The mental health and resilience of both informal carers and long-term care workers are critical for sustainable care systems in Europe. Informal carers provide most long-term care in Europe, often under sustained psychological strain. At the same time, long-term care workers face staff shortages, emotional demands and challenging working conditions. These pressures are especially relevant in disability services, where care relationships are long-term and require strong cooperation between professionals and families.

As part of its work to strengthen available well-being support, the WELL CARE project's latest report highlights 40 promising practices that strengthen the mental well-being and resilience of informal carers and long-term care workers. Selected from 170 initiatives using European criteria on effectiveness, sustainability and transferability, these practices together provide service providers with a practical toolbox to improve care and support systems.

The report offers concrete and adaptable solutions for organisational change and improving both workforce wellbeing and service quality. The practices demonstrate how organisations can:

• Reduce stress among informal carers, to help support sustainable family-based care;
• Strengthen resilience and job satisfaction among long-term care workers;
• Improve cooperation between professionals and families, particularly in disability services;
• Develop integrated and person-centred care models.

Several practices of the practices listed are directly linked to disability and community-based services. For example, the E Qalin quality management model supports disability services to improve working conditions and service quality through staff and user participation. In the Netherlands, the service of Kleurrijk Ontzorgen, implemented by Cordaan, provides culturally sensitive support to families caring for persons with intellectual disabilities, combining respite care, in home support and staff training.

To read the full report, click here.