ENTWINE — The European Training Network on Informal Care

Results in brief

The European Training Network on Informal Care

Mostly due to increased longevity and medical advances, the needs of older/ill individuals for long-term care rise rapidly, while the availability of informal caregivers decreases. Informal caregivers are those who provide unpaid care to a relative or friend with a chronic illness, disability or other long-lasting health or care need. This “Care Gap” will create huge problems for the sustainability of European health care systems that rely heavily on the provision of informal care (see Figure 1). ENTWINE is a consortium consisting of academic partners with expertise in, for example, psychology, sociology, and economics, and non-academic partners including IT specialists, e-health developers, and policy makers. Together we aimed to investigate all kinds of issues related to the sustainability of informal care and the development and use of innovative psychosocial and technology-based interventions that support the willingness and opportunity to provide informal care. WP1 examined the current and future caregiving challenges and motivations for diverse groups of informal caregivers and their care recipients across Europe by means of an intensive longitudinal cohort study (ENTWINE iCohort Study). WP2 examined (1) whether specific psychosocial and technology-based services (e.g., internet platforms) and interventions (e.g., eHealth and social robots) could empower caregivers and reduce their burden, and if so, (2) how best to deliver these interventions, services and tools to sustain willingness to care, experience optimal outcomes of their role, and improve quality of life amongst informal caregivers. WP3 examined the implementation and dissemination of innovative technology-based tools and interventions aimed to support informal caregiving. Overall, this project results in an understanding of caregivers’ motivations and willingness to care and the notion that these fluctuate over time. It also highlights the importance of focusing on the collaboration and communication between caregivers and patients, and the influence of personality and geographical distance on the caregiving experience. Psychosocial and technology-based solutions can support informal caregivers by helping them to self-disclose or decrease levels of burden. Such solutions should however take into account the specific needs of different groups of caregivers (e.g. based on type of relationship with the care recipient, age, culture). Also, factors related to the context, such organizational systems, socioeconomic factors, or sociocultural context in which the solution are to be implemented, should be taken into account in order to successfully implement these solutions in practice.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

Mostly due to increased longevity and medical advances, the needs of older/ill individuals for long-term care rise rapidly while the availability of informal caregivers decrease. Informal caregivers are those who provide unpaid care to a relative or friend with a chronic illness, disability or other long-lasting health or care need. This “Gare Gap” will create huge problems for the sustainability of European health care systems that rely heavily on the provision of informal care. The aim of ENTWINE’s multidisciplinary and inter-sectorial team is to investigate the broad spectrum of issues concerning the development and use of innovative psychosocial and technology-based interventions that support willingness and opportunity to provide informal care. WP 1 details the current and future caregiving challenges and motivations for diverse groups of informal caregivers and their care recipients, and society, in different countries that have different care systems by means of an intensive longitudinal cohort study (ENTWINE-iCohort). It will establish who needs support, what kind and when. WP 2 examines (1) whether specific interventions, services and technology-based interventions (eHealth, social robots) could empower caregivers and reduce their burden, and if so, (2) how best to deliver these interventions, services (e.g. internet platforms) and tools to sustain willingness to care, experience optimal outcomes of their role, and improve quality of life amongst informal caregivers. Methods include experiments, factorial designs, and persuasive profiling. WP 3 examines the implementation and dissemination of innovative technology-based tools and interventions. The focus is on overcoming barriers following a user-centered, stakeholder-driven implementation and agile science approach to promote the adoption and implementation of innovative technologies to support informal caregivers. ENTWINE represents a stepping stone towards sustainable informal care throughout Europe.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

ACADEMISCH ZIEKENHUIS GRONINGEN · GroningenCoordinatorNetherlands
BANGOR UNIVERSITY · BangorUnited Kingdom
BAR ILAN UNIVERSITY · Ramat GanIsrael
Brand New Health NV · HerentBelgium
CAREGIVERS ISRAEL · Zichron YakovIsrael
CLALIT HEALTH SERVICES · Tel AvivIsrael
CONSEQUENTIAL ROBOTICS LIMITED · LondonUnited Kingdom
Cross Technology Solutions AB · LundSweden
EHV ISRAEL LIMITED PARTNERSHIP · Tel AvivIsrael
EUROCARERS-ASSOCIATION EUROPEENNE TRAVAILLANT AVEC ET POUR LES AIDANTS NON-PROFESSIONNELS · Bruxelles / BrusselBelgium
Haifa University · HaifaIsrael
Homelife Supported Accommodation Ltd · ManchesterUnited Kingdom
ISTITUTO AUXOLOGICO ITALIANO · MILANOItaly
ISTITUTO NAZIONALE DI RIPOSO E CURA PER ANZIANI INRCA · AnconaItaly
LINKOPINGS UNIVERSITET · LinkopingSweden
MINISTERIE VAN VOLKSGEZONDHEID, WELZIJN EN SPORT · Den HaagNetherlands
NV NEDERLANDSCHE APPARATENFABRIEK NEDAP · GroenloNetherlands
PNO Life Sciences & Health B.V. · RijswijkNetherlands
REICHMAN UNIVERSITY · HerzliyaIsrael
RIJKSUNIVERSITEIT GRONINGEN · GroningenNetherlands
TECH4CARE SRL · ANCONAItaly
THE GERTNER INSTITUTE FOR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND HEALTH POLICY RESEARCH LTD · Ramat GanIsrael
TIRED OF CANCER BV · UtrechtNetherlands
UNIVERSITA CATTOLICA DEL SACRO CUORE · MILANOItaly
UNIVERSITEIT TWENTE · EnschedeNetherlands
UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW · GlasgowUnited Kingdom
UPPSALA UNIVERSITET · UppsalaSweden

ENTWINE · The European Training Network on Informal Care

Results in brief

The European Training Network on Informal Care

Project objective

Participants

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