Online mapping exercise with Eurocarers members and potentially WHO national focal points and members of the WHO LTC forum

Dear Eurocarers members,
Dear colleagues,

We invite you to participate in a survey focused on mapping available online training resources for informal carers. Our goal is to provide a structured overview of the content covered and delivery models across the European region. Your insights are immensely valuable to us in identifying the online training resources.

By online training resources, we mean, for example, user-friendly websites and online courses that provide reliable information, advice, education and/or training on caring for a family member or friend, self-care for the carer and support services available. The objective of these tools is to enhance informal carers’ awareness, knowledge, understanding and skills related to their caregiving activities, including self-care.

The survey is part of an initiative led by the WHO Regional Office for Europe, supported by the European Commission, aimed at assisting Member States in their efforts to optimise and safeguard informal caregiving resources. The survey results, combined with findings from a rapid review of scientific literature, will inform the development of open-access online resources and training materials for informal carers, to be delivered via the WHO online platform (see https://openwho.org/). The aim being to improve informal carers’ access to the essential information, knowledge and skills required for the delivery of care and for supporting self-care and wellbeing.

This mapping exercise is being carried out by the Informal Carers, Care and Caring Research Group at Linnaeus University, (Elizabeth Hanson, Maria Nilson, Elin-Sofie Forsgärde), in close collaboration with the INRCA-IRCCS (Giovanni Lamura, Sara Santini and team) and coordinated by Eurocarers secretariat.

The survey comprises three main questions: 1) identification of online training resources with a request for additional information, 2) outline of the various components of the identified online training resource(s), and 3) provision of additional information.

We anticipate that completing the survey will require approximately 15 minutes of your time. We would be very grateful if you could submit your contribution by the 8th March at latest. Your participation will contribute to collective efforts to support and enhance informal caregiving throughout Europe.

Should you have any questions or require further information, please feel free to contact Stecy Yghemonos at sy@eurocarers.org.

Yours sincerely,

The Eurocarers Secretariat