M-Care newsletter 2

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Newsletter 2
M-Care(MobileTrainingforHomeandHealthCaregiverForPeoplewithDisabilitiesandOlderPeople-539913-LLP-1-2013-1-TR-LEONARDO-LMP)projecthasbeenfundedwithsupport
fromtheEuropeanCommission.Thisnewsletterreflectstheviewsonlyoftheauthor,andtheCommissioncannotbeheldresponsibleforanyusewhichmaybemadeoftheinformation
containedtherein.
Editorial
Welcome to the 2nd
M-CARE Newsletter.
It outlines the project achievements and its dissemination, while
we welcome the contribution by the Bulgarian psychologist Silvana
Trendafilova on the Burnout Syndrome as a phenomenon which af-
fects the work of PCGs.
M-CARE partners attended various events all over Europe where
they disseminated the project to ensure that interested parties are
informed and involved in the project implementation.
If you want to receive up-to-date information, please also follow
the project website www.mcare-project.eu, as well as our social
media channels (Twitter, Facebook).
If you would like to contribute to the next editions of the
Newsletter, please contact the editorial team at interpro-
jectsbg@gmail.com. We will be more than glad to publish your ma-
terials if relevant to the M-CARE aims and objectives.
We wish you a pleasant reading!

M-CARE survey report findings
At the first stage of the M-CARE project, its partners held a thor-
ough research of project target groups’ needs. For that purpose
they interviewed people with disabilities (PwD), personal care-
givers and other professionals working in the field of social affairs,
parents and relatives of people with disabilities, as well as policy
makers in the relevant field. The data gathered through the re-
search phase was carefully analysed and summarised by the dedi-
cated WP leader, University of Athens.
A total of 636 questionnaires (PCGs – 120 responses, PwD / OP –
276, stakeholders – 240 responses) were completed by respon-
dents living in Flanders (Belgium), Bulgaria, Germany and Turkey
(some responses were submitted in English as well), either online
or during an interview / focus group. The M-CARE project partners
also conducted desk research collecting information about the cur-
rent situation with PCG services in their countries, from various
resources, such as government published data, publications from
relevant entities and information provided by their own organisa-
tion.
Analysis of the research data makes evident that there are notable
differences in PCG practices among the project countries and also
provides us with very useful insights.
PCG role
A broad definition of a personal caregiver for people with disabili-
ties and older people could be that of the employed professional
who addresses the needs of people who are in one or more ways
incapable of personal care tasks. The PCG profession is formally
described only in Bulgaria (among the project countries). There-
fore, there are a lot of different definitions given for the role in
each project country.

There are differences concerning what a personal care giver can and
cannot do, his/her working conditions and the required training:
In Flanders (Belgium) there is no special training necessary for a
"personal assistant" to work. There is a list of requirements
(competences, skills, personal characteristics, working conditions) that
the Flemish employment agency expects from candidate PCGs but these
are merely recommendations. There is a personal assistance budget
(PAB), part of which is used to pay the salary of a PCG. The PAB holder
can employ personnel to perform a variety of tasks to assist in the or-
ganization of his / her daily life. A PCG cannot do activities that fall un-
der “performing therapies”.
In Bulgaria the profession of PCG is formally described and graduation
from a PCG VET course is required. The caregiver provides basic health
care and / or supports the work of health care professionals in hospitals,
in the community and/or at home. The services offered cover a wide
range of activities (from assisting with mobility and hygiene to providing
entertainment and emotional support), with the main goal of improving
the patient's quality of life - always working under the guidance of doc-
tors or health care specialists. Caring for the elderly, sick and disabled
persons in the home environment is implemented under national, Euro-
pean and other projects.
A general legislative framework including all possible services (caring
and nursing) does not exist in Germany. There are rules of law or direc-
tives/ requirements for each service or offer. PwD and OP people do not
have to pay for the PCG services, because the employment is financed
by different state programs and implemented by social services and VET
institutes.
In Turkey, since 2005 all PwD in need of care -whether they had social
insurance or not- became entitled to benefit from care services. PwDs in
need without family and social insurance, are admitted to public or pri-
vate care institutions or receive care services at home. The role of the
personal caregiver is partially covered by the legislation for certified
caregivers employed in public and private care institutions. According to
it, their main responsibility is to provide services for PwD following the
individual prescribed care program (hygiene, nutrition, etc.), to provide
psychological support and inform medical staff if necessary.

Needs of assistance
Most of the PCGs in the project countries provided support to peo-
ple with motor disabilities.
Six out of ten respondents use some kind of technological support
and/or assistive device.
The main needs of assistance reported included help with moving
around.
Many respondents mentioned that they needed help with their
personal hygiene, eating, grooming, toilet usage and get-
ting dressed. Some also needed basic nursing services. Some re-
spondents stated that they needed help with household activities.
An important part of the needs indicated include those related to
social activities and provision of emotional support.
Most PwD and OP (84%) need assistance at home, but the need of
assistance at the workplace, in education, as well as in vocational
rehabilitation was also highlighted. 35% of the respondents stated
that they need assistance in the public space.
We can conclude from the survey results that there are a lot of
people that need PCG services, but they currently receive support
from family members instead of professionals. In Germany 80%
use professionals for addressing their care giving needs. In Flan-
ders (Belgium) and Turkey the respective rate is 60% and in Bul-
garia 58,3%.

