The Eldicare project aims at bridging the gap between the world of education & training and the labour market especially with regard to the quality of services provided to elder people. It supports the design and setting up of a common curriculum, establishing a strong work-based learning and addressing proper recognition for elderly caregivers, who tend to be of grave importance, as according to Eurostat projections, by 2080 the share of the population aged 65 years or over will comprise almost one third of the total population having serious effects both on a family and a socioeconomic level.The project is set to improve the key competencies and skill level of typical and atypical caregivers, addressing the gaps among elderly workers while also creating new better jobs for the elderly caregivers working in the grey market via maximizing their employment opportunities and entrance to the labour market. The creation/development and implementation of an educational & certified training VET program under the Eldicare project aims to combine the growing need for long-term care for the elderly by providing quality and certified care of caregivers coming from the European Union or Third countries.Specific emphasis is given in five skills identified as crucial for the elderly caregiving profession which according to Cedefop’s European skills and jobs survey (ESJS) are: problem solving, teamwork, communication, learning and customer service. Their importance is significant and thoroughly justified in the implemented research of the project. Furthermore, as proven in the research phase of the project, there is an adequate importance of soft skills such as compassion, active listening, and teamwork etc., given the medical and psychological conditions of the elders.The research results lead to the design of a detailed program focused on elderly workers with a very strong ICT element. Furthermore, a second curriculum is also set to be developed aiming at the sectoral providers within the framework of technological change and IT developments. As more and more IT devices and applications which concern health management, monitoring and sharing medical records, questions to professionals etc. become available to the wider public, health care provision is reformulated.Following the completion of Scoping Analysis and State of the Art Review, the partners have been designing local events to communicate these results and attract relevant stakeholders and participants for the to-be developed curricula.It is obvious that the Eldicare project is gradually changing the perspective, stereotype and understanding of the public for a career in the elderly care sector, by emphasizing on its potential, future prospects and capacity for growth and self-fulfillment, using innovative methodologies and technologies.With regards to the overall work performed, the Eldicare project has been progressively marking its first achievements, basically transforming e-learning into a core element of elderly care and improving the services offered by trained elderly workers. It is already building a momentum around it and the partnership has deployed various tools and mobilised different channels for the dissemination and exploitation of its results. Dissemination is conducted through the project website, available at: www.eldicare.eu the partners’ websites, as well as the project’s and partners’ social media.
The main objective of the project is to offer a pathway out of the grey market for atypical/undeclared elderly caregivers, through education and training in ICT & health applications, modernizing the way elderly care is provided by designing two fresh market-driven Curricula responding to the needs of this special demographics group and their families and closed ones.
Eldicare has been designed by taking into consideration the CEDEFOP Skills Panorama findings (Analytical Highlights for Personal Care Workers Skills Opportunities & Challenges) on the skills mismatch in the Elderly Care Sector, focusing on two major challenges:1. The tech-literacy of elderly care workers, in order to stay updated and relevant in an ever-changing environment 2. A pathway out of the grey market for atypical/undeclared elderly caregivers, through education and training.
<< Background >> Eldicare has been designed by taking into consideration the CEDEFOP Skills Panorama findings (Analytical Highlights for Personal Care Workers Skills Opportunities & Challenges) on the skills mismatch in the Elderly Care Sector, focusing on two major challenges:1. The tech-literacy of elderly care workers, in order to stay updated and relevant in an ever-changing environment 2. A pathway out of the grey market for atypical/undeclared elderly caregivers, through education and training. << Objectives >> The main objective of the project is to offer a pathway out of the grey market for atypical/undeclared elderly caregivers, through education and training in ICT & health applications, modernizing the way elderly care is provided by designing two fresh market-driven Curricula responding to the needs of this special demographics group and their families and closed ones. << Implementation >> Eldicare, with a total lifespan of two and a half years, has been implemented through five Work-Packages, that led to its successful completion :1.Project Management 2.Scoping Analysis and state of the art review 3.Curriculum Design 4.Curriculum Delivery 5.Quality Assurance and Accreditation 6.Dissemination, Exploitation, Sustainability << Results >> The main results of Eldicare are:1.Two fresh, ICT-driven curricula for professionals and atypical/undeclared caregivers, that have been accredited by a European Organization and are available in a well-structured, user-friendly e-learning platform2.The first Code of Conduct for elderly caregivers3.A psychometric tool for the assessment of atypical caregivers