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Description
In Slovenia, the elderly, chronically ill or dying persons are weekly cared for by around 200,000 family members. Informal carers, through their contribution to care for the elderly, significantly relieve the health care system, but are often overlooked in their role. They are exposed to workloads, and often do not have the access to professional support and relief. The main goal of this project is therefore to offer relief to working men and women, who, at the same time, fulfill the role of an informal caregiver of an elderly, dying or chronically ill family member in different environments. The project will also pursue the specific goals of successful development of an integrated model of care for the elderly in two diverse environments, the development of a »Compassionate Company« certificate (for management training in companies) and the goal of exchanging and transferring knowledge, experience and good practice between partner country organizations.
The project addresses the issue we encounter more and more often due to ageing of the population. Through key awareness-raising activities and project promotions, activities for the development of an integrated model of care for the elderly in two specific environments (which is constantly adapting to the needs of the local population on the basis of ongoing evaluation), the development of an educational program and measures for companies within the »Compassionate Company« certificate and the increased share of individuals who understand the issue of work-life balance, the project will produce important results, such as the establishment of an integrated model of care for the elderly in rural and urban areas, the development of an integrated model of care for the elderly, measures for companies within the certificate and increased share of people who understand reconciling.
Summary of project results
The project IMRO addressed an issue that we increasingly encounter today, and also will in the future, due to the aging population. The demands of professional life cause distress for employees who are also informal caregivers of a severely ill or elderly family member. In Slovenia, around 200,000 family members provide weekly care for an elderly, chronically ill, or disabled relative. Informal caregivers play a significant role in today''s society, but exposure to numerous burdens both at home and at work, without adequate professional support and assistance, can have many physical and psychological consequences for those who provide informal care.
The project pursued the primary goal of alleviating the burden of working men and women who take on the role of informal caregivers in various environments. Within the project, two local systems were established to support the balance between professional and private life of informal caregivers in rural and urban environments. The local systems are aimed at the vulnerable group of informal caregivers who face daily challenges in balancing their professional and private lives. The local systems were created in the form of two integrated models of elder care (day centers), which included numerous activities designed to provide direct support to its users – informal caregivers and their family members, i.e., the terminally ill, chronically ill, and elderly. The direct support activities for users included personal and telephone conversations, home visits, the establishment of the "Good Morning, Neighbor" call center, training in basic health care and other educational workshops for informal caregivers, afternoon tea gatherings with film screenings, activities in sensory and salt room (which are a part of urban day center), lymphatic drainage treatments, and more.
Through various communication activities (collaborating with educational institutions, project presentations, preparation of promotional materials and publications, online and in-person informing activities, organization of public events, dissemination conference, etc.), the project strengthened cooperation among key community actors who influence the achievement of the main goal. It addressed decision-makers in companies, the general public, and policymakers who have impact on the organization of elderly care in Slovenia.
Through the education of target groups and training within companies, as well as through informing about the project, the project contributed to training, educating, and raising awareness among target groups about the project and the issues of balancing professional and private life for working individuals who serve as informal caregivers, gender equality, and healthcare.
Within the project, the "Compassionate Company" certificate was developed, which included the development of a set of measures and the creation of an educational program for companies, followed by a pilot test of the certificate in selected companies. Modeled after other workplace certificates, this certificate addressed the needs of the specific group of working men and women who care for an elderly, terminally ill, or chronically ill family member. It raised awareness among companies (and key decision-makers within companies) about the challenges of balancing professional and private life for individuals who are also informal caregivers.
The project achieved the next main results:
- Establishment of an integrated elderly care model in urban environment (Ljubljana) with developed operating program: the model operates as a larger day center for the elderly, terminally ill, chronically ill individuals, and their family members – informal caregivers. It supports their quality of life through various activities (e.g., relaxing activities in sensory and salt room, home visits with educational components, supportive conversations with informal caregivers and their family members, artistic activities, workshops, other educational activities). Throughout the project, 192 beneficiaries were included in the day center activities, which improved the quality of life of terminally ill, chronically ill and elderly individuals and offered support for balancing professional and private life for informal caregivers.
- Establishment of an integrated elderly care model in rural environment (Solčava) with developed operating program: the model operates as a smaller day center with activities such as the "Good Morning, Neighbour" call center, home visits, supportive conversations, group workshops, lymphatic drainage treatments, classic massage treatments, and treatments with the Schuman Tesla device. Throughout the project, 220 beneficiaries were included in the day center activities, which enhanced the quality of life for terminally ill, chronically ill and elderly individuals and offered support for balancing professional and private life for informal caregivers.
Reconstruction of day center premises in Ljubljana: the reconstruction ensured adequate spatial capacity for implementing the integrated elderly care model in an urban environment. The space is conceptually and modernly designed for the utmost comfort of day center users, including numerous Snoezelen elements (sensory room) and a salt room. It ensures accessibility for people with disabilities.
Development of the “Compassionate Company” Certificate and its pilot testing: the certificate addresses the needs of working men and women, who are caring for elderly, terminally ill, or chronically ill family members. It raises awareness and provides solutions within companies through educational programs and tailored measures. Throughout the project, two pilot tests in selected Slovenian companies were conducted and completed, including educational programs for company decision-makers and adoption of measures for balancing professional and private life.
The conduction of 31 educational training, which included initial training for volunteers, healthcare education for informal caregivers, experiential workshops for relieving working informal caregivers, education for underage informal caregivers, and project team training. Throughout, 277 individuals were included in the trainings (members of the general and professional public, interest groups, beneficiaries of the day center models, company employees).
The conduction of 2 study visits, which included a project team visit to Norway and a Norwegian partner visit to Slovenia. The visits facilitated connections with foreign organizations in relevant fields, enabling future exchanges of experiences, best practices, and joint solutions.
The completion of a Study on alternative care needs and comparative study of two integrated elderly care models, which compares integrated care models in rural and urban environments. The study findings inform and raise public awareness about informal care challenges, support further academic research and publication through professional conferences and collaborations with research institutions and provides a basis for transferring practices between organizations.
The project included 1323 general public participants, 23 interested groups, 10 educational centers/schools, and 8 SMEs.
Summary of bilateral results
The project greatly benefited from having a donor project partner, as collaboration resulted in shared outcomes that enhanced the overall success of the project. Firstly, the exchange of knowledge and expertise between the bilateral partners led to an improved understanding of the project topic, which is focused on relieving the burden on working people who also care for a chronically ill, dying or elderly relative. The bilateral partner contributed their knowledge, skills, and expertise to the project implementation, especially in the development of the certificate "Compassionate Company" and the preparation of the study on two developed models of integrated care for the elderly. The donor partner played a crucial role in certificate development by providing expert support and leveraging their network to ensure the certificate met high standards of quality and effectiveness. The project partner from the donor country proposed guidelines for the development of the certificate and researched the existence of similar certificates in Norway during the organized working group meetings and the study visit to Norway.