Author name: Frederico

  The YoungCare International Multiplier Event will take place on April 2, 2025, organised alongside the PAAR-net Training School on Participatory Co-Creation Methods at Mykolas Romeris University, Vilnius, Lithuania. This collaborative event not only showcases the outputs of the YoungCare project but also emphasises participatory approaches as a foundation for fostering inclusive and innovative caregiving solutions. The YoungCare session will focus on the methodology of participatory co-creation and explore how it has influenced the key outputs of the project, such as a learning platform that equips informal caregivers with essential skills, a European compendium on informal caregiving, and policy and professional caregivers recommendations aimed at enhancing support for informal caregivers and adults in need of care. Designed for PhD students, post-doctoral researchers, young innovators, and policymakers, the Training School aims to empower participants with participatory methods to engage older adults effectively in research, projects, and policy development. This is a valuable opportunity to explore under-researched areas in informal caregiving and the needs of adults requiring care. The PAAR-net Training School, running from March 31 to April 2, 2025, will deliver intensive training on participatory co-creation methods. Participants will gain hands-on experience, learn from international experts, and connect with peers passionate about social innovation and inclusive ageing societies. Financial support is available for eligible participants to cover travel, accommodation, and related expenses. Applications are open until January 20, 2025. Further details can be found on the PAAR-net website: https://paar-net.eu PAAR-Net is an EU-funded COST Action (CA22167: Participatory Approaches with Older Adults) focused on reshaping how older adults are involved in scientific research, policymaking, and practice. By fostering inclusive social innovation, PAAR-Net harnesses the knowledge and experiences of older adults, particularly those at risk of social exclusion, to address the complex challenges of ageing societies. The network brings together academics, young and older innovators, and experts from across Europe and beyond.  

  The latest YoungCare newsletter is now available, bringing exciting updates on our recent activities! It features the launch of the YoungCare Guide, the ongoing development of our Learning Platform, and the creation of our Policy Recommendations, developed through collaborative co-creation work at European roundtables with experts. Additionally, we highlight our recent Transnational Project Meeting in Gouda and YoungCare’s active participation in several major European events, including the EU Week for Sustainable Communities, the TETRA-S Event in Brussels, the International Conference in Porto, and the European Social Work Conference in Lithuania. Stay up to date and explore the full newsletter here! 

  On November 26, Inês Saavedra (SHINE 2Europe) presented the YoungCare project at the TETRA-S Multiplier Event in Brussels, graciously hosted by the ENSA Network at the Veneto Region. The main goal of TETRA-S is to enhance the competencies of adult educators in teaching transversal skills to individuals with cognitive disabilities, ensuring these skills are effectively transferred to everyday life. In a similar vein to YoungCare, TETRA-S has developed a MOOC (available here: TETRA-S MOOC). It was an honour for YoungCare to be showcased at this event, which also featured valuable contributions from the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion of the European Commission, EASPD (European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities), Margherita Società Cooperativa Sociale, and TETRA-S partners, including the University of Évora (Portugal), NARHU (Bulgaria), IVASS (Spain), Groep Ubuntu (Belgium), and the ENSA Network.

  On November 20, a total of 38 participants from various European countries and diverse backgrounds (including architecture, urban planning, decision-making, academia, social work, and local or national NGOs working with informal caregivers and/or adults in need of care) gathered for a European roundtable. The focus was on discussing the main challenges faced by informal caregivers and exploring what kind of policies and support from professional caregivers are needed to improve their situation. The discussions led to a range of good practices, identified challenges, and ideas for co-creating this document, which aims to be valuable with contributions from experts across different fields. A second session will be held on January 22, from 11:30 CET to 13:00 CET. This session will include a presentation of the SHAFE approach (Smart Age-Friendly Environments), and the consortium will build on the inputs gathered during the last session. There is still an opportunity to register. Participants can become co-authors of these recommendations and join the second session by registering here.

  On October 6, YoungCare celebrates European Carers Day (https://eurocarers.org/ecd/), recognizing the crucial role informal carers play in long-term care. This year’s theme highlights informal carers as key partners, emphasizing their vital contributions to supporting loved ones. Their dedication, compassion, and selflessness deserve recognition – not just today, but every day! According to EuroCarers, here are three key reasons why we should celebrate these invaluable individuals: YoungCare stands with EuroCarers, advocating for a #FairDeal4Carers to ensure informal carers receive the recognition and support they rightfully deserve.

