The Pere Tarrés Foundation promotes the assessment of caregivers
With the aim of recognizing the work of non-professional carers, the Pere Tarrés Foundation has organized a day entitled “Caring for those who care”. The event, which took place at the Pedrera Auditorium in Barcelona on March 15, allowed some people in this situation to share their experiences and the difficulties they are facing.
A contemporary look at the experiences of caring
The day was led by the journalist Albert Om and highlighted the talk by the care expert Mercè Pérez Salanova, entitled “A contemporary look at the experiences of caring and emotions in everyday life”. The event was attended by Carles Campuzano, Councilor for Social Rights of the Generalitat de Catalunya.
Dependency management as a social challenge
In a context of population aging and growth in social needs, the management of dependency becomes one of the key issues in the coming years. According to the State Association of Directors and Managers of Social Services, dependency is on the rise and the public resources allocated to this issue are clearly insufficient. The figures show that every day 111 dependent people die without receiving the help to which they are entitled by law, and 296,431 people are on a waiting list for some type of procedure linked to dependency throughout the State.
The reality of non-professional carers
This situation not only affects the people waiting for assistance, but also impacts the quality of life of the people who care for them. Often, it is unprepared family members who take on this task, and this can lead to stress, physical and mental exhaustion, and personal and professional resignations. In Catalonia, there are more than 97,000 non-professional carers, according to the report on financial benefits and services for dependent people from the Generalitat.
Proposals to improve the quality of life of caregivers
The Pere Tarrés Foundation has drawn up a list of proposals to improve the quality of life of carers. Some of the proposals include the recognition of caregivers, the improvement of working conditions in the care sector, the incorporation of families in the social services model, mutual support and disconnection, the empowerment of the entities of the third sector, social awareness on the issue of care, improving the coordination of social agents, expanding existing support resources and training for carers.