Acquiring knowledge and being able to share experiences. With these motivations, more than 6,500 people have participated in the free workshops promoted by the Caregivers School of the ”la Caixa” Foundation. This pioneering project was born in 2018 with the aim of providing knowledge and tools to facilitate the work of family caregivers and volunteers who accompany people in advanced illness situations or at the end of life. In Canary Islands, 85 people have been trained.
The treatment is completely personalised, and each participant attends workshops that meet their needs. Over the years, the Caregivers School has conducted more than 1,800 workshops throughout Spain, both in-person and virtually, led by over 80 professionals from various fields such as psychology, nursing, social work, and medicine, among others. These workshops delve into aspects such as emotional management, physical well-being, self-care, good treatment, grief, and nutrition, among others.
According to the qualitative evaluation presented by the ”la Caixa” Foundation and the Universitat de Vic, after participating in the workshops, 86% of the participants claim to feel more capable of caring—physically and emotionally—for the person they are looking after. The average age of the participants is 53 years. 87% are women and 62% of them take care of one of their parents.
As indicated in the report, 57% of the participants had experienced a stressful situation in the last month. One-third of them have been providing care for over five years, and 32% do so continuously (24 hours).
Over 80 caregivers in the Canary Islands are trained in workshops / El Día
“When a person has to take care of a loved one, it is essential to have knowledge and tools. The Caregivers School offers training, but also aims to be a space where people can find support in difficult times and share concerns,” emphasised Marc Simón, Deputy Director General of the ”la Caixa” Foundation.
Comprehensive Care for People with Advanced Illnesses, a pioneering and constantly innovative programme
[–>
The Caregivers School is part of the Programme for Comprehensive Care for People with Advanced Illnesses of the ”la Caixa” Foundation. This Programme, developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the Health Departments of the Autonomous Communities, consolidates its mission to complement the current model of care for people who are at the end of their life, to cover different psychosocial aspects: both the emotional, social, and spiritual sphere of the patient and their family, as well as grief support and support for palliative care professionals.
[–>
Since its launch in 2008, the Programme has served over 680,000 people nationwide: 301,572 patients and 385,743 family members, intervening in healthcare centres, home care teams in the catchment areas, and care homes. Currently, it is implemented in 153 healthcare centres, 173 home care teams, and 165 care homes across Spain. This year, the Programme will be consolidated by reaching all provinces through a total of 65 Psychosocial Care Teams (EAPS) composed of psychologists, social workers, nurses, doctors, pastoral agents, and volunteers.