  On October 3, during the “Impact of Demographic Change: Holistic and Integrated Solutions” panel at the EU Week for Sustainable and Inclusive Communities: The Future is SHAFE in Brussels, Inês Saavedra, from SHINE 2Europe, presented the YoungCare project. Inês, alongside contributions from Lisa Leonardini, Michele Calabrò, Oscar Zanutto, and Miltos Sakellariou, shared the main outcomes of YoungCare: a YoungCare guidance (already delivered), a learning platform, and policy recommendations and guidance for formal caregivers. She emphasized that these recommendations will be co-created through the involvement of a diverse group of specialists. The recommendations will be shaped by the gaps and needs identified in each partner country (Portugal, Germany, Netherlands, Lithuania, Italy) and will draw on existing good practices. Specialists – including decision-makers in health and care, formal and informal caregivers, researchers, and informal caregivers and adults in need of care – will collaborate to determine the priorities and measures that form the foundation of the recommendations. To conclude her presentation, Inês invited members of the audience fitting these categories and fluent in English to join the co-creation process. Interested participants can register for the sessions scheduled for November 20, 2024, and January 22, 2025, here: https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/d7d99c4d-1a55-675a-e3f2-7bf3db19cc79

  The Transnational Project Meeting of YoungCare took place in Gouda, Netherlands, from July 18 to 20, 2024. AFEdemy hosted the meeting, marking a significant milestone since the project’s kick-off a year and a half ago. Participating organizations included ISIS Institut für Soziale Infrastruktur (Germany – coordination), SHINE 2Europe (Portugal), AFEdemy, age-friendly environments academy (the Netherlands), Cadiai (Italy), Paritatische Projekte gemeinnützige Gesellschaft mbH (Germany), and Vytauto Didžiojo Universitetas (Lithuania). The focus was on developing a curriculum for an innovative learning platform dedicated to informal caregivers of young adults (18-64 years old) in need of care. Partners engaged in dynamic discussions (speed dating sessions) to assess international content and share national support services for informal caregivers. Updates were also provided on the Sharing and Promotion project, outlining plans for future European roundtables with policymakers and healthcare professionals. The meeting concluded with insightful presentations from Ginette Klein of Ieder(in) and Jos Nieveen of MantelzorgNL. They emphasized the importance of enhancing autonomy for people with disabilities through urban redesign and supporting immigrant caregivers with multilingual resources. Feedback from the presentations highlighted the need for inclusive environments to redefine perceptions of disability and impairment.

  The International Conference Building Sustainable and Participatory Environments was held on May 7th, 2024, in Salão Nobre Reitoria, University of Porto, in Portugal. At this conference, many topics were debated, namely skills and means to access information and services, climate and environmental resilience, social innovation, cities and accessible environments, inclusion, and fighting discrimination. At this conference, multiple participants engaged in debates regarding the projects and initiatives displayed. Concerning the YoungCare project, Inês Saavedra, a project manager and researcher at SHINE 2Europe, discussed its main results and themes while connecting it with the panel “Tackling discrimination through citizen empowerment”.  The online platform from the project was presented as a means to clarify and enhance access to information for informal caregivers, covering topics such as housing and living, leisure and mobility, participation and employment, as well as care and support. This topic was discussed along with Joana Portugal and Sílvia Silva, moderated by José Carlos Pinto da Costa.

  Rasa Naujanienė, alongside colleagues Gedas Malinauskas and Dovilė Daugėlienė from Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas, Lithuania, showcased their work titled “Exploring the Needs of Informal Caregivers of Younger Adults in Need of Care and Meeting Them through Developing an E-learning Offer” at the 13th European Conference for Social Work Research in Vilnius, Lithuania, on April 19, 2024. The study aimed to gather insights directly from the target group, expanding the knowledge base and creating digital learning opportunities for informal caregivers of younger adults in need of care. In Lithuania, the researchers conducted 12 interviews, including three with experts, one with an individual in need of care, and eight with informal caregivers. Thematic analysis of these interviews revealed critical challenges faced by caregivers in Lithuania, such as accessibility to community-based services, managing work-life balance, financial pressures, and impacts on emotional and physical health, alongside stigma and housing adaptation issues. Based on these findings, and in collaboration with the consortium of YoungCare, a user-friendly e-learning platform will be developed. This platform will include interactive elements, comprehensive learning units, and dissemination of crucial information and psychosocial support tailored to meet the identified needs.

“…The person in a wheelchair is just as important as the person behind them…”. The YoungCare project’s guide targets younger people in need of care, between the ages of 18 and 64 who have experienced a drastic event, either since birth or childhood, accident, or disease, that has impacted the management of their daily lives, and their informal caregivers. Considering how challenging it can be to find suitable care services and support for younger people, this guide provides examples of good practices, solutions, and strategies that informal carers may consider. For this purpose, desk research, national reports, and interviews researching the circumstances of young adults in need of care and their informal caregivers have been used, among the partner countries (Portugal, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Italy, and Germany. Their personal experiences may be of help to others in similar situations, as well as multiple suggestions to support your informal carer role. This guide considers and offers suggestions regarding life-work balance, self-help groups, and counselling services, dealing with society stigma or adaptation of housing. There are suggestions on how to communicate more effectively, avoid conflicts, and recommend taking care of both your physical and mental health, consider external help and provide some information about the legal framework. The YoungCare project acknowledges how large the age range of the target group is and how this care dependency may vary greatly, leading to different challenges. It can be very hard to accept someone close has a life-changing medical condition, and how to approach the next steps. Nevertheless, there are some tips on how, at a national level, informal caregivers can look for some help. If these topics interest you, please read the Compendium here