Project Description

In Europe there is a growing demand for carers, persons who are the first line of support for those dependent on care. According to the EC Green paper, the demographic dependency ratio will rise from 49% in 2005 to 66% in 2030. (COM 2005: 94).

Despite this, there is an important vacuum for carers, from education and training to recognition of formal competencies. Still 75% of dependent persons are cared within the family context, mainly by family members (www.bmsk.gv.at 2007) mostly without basic knowledge in care. In most of European country a current discussion on quality and financing of caring can be observed. Full professional services mostly exceed the financial resources of the families and the public bodies, while partly legalised ways (caring persons from East European countries) challenge juridical system regarding basic standards of laws on labour and social security. Empowering informal carers regarding the quality and efficiency of caring processes has an impact, both on the affordability of care and the psychological health of carers (e.g. in terms of prevention of burn out).

CARERS’ aim is to set up an education and support system specifically geared toward those looking after people dependent on care, providing answers to informal carer’s needs in their support work as well as for their own emotional well-being. The project will not only design the education and training support system according to a definition of basic competences for informal carers, it will work in synergy with other initiatives, such as the current Leonardo da Vinci project “ECL-European Care Licence”, which is designing a basic entry certificate in the care sector that could become a recognized and accepted certificate across Europe.