"Caring to care": More than 6,500 carers receive training in innovative workshops
According to the qualitative evaluation presented by the "la Caixa" Foundation, 86% of the participants said that they felt more capable of caring - physically and emotionally - for the person they are caring for after taking the Carers' School workshops. Since 2018, more than 1,800 workshops have been promoted, which delve into aspects such as emotional management, physical well-being, self-care, good treatment, bereavement and nutrition. In addition to providing new tools, it promotes community and support networks.
Acquiring knowledge and being able to share experiences. With these motivations, more than 6,500 people have taken part in the free workshops promoted by the "la Caixa" Foundation's Carers' School. This pioneering project was set up in 2018 with the aim of providing knowledge and tools to facilitate the work of family carers and volunteers who accompany people in situations of advanced illness or at the end of life.
The treatment is completely personalised, and each participant attends workshops that respond to their needs. Over the years, the Carers' School has held more than 1,800 workshops throughout Spain, both in person and online, with more than 80 professionals from a wide range of fields such as psychology, nursing, social work and medicine, among others. These workshops delve into aspects such as emotional management, physical well-being, self-care, good treatment, grief and nutrition, among others.
Marc Simón: "The Carers' School offers training, but also has the vocation of being a space where people can find support in times of difficulty and share concerns".
According to the qualitative evaluation presented by the "la Caixa" Foundation and the University of Vic, after the workshops, 86% of the participants say that they feel more capable of caring - physically and emotionally - for the person they are caring for. The average age of the people who have joined is 53. 87% are women and 62% of them care for one of their parents.
According to the report, 57% of the participants had experienced a stressful situation in the last month. A third of them have been caring for more than five years and 32% do so continuously (24h).
"When a person has to care for a loved one, it is essential to have knowledge and tools. The Carers' School offers training, but also aims to be a place where people can find support in times of difficulty and share their concerns", emphasised Marc Simón, Deputy Director General of the "la Caixa" Foundation.
A pioneering programme in constant innovation
The Carers' School is part of the "la Caixa" Foundation's Programme for the Comprehensive Care of People with Advanced Illnesses. This programme, promoted by the Ministry of Health and the Departments of Health of the Autonomous Communities, consolidates its mission to complement the current model of care for people at the end of their lives in order to cover different psychosocial aspects: the emotional, social and spiritual sphere of the patient and their family as well as attention to bereavement and support for palliative care professionals.
Since its launch in 2008, the programme has assisted more than 680,000 people in Spain as a whole: 301,572 patients and 385,743 family members, intervening in healthcare centres, home teams in the areas of influence and residences. It is currently implemented in 153 healthcare centres, 173 home teams and 165 homes throughout Spain. This year the programme will be consolidated, reaching all provinces through a total of 65 Psychosocial Care Teams (EAPS) made up of psychologists, social workers, nurses, doctors, pastoral agents and volunteers.
