of elderly. In 2013, EU counted with 13.3% elderly people (people aged 65-79 y).Projections for the period 2013-2060 show that the number of elderly people (+65) and oldest-old (+80) will increase in large shares. The current EU trend - of more elderly people who need some form of professional care,especially those with dementia who require extra attention and more services - requires an update in education&training of all level workers in this field. Elderly care workers feel many times a lack of preparation and of proper communication skills, alongside with lower levels of training in care practices, increasing their emotional distress and decreasing the satisfaction receiving from their profession (Nilsson & Engstrom,2015). The use of a humanistic approach in delivering services to elderly people is seen as strategic solution to address the challenges in an ageing population; research (Bezold,2005;Olsson et al,2009;Reid et al,2009;WHO,2015; Picker Inst EU,2016) indicates that person-centred approaches are associated with better clinical outcomes and improved cost effectiveness» and thus, supporting the pressure that EU is facing in welfare systems for social and health care. This kind of humanistic approaches sees customers as “unique individuals”,taking in consideration their perspective and will in the decision-making process,by respect, courtesy, availability, communication. The project TENDER4LIFE aimed to promote the professional development of adults (predominantly low-skilled) working in elderly care,by providing them with a complementary and alternative curriculum, based on humanistic approach. The project achieved the following results: -Identification of a new job profile and list of competences for elderly care -Creation of a competences assessment tool -Elaboration of a user manual for the assessment tool -Creation a conjoint and modular training course focused on a humanistic approach of care,including related materials (presentations,worksheets,group activities,quizz), with a duration of 25 hours -Development of a multimedia training course, including audio locution and design, available in a Learning Management Platform -Pilot ing of one edition of the training course in each country, including testing the online assessment tool, for a total of 55 learners -Elaboration of 6 country reports and a summary report of the piloting -Creation of a good practices guide about how to apply an humanistic approach to care services. All the outputs (including audio locution files) have been delivered in English and in mother tongue of each partner country. Target groups of TENDER4LIFE have been: _Partner’s staff members _Care & VET providers _VET Trainers/ Teachers _Elderly care workers _Elderly care managers _Experts in elderly care _Policy and decision makers TENDER4LIFE reached almost 700 direct participants in all different activities of the project, including the development of outputs, piloting or multiplier events. Social media have been an important tool for dissemination, together with the professional networks of partner organizations. Results achieved upon project completion include: a raised awareness on the importance of a humanistic care approach; a more prepared elderly care workforce, able and skilled to deliver care services to older adults, and thus promoting their quality of life and dignity. The project also contributed to enhanced care-takers’ satisfaction with care which might also imply - on the medium term - a reduction in turn over of staff which is rather frequent in the care field.