New EU Horizon research project at the GAT Institute to promote mental health and resilience in the care sector
On January 1, 2024, the new EU Horizon research project Well Care was launched at the GAT Institute, sub-project leader Prof. Hoff. WELL CARE is a Europe-wide research project funded by the European Union's research and innovation program "Horizon Europe". WELL CARE runs under the project management of Prof. Elisabeth Hanson, Linnaeus University, Sweden, over a period of four years (01.01.2024 to 31.12.2027) and will be carried out in five European countries (Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, Slovenia). One research institution from each of the participating countries (HSZG, INRCA Italian Research Institute on Ageing in Ancona, Vrije University Amsterdam, Linnaeus University, University of Ljubljana, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) and one national nursing interest group are involved, as well as three European nursing associations.
The aim of WELL CARE is to identify, evaluate and promote proven measures to promote the resilience and mental health of family caregivers and professional caregivers. This involves both established practices that have been successful over a longer period of time, as well as the development of innovative prototypes and their possible transfer to other national/cultural contexts. This is achieved through the participative / co-creative methodology of so-called 'Blended Learning Networks' (BLN), which meet every two months. A BLN is based on the idea of a 'community of practice' in which the various players in the respective care landscapes are involved.
WELL CARE is also based on the European care strategy adopted in 2022. The main topics covered in WELL CARE are also the focus of the part-time MA course in Social Gerontology at the Faculty of Social Sciences.