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About Yourself – Support For And Activation Of Families Who Care For An Ill Member

Counteracting exclusion Completed
mazowieckie
Warszawa
2014-10-01 - 2016-01-31
300 518,69 PLN
270 418,69 PLN
health/healthcare, family
Project description
The „Family” program adopted in 2013 by the Warsaw City Council indicates that “there is a need to apply well-developed psychoeducational and therapeutic programs with regards to the caregivers [of ill people], who often develop psychological disorders due to burnout and lack of support”. Children brought up in homes where an ill person resides are at risk of feeling abandoned due to their parents dedication to care over the ill family member. There are organizations and institutions operating in Warsaw that offer help to people with a specific illness. There are few however that take care of the entire family and offer psychological help free of charge.
The aim of the project was to improve the functioning of family members of people with illnesses or incapacities, encouraging these families to be active and including them in social life.
The activities covering 58 families affected by illness resulted in improved relations between family members who now declare an increased feeling of being able to influence the course of their own life. Two self-help groups were created concenrating on the care for adults with mental disorders (5 people) and on the support of young family members from families touched by illness (8 people).
Activities organized included: recruitment meetings covering the diagnosis of the given family needs (97 people), 3 psychological skills workshops for parents and children (33 people), therapy for 21 families (80 people, 205 hrs in total), a support group for adult caregivers (36 meetings, 14 people), a cycle of 4 stress reduction workshops for 12 people and individual support for 12 adults (132 hrs in total) and 14 kids (228 hrs in total). Volunteers, who were helping to take care of the ill family members or of the children, thus enabling the caregivers to participate in the project, received training (3 workshops for 14 participants in total). A manual for families touched by illness was prepared. 3 workshops were organized in order to launch the self-help groups and the participants received support of a coach (44 hrs in total for 12 people).
The activities of the project covered 176 people from Warsaw and its vicinities.
The experience of the Partner was used during recruitment and preparation of volunteers.
We use the grant for capacity building