Empowering Active Aging With Limited Autonomy: A Training Proposal To Enhance The Skills Of Home Caregivers For Frail Older People

The current demographic changes have made it evident that there is an urgent need to undertake active and collective strategies that encompass the entire lifespan. These strategies aim to encourage the participation of older people in social life and promote a new culture of solidarity that considers them as a valuable resource within an age-integrated society (Gasperi, 2003). In this perspective, the significant role that active ageing is called upon to play in understanding and addressing the challenges of aging becomes even more substantial when facing the needs of care for frail older people. In fact, the gradual loss of legitimacy of the traditional paradigm of institutionalization has paved the way for the idea that promoting methods enabling individuals to age in their own homes is preferable and contributes to promoting the well-being concept proposed by the WHO (Minguzzi, 2003; WHO, 2002). Maintaining the quality of life at home has proven to be a crucial generational issue for all EU countries and has become particularly essential during the pandemic (WHO, 2002). According to the Care Needed Report (OECD, 2018), most countries should develop a recognized accreditation program providing training in care and social support for caregivers and service professionals to promote the improvement of quality of life and home care for frail older people, and in particular, people with dementia. Given the current situation and future prospects, it is necessary to reassess the needs of home care services and reconsider the training and skills of professionals providing them. This involves laying the groundwork: on micro level, for a shift in thinking and working that allows individuals to construct their old age in a highly personalized manner, maintaining a proactive outlook and an inclination to attribute meaning to the experience (Deluigi, 2008); on meso level, for enhancing the training system for home service professionals, with a focus on life skills, coping, and resilience (Boffo et al., 2023); on macro level, for contributing the sustainability of the welfare system concerning the reduction of public spending for assistance and social-health care interventions. This contribution aims to present the “Qavad project” – an Erasmus Plus project experience – that sought to promote the improvement of the quality of life for older people at home by proposing to work on tangible improvements in support for maintaining autonomy and supporting professionals working in home care. Based on a theoretical framework that considers learning models referring to some of the main pedagogical concepts of innovative psychosocial perspectives on older adults care (Baltes et al., 1980; Baltes & Baltes, 1990; Feil, 1991; Jones, 1999; Kitwood, 1997), the transnational partnership developed the design of a training model to both innovate and support the training of home care professionals, consisting of 8 modules designed to be adaptable based on the target audience: 6 for professionals, caregivers, volunteers, etc., and 2 modules for professionals in management or coordination roles in the community. The outcomes of the piloting of the training module in Northern Italy will be discussed.