Social inclusion through Meaningful ageing

"CONTEXT OF THE SEE ME PROJECT The population in Europe is ageing and the number of older citizens is growing. Consequently, projections predict an increase in care needs. Literature points towards 2 main challenges. First, older adults with care needs are susceptible to social exclusion. This is in particular true for older adults with a migration background or in poor financial situations. Second, there are growing challenges in professional care services (i.e., overburdened workforce, budget cuts).Currently the focus in professional care is on the medical and physical aspects of care, from a deficit-approach (looking at what older adults cannot do anymore). However, lots of caregivers are convinced an innovative paradigm-shift is needed towards a positive approach (looking at dreams and talents of older people), and towards caring for social and meaning needs. However, they often lack the competences for this as this is not part of their professional training. Nor does a lifelong learning-course on these topics exist. OBJECTIVES OF THE SEE ME PROJECTThe overall objective of the SEE ME project is to improve the quality of care and social inclusion for older adults (with an additional focus on older adults with a migration background or in poor financial situations). Therefore, the SEE ME project aims to increase the competences of different groups of caregivers (volunteers, informal and formal caregivers) and trainers of carers in order to provide quality care to older adults with a focus on social inclusion trough meaningful ageing. Competences of caregivers should be innovated to ""SEE Older adults"": - to SEE the older person behind the patient, - to SEE care as something more than physical and medical care, and SEE social and meaning care, - to SEE the positive talents and dreams of older adults, not only their needs. DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES AND METHODOLOGYConcretely, in order to realise these innovative objectives, the SEE ME project will develop new learning and training materials for carers (informal and formal), volunteers and trainers of carers. In specific this is realised through 6 intellectual outputs: - IO1: European research report on optimizing caregiving skills and competences by “SEEing social and meaning needs, talents and dreams of older adults”- IO2: “Education for see me model” - IO3: ""European SEE ME training toolkit: on optimizing caregiving skills and competences by “SEEing social and meaning needs, talents and dreams of older adults” - IO4: ""European SEE ME training course: training on how to use the training toolkit (3 day-course in Italy)"" - IO5: 6 different learning area’s test and implement the European SEE ME training toolkit within their organisations (different care organisations; nursing homes or extra-mural care). - IO6: cross-national evaluation of the learning-areasGoal is really to have a transnational toolkit, which is born from transnational ideas and experiences. And which is tested in the different countries. There will be 4 transnational meetings, 1 European Pilot Training, 6 national multiplier events, and intensive dissemination in order to ensure sustainable use of the toolkit and in order to spread the results of the project. All intellectual outputs will be made freely available for a minimum prolonged period of 5 years through the online learning platform.NUMBER AND PROFILE OF PARTICIPANTSThe SEE ME consortium consists of 6 different partners (Belgium, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain): 3 research centres and 3 professional organizations. Furthermore, 5 associated partners are involved within the project. These are different care organizations with a mix of intramural and extramural care. Different target groups will be involved during this project and consists of: informal carers, formal cares, volunteers, trainers of carers, older adults (with a migration background or in poor financial situations), management and policy makers.RESULTS, IMPACT, LONGER TERM BENEFITSThe project will result in an evidence-based, user-experienced, user-tested and user-friendly training model and toolkit.Awareness and competences (knowledge, skills and attitudes) will be raised on - How to care broader than the classical medical-physical paradigm- Social and meaning needs of older care recipients- Starting care from the dreams and talents of older adults. This will result in the longer term in increased quality of care and social inclusion of caregivers and older adults."