Carer+ Final Conference - Smart Homecare, 27 March 2015, Paris Carer+ piloting and results in Latvia

1. e-Skills initiatives and
Carer+ pilot in Latvia
Mara Jakobsone, Dr. Oec.
Vice-President
Latvian Information and Communications
Technology Association
Carer+ evaluation workshop
Paris, March 26, 2015

2. E-SKILLS – A PRIORITY FOR LATVIA
Reflected in government policy documents since
early 2000
Different initiatives by NGO, ICT industry and
public sector
National e-skills partnership established in
Latvia in 2013
Digital literacy for everyone – one of the targets
Main players:
Latvia public library network
LIKTA
Connect Latvia project (focus on seniors
only)
Municipalities
All initiatives realized in PPP

4. LIBRARIES IN LATVIA – HIGHLY DEMANDED
42% of population are active library
customers
Library is the only Internet access
point for 21% of population in Latvia
90% of library visitors use the Internet
Seniors and off-liners – very
important target group
100% Wi-Fi access in public libraries
6.4 users’ PCs per library (on average)

5. «CONNECT LATVIA» – SUPPORT TO SENIORS
Project initiated and supported by
Lattelecom
Target audience – seniors 50 and over
Started 5 years ago with overall target
30000 trainees
Available through Latvia:
Partnership with local schools, LLL
centers, libraries, LIKTA
144 training locations
131 trainers

6. WHAT DO SENIORS PREFER TO LEARN ?
Computer basics
Online basics:
E-mails
Internet search
Security issues
Communications
Skype dominant in market
E-services:
Internet banking
Online shopping
Content download (news, books, recipes,
etc.)
Most popular public services

7. CARE SECTOR IN LATVIA
Age structure of care workers:
18-25 years – 3%
26-35 years – 23%
36-45 years – 17%
46-55 years – 20%
56-61 years – 37%
Mostly women, secondary
education
Average salaries* in Latvia:
Care worker salary = minimal salary
in Latvia (8h work per day) 360+10%
Average salary 800 EUR
IT industry >1300 EUR (Top 4 highest)

8. CARE SECTOR IN LATVIA – E-SKILLS
A situation is different as carers
are of different age and target
groups:
The younger carers – under 35 years
– have medium level digital skills
(basic computer users experience,
office skills)
Older carers – 50+ usually have low
or no digital skills. Most of carers are
from the second target group

9. CARER PILOT BACKGROUND – STRENGTH
Good infrastructure of internet and devices
A list of nationwide networks of professional e-skills support
organizations and trainers used to work with senior audiences and
different entry levels of digital skills
A number of localized training methodologies and materials for digital
literacy (and even ones specially designed for seniors) available in all
possible formats and 2 languages
Public recognition of e-skills importance for seniors by general
audience as well as by seniors themselves, several support
mechanisms available for joining the trainings
Principal willingness of care workers to acquire/improve their digital
skills

10. CARER PILOT BACKGROUND – RISKS
Low public recognition of the carer profession
One of the lowest paid professions in Latvia
Socio-economic divide among the care recipients which leads to
digital divide:
Income level
General education background
Family and health status
Life style and habits
Some care workers will leave their position for better job as a
consequence of improved digital skills
Some care receivers who need the help more will not be able to join
the activities due to social/health/lifestyle issues

11. CARER+ PILOT IN LATVIA
In total 50 pairs involved
40 care workers from Riga (iPad
air, iPad mini)
40 care receivers from Riga
(sony xperia +nfc)
10 informal care givers in
different regional/rural cities
(iPad air)
10 informal care receivers in
different remote regional cities
(iPad air)

12. TRAINING ACCORDING TO COMPETENCE FRAMEWORK

13. TRAINING SCHEDULE
Care workers and informal care givers were
trained from January to mid-November of 2014
Care receivers were trained/ working in pairs
from May to mid-November of 2014
Training modules for care workers/ICG:
1.-3.modules (8h face to face, 32h distance learning)
4.-5.modules (12h face to face, 28h distance learning)

14. CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS IN TRAINING
For care workers/ICG training :
Not used to e-learning
Solution : blended learning; starting f2f; group work; learning from
colleagues
Different working schedules make difficult to plan f2f trainings
Solution : training provided in late evenings
For care recipients :
Physical condition
Mental , emotional condition
Education level
Attitude towards ICT
Age
Previous knowledge of ICT

15. MOST USEFUL APPLICATIONS DECLARED
For Care Workers :
gmail and other google tools (google forms,
calendar, etc.),
Skype,VoIP
social networks,
Maps, internet browser for information
search,
Camera, photo uploads
Cloud services
For Care Receivers
Internet browser for information search,
You tube,
Skype,
Panic/security button

16. PILOT EVALUATUON- EXIT SURVEYS ( CW )
Question themes :
Compare expectations and results
Evaluate impact on digital competences
Evaluate impact on work duties
Evaluate impact on personal life
Willingness to continue
Main findings :
Almost all claim raise of their digital skills
and confidence ; results match expectations
Over 60% agree they have more access to
professional information
Over 50 % agree the technologies positively
impact their work with CR
Over 80 % evaluate positively impact on
their personal development/life

17. CARE WORKERS : FOCUS GROUPS CONCLUIONS
ICT tools improves care work,
ICT supports better planning,
communication and accessibility to
information on internet;
Care worker ICT work with care receiver
should be paid additionally !
Digital technology usage encourage
socialization and personal developments for
CW
Almost all participants recognize that they
will further develop their digital skills after
end of the project
About 20 % of all will continue to use the
devices after end of project on their every
day work- in pairs with their Care
receivers !

18. EXIT SURVEYS – CARE RECEIVERS
CR acceptance for ICT tolls depends on many
different aspects (age, previous experience,
education level, health situation, etc.). It can
be positive or negative;
Some of the barriers for feeling comfortable:
Afraid to broke/damage the device
Not enthusiastic since this is short term solution
Most appreciated aspects of using the tools :
Possibility to communicate ( families, CW )
Access to information :
Use of technologies after the project end:
About 20 % continue together with their CW
About 25 % - will use similar technologies on their
own – mostly family contacts, information
About another 25 % - pity that they have to give
back the device !