The project had several specific objectives: * We have launched the first multilingual online learning portal where volunteers can acquire nursing skills and share their experiences. This was a key objective. * Development and provision of a multilingual e-learning platform with modular learning content to support caregivers. * Easy access to educational resources for voluntary and informal caregivers, regardless of their institutional affiliation. * Strengthening the digital skills of older people in the spirit of lifelong learning. Promoting self-efficacy and resilience among caregiving volunteers. Making informal knowledge visible through storytelling and podcasts. Developing guidelines and recommendations for decision-makers to establish recognition models (e.g. time credits). Establishing a Europe-wide network for the dissemination and sustainable use of project results.
In Europe, a large proportion of care services are provided by informal and voluntary caregivers – around 80% according to the OECD. This group thus forms the backbone of the care systems in almost all European countries. In view of demographic change and the associated increase in the need for care, the urgent question arises as to how this group can be specifically supported and strengthened. Analyses show that existing support services for caregiving relatives are fragmented, difficult to access and mostly not digital. Furthermore, there is a lack of a European quality standard for the digital support of caregivers. In particular, older volunteers aged 55 and up, who are often the main target group in this area, hardly benefit from existing educational opportunities. The ‘Learn to Care’ project is addressing this need by developing a barrier-free, digital learning platform that supports informal and voluntary carers in their work while also strengthening their digital skills. The low-threshold access should help to promote engagement, personal responsibility and resilience in the area of voluntary care.