Carers Connect
A online portal designed to support informal caregivers of colorectal cancer patients in the vital work that they do. The portal is a resource and forum for caregivers to share advice and information. The project has completed its pilot in three countries and looks forward to the next step of the process.
The Challenge
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As pressure on hospitals and state-provided care intensifies, there is increasing recognition of the essential part played by informal caregivers – the people who look after loved-ones with long term illnesses. It’s often a lonely and challenging role, yet there’s remarkably little specialist advice and support for the many thousands of people who carry it out.
Our Solution
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The team at GHP has worked with Digestive Cancers Europe (DiCE) to launch a pilot of an online portal for Informal Carers of Colorectal Cancer patients. This simple, accessible hub gives Informal Carers the opportunity to meet via regular video meetings and events and to share advice, information and useful resources.
Take-up in three pilot countries was very positive, underlining the huge need for informal Caregivers to have a platform where they can share their thoughts with those in a similar position.
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GHP’s aim is to transform the prototype platform into a technically robust and sustainable template which any Informal Caregiver community associated with any long term NCD can quickly adopt and use for themselves at an accessible cost. We want to use the portal to enable an unlimited network of mutually supportive Carer groups right the way across Europe.
Achievements
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Successful completion of the pilot programme in Portugal, Finland, Poland and Slovenia
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Ensuring that the pilot translates into a template that can be used for a variety of cancer prevention settings in different countries.
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New insights on the support that could be provided to carers of cancer patients.
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