| Project Self-assessment of their needs by family carers: |
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About the project
The project (August 2010 - July 2012) objective's was to identify, at EU level, good practices in the field of awareness raising and training aiming at promoting self-assessment of carers' needs. Indeed, it is key that they take these steps to gain awareness of their difficulties, to define their needs and to ask for adequate support. Absorbed as they are by their commitment to their relative, family carers often neglect their own issues and the outside support they could seek. Often even, they don't consider themselves as carers but just as parent or spouse, and they have no knowledge of their rights. The project lead to the development of recommendations for the design of tools (training programmes, guidebooks) meeting the needs of carers. In order to find solutions adapted to the diversity of situations, the working group brought together associations from nine European countries (NGOs active in the field of disability, Alzheimer disease, family carers' organizations, etc.) and involved family carers at all stages. Beyond brainstorming on self-assessment, the project also encompassed study visits with the aim of understanding better the various schemes of help to carers existing in Europe. The work program of the project can be seen here . 
The project is funded by the European Lifelong Learning "Grundtvig" Programme, aiming at the promotion of adult education. This publication reflects the views of the author only, and the European Commission or its services cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
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Partners
Partners
14 national organizations from 9 countries: 2 European NGOs, silent partners for dissemination of the information about the project: COFACE[2] и Eurocarers.
[1] Coordinator of the partnership [2] COFACE will also act as evaluator
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Objectives and Approach
Objectives
The partnership aims at : analysing family carers' needs and the obstacles to their own perception of those needs (psychological obstacles, lack of time, etc.); taking stock of existing tools to raise awareness and train family carers in the self-assessment of their needs; and to undertake a critical analysis of these tools (bad and good practices); analysing the take-up of these tools by family carers and the way they have helped them to express their needs to relevant contacts (professionals, administration, employers, etc.); identifying the training provision to be made for family carers or professionals to help family carers to assess and express their needs; comparing and contrasting the findings to elaborate recommendations for the future design of new tools (training and other tools). disseminating the results and recommendations at local, regional, national and EU level.
Approach
The involvement of family carers, considered as learners, is central to the partnership and key to reach the objectives. The family carers tasks are the following: participation in small national meetings to review the situation in their country concerning the different topics of the partnership (e.g. obstacles to self-assessment of needs, existing tools and critical analysis); before these meetings, some preparatory work (e.g. collect of responses to questionnaires at local level, and first analysis; electronic input on the draft recommendations). participation in transnational meetings (mobilities) gathering all partner organizations, in several EU Member States, to compare and contrast the various national situations and practices.
Family carers will receive guidance and support from professionals (including methodological support - e.g. provision of ready-to-use questionnaires).
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European Charter for Family Carers
The European Charter for family carers is based on the major international conventions and documents drafted under the auspices of the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the European Union, and the European Disability Forum, to deal directly with the life, dignity, rights and full citizenship of persons with disabilities and their families. Beyond disability, it meets the needs offamily carers irrespective of the cause of the dependency of the person assisted (age, illness, accident). The Charter is designed as a reference tool to be proposed to various organisations representing persons with disabilities and/or complex dependency needs and their families within the European Union, as well as to the European Union's Institutions.It contributes to reconcile family life and working life by allowing an informed choice by the carer, in accordance with the goals of the Lisbon strategy (2000). The Charter implements the "Help to Family Carers" project carried out by some member organisations of COFACE-Handicap between 2005 and 2006. It received the full support of the Administrative Council of the Confederation of Family Organisations in the European Union (COFACE) on 16 March 2009. European Charter for Family Carers
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Additional Information
The Irish experience: The information about the Irish experience on collection of data about the family carers was kindly provided by the Irish partner in the project Eurocarers. 1. Quarterly National Household Survey Carers, Quarter 3 2009 2. ‘Carers Count' Campaign for Census 2011 3. Carers contribution to social economy by county Studies: 1. Eurofound project Company initiatives for workers with care responsibilities for disabled children or adults, Working paper More information: 1. Creating a Caring Economy Changing Gendered Values 2. The Cost of Care, economist Nancy Folbre explains why putting a price tag on care is an essential step towards making governments, institutions, and society work better 3. UN GA Resolution on Ageing 4. Why Care Maters for Social Development, UNRISD
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Final report
In Europe, family members are the largest provider of care for older, frail, disabled and chronically ill people of all ages. However, caring for a loved one often comes with a considerable personal cost to family carers, with many experiencing financial, professional, health and social consequences.
Recognition of and support for family carers are necessary to help to maintain and / or improve the quality of life of family carers and care recipients, to enhance family carers’ social inclusion and to foster quality care for persons with dependency needs.
The objective of the partnership was to identify challenges and formulates recommendations in the field of awareness raising and training aiming at promoting self-assessment of their needs by family carers. The results of the project are summarized in the final report.
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