CARE Campus 2019
The Caregiving and Ageing Reimagined for Europe (CARE) initiative aims to develop education and training to support European carers and boost opportunities for them to contribute in this important societal role. CARE partners academic, industry and municipal stakeholders towards co-developing a curriculum for carers across Europe The prototype is being implemented in a series of self-paced short online courses. Plans include validation of the courses with pilot cohorts of English speaking carers across Europe before exploring different translation strategies to make necessary language adaptations. It also seeks to explore establishing a certification for carers across Europe through these course offerings and setting standards for quality care. CARE seeks to provide a standard for quality care knowledge in Europe and to highlight innovative care to improve the quality of life for both carers and those for whom they care.
The Caregiver Challenge: It is well-known that the longevity miracle and falling birth rates have the world ageing at an unprecedented rate, with Europe near the front of the pack. By 2060, 155 million Europeans – 30 percent of the total European population – will be aged 65 and older. These demographic shifts are breaking down traditional social structures and placing pressure on existing caregiving resources for Europe’s elderly population in the process. If current trends stay on track, by 2060 we will have one carer for 51 elderly persons of 80 years or more. Carers need training to be able to properly support those who will face stages of dementia, as well as those suffering multiple medical conditions. Cares can be formal, such as home care aids, as well as informal, such as spouses, children, underemployed/unemployed youth or immigrants, whom are particularly at risk of harm to themselves and others without proper support and training.