Developing a new servicewww.discover4carers.eu
Scalability, re‐use and commercialisation
Digital Inclusion Skills for Carers bringing Opportunities, Value and Excellence
Project Implementation
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Partners: Greece (1), Spain (2), Holland (1), UK (3), and Ireland (1).
CIP project 01/04/2012‐31/03/2015
Digital skills and digital inclusion skills, learning and mentoring. Developing a learning environment that brings digital skills and care together.Challenge existing training practices that will improve carers skills in the delivery of care130 carers of the elderly+50 elderly people per 4 pilot sitesBirmingham (UK), Thessaloniki (GR), Zamora & Valladolid (ES), Brunssum & Nuth (NL)
eLearning for Carers
Increasing age of EU population
Ambition: A long term service
Carers’ perspectives
Long standing physical health problems, stress, anxiety and depression (Pinquart & Sorensen 2003, Mencap 2013).
Likely to be socially isolated due to caring role
Likely to be financially less well off or living in poverty
1. User requirements & testing
First results from focus groups
Time poor, stress, feelings of isolation
Wide range of digital skills
Interest in telehealth/care, assisted living when explained
Loosing out, desire to get (back) into job (UK yes – vs Netherlands no)
Getting through the day – what helps
Information about health conditions
Learning how to find answers
Translation into Learning ContentOverarching topic: How can technology help you communicate and care betterCreation of ‘learning pathways’
a) improving the day to day lifeb) preparing for the future
Teaching generic skills – e.g. how to find out about ‘dementia’‐ not providing content about dementiaUse appealing menu choices / labels e.g. :
I want to talk to others (instead of communication skills)Give me a break: How to find local help (instead of information for carer relief)
Basic digital skills – refer to existing content
Identifying potential hazards ‘hotspots’ in the Enhanced Care Skills, Virtual Case Creator Falls
Participants
THE UK. From a range of ethnic groups: white and non‐white, African, Afro‐Caribbean, Bengali, Chinese, Indian and Parkistani. Informal carers and care and learning professionals, spanning the age range from young to older adults.
SPAIN. Formal carers/ educators of people with severe and prolonged mental illness, and relatives of service users attending a memory unit. The formal carers spanned the age range 24‐45, whilst the informal carers were aged 55‐80.
GREECE. Formal and informal carers from a range of services for older people, in particular for people with dementia. The age range of the participants is not known.
THE NETHERLANDS. Participants were from a range of stakeholders, carer groups and groups for older people.
1. User requirements & testing
Co‐operation
Growing need for the service but demand and ability to pay to be established
Looking for cooperation with other organisations that support formal and informal carers
A unique service that complements existing provision
Building a base of subscribers and users
DISCOVER would like to work with you!
2. Market Assessm
ent
Adapting to feedback – Carers needs
Available with low bandwidth
Display on any screen (mobile to pc)
Apply an icon driven navigation design
Choice of topics
Bitesize learning
Flexible user guided learning
3. Developing for
scalability & reuse
Student Menu Guide with Falls Scenario
Scalability and Reuse
Adoption of an open source VLE Moodle
Design supports modularisation and customisation
Usable across different technologies (digital TV, gaming, smart phone)
Enables easy translation and localisation
Working across different country infrastructures
3. Developing for
scalability & reuse
Self directed learning
Provide learning opportunities to reflect a continuum of skills development
4. Increase marketabil
ity
Focus on what is meaningful to Carers / Care(r) organisations
Informal carerscared for people living with a range of physical and mental health conditions
provide minimal care for non‐resident relative or friend through to demanding and challenging care for a co‐resident with a life threatening condition
paid employment: full –time ‐ limited part‐time working ‐ unable to work
provide support for cared‐for people in daily living skills and activities
Contextualised Learning
4. Increase marketabil
ity
Focus on what is meaningful to Carers / Care(r) organisations
Formal carersAll provided support for cared‐for people in daily living skills and activities
THE UK: caring for people with a range of conditions and levels of needs
SPAIN: providing training for impaired or ‘lost’ daily skills. The educator’s role included raising awareness of health conditions and relatedmedications
GREECE: Some carers were assisting older people to use technologies and to develop basic computing skills or to engage in physical and cognitive exercises
THE NETHERLANDS: also caring for people with a range of conditions and levels of needs and carers are now starting to ‘train’ cared for people in the use of technologies
4. Increase marketabil
ity
Increasing marketability
Includes employability skills and transferablelearning portfolioRepurpose existing web based resources where possibleUse tried and tested technologies to create bespoke content where needed
4. Increase marketabil
ity
Stakeholder engagement for potential collaboration
Early adopters
European stakeholders through Project Advisory Board (Sweden, Italy)
National stakeholders to use the service for free
European workshops
Study visit (Sweden)
5. Early stakeholder engagement (cooperation)
Carers and Care Support Staff at Midland Mencap
Collaboration
Your feedback
How can we work with you
Build on existing work and exemplar projects
Developing a future service – what does the model look like