Quality of PCG services
PwD/OP and their family members are generally satisfied with
the PCG services they have received. 27% of respondents (family
members of PwD/OP) however indicate they don’t trust their PCG.
 PWD: 81% are either satisfied or completely satisfied.
 Family members: 65,9% are either satisfied or completely
satisfied.
Employment status of PCGs
37% of PWD and older people said that their PCG is not a member
of the legal workforce.
The gender of the care giver was also presented as an important
issue for Bulgaria and Turkey, while for Flanders (Belgium) and
Germany it seems to be of no importance.
Educational background of PCGs
In general, in all project countries, PCGs feel competent
(85,4%) as professionals.
A relatively high number (43,9%) of PCGs say they wouldn't
like to have special training.
74,4% of PWD selected basic psychological support as a
domain in which they would like their PCG to have extra training
on.
Training preferences
PwD for their PCG: Basic psychological support is identified
as the most important field with understanding a disability and
practical approaches in daily care, with examples coming
second and third respectively.
PCGs: They are divided between a broad and a specific training
program. Practical approaches in daily care were indicated as
the most preferred field of extra training, closely followed by
understanding a disability and interpersonal communication
skills.
Most respondents seem to prefer a blended training approach
(online & face to face), with video indicated as the preferred form
of training content.

Training practices
The most common training provided by the survey respondents is
about providing assistance with mobility and hygiene.
The material provided during courses is mostly textual. Only one
training centre uses online resources for training PCGs.
The training centres suggested the use of group training methods,
online tools, practical training and videos.
It is important to highlight the fact that we received only one
response mentioning the use of online material in PCG
training (from Bulgaria).
This result combined with the fact that online training is actually
recommended for PCG training by the respondents is crucial for
the planning of M-CARE work which is highly focused towards
producing (among other) training content for online and mobile
platforms.
The overall results are also extremely encouraging for the
development of the M-CARE PCG training curriculum and material,
since people from all relevant target groups identified that the
preferred methods for training cover all areas that M-CARE plans
to address.
Together with the training modules that are already in practice by
VET centres, which were identified during the desktop research,
the research’s results will work as a guide for the production of
the project's outcomes.

M-CARE dissemination events
M-CARE Project Team attended
International Progeria Children Meeting
Istanbul – 20 /26 September 2014
Annual International Progeria Children Meeting was held in
Bostancı Dedeman Hotel İstanbul-Turkey for the first time with
cooperation of Ministry of Family and Social Policy and Turkish
Association for Education and Solidarity of Persons with Disabilities
(OZEV) with Progeria Family Circle.
Approximately 100 persons including children with progeria
(Hutchinson-Gilford Syndrome) and their family members from
various countries such as Belgium, Italy, France, Germany, United
Kingdom, Austria, Holland and Denmark participated in the
meeting which lasted for 7 days. The meeting was aimed at
building cooperation among parents with progeria children and
raising public awareness on this under-recognized disease.
Within the scope of the event, children with progeria had the
opportunity to have fun and group work and with their peers while
the parents met medical experts and discussed with each other
about the health and social problems their children had been
facing. The participants also visited famous and spectacular places
in Istanbul such as Topkapı Palace, the Golden Horn, Blue Mosque
and Hagia Sophia Mosque.
M-CARE Project team from Ministry of Family and Social Policy
was also present during the event. The parents and other
participants from Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, OZEV and
Provincial Directorate of Ministry of Family were informed about M
-CARE and its activities. On the last day of the meeting high level
managers from Ministry of Family and Social Policy (including Ms.
Ayşenur ISLAM, Assoc. Prof. - The Minister of Family and Social
Policy) attended the meeting and a national press conference was
held at the venue. The event had a large impact on national press
and media.

M-CARE project presented at a municipal seminar in
Assenovgrad, Bulgaria
The Municipality of Assenovgrad organized a dedicated seminar
where experts acting in the field of social affairs presented
innovative methods for lifelong learning to prevent job losses. One
of the keynote speakers at the event was Mariya Goranova. She
gave a presentation on M-CARE project emphasizing on the
findings made after the need analysis research. At the end of her
speech she announced the forthcoming M-CARE training for PCGs.
Participants in the event shared that the project will have positive
impact on practitioners who provide assistance to people with
disabilities because in Bulgaria and especially in the small
municipalities such kind of interactive trainings are missing.
The event ended up with an exchange of contacts among
participants who are potential trainees in M-CARE programme.
M-CARE project disseminated through an international con-
ference in Sofia
On 13-14th
October, 2014 in Sofia, Bulgaria the Ministry of Labour
and Social Affairs in cooperation with The Bulgarian Chamber of
Commerce carried out an international conference dedicated to
development of social services in EU countries. The event was a
part of WIT project which aims are to expand and strengthen skills
and knowledge of social care professionals, through an open and
dynamic way to share experiences and exchange information and
views on a national and international level. Participants came from
different sectors such as Education and Training, Social Affairs and
Service Sector. Representatives of Interprojects’ team gave oral
presentation about the project and distributed leaflets. The repre-
sentative of the European Commission shared that M-CARE pro-
ject is in line with the EU trends in terms of training of PCGs.
Other professionals also asked to receive invitations for the
M-CARE training when it is ready.

M-CARE
in TAIEX Workshop
on Participation of Persons with Disabilities to Political Life
M-CARE was introduced and explained to the participants of
Workshop on Persons with Disabilities to Social Life which was
held in cooperation with the European Commission and Turkish
Republic Ministry of Family and Social Policy between 13 and 14
October 2014 in Plaza Hotel in Ankara, Turkey.
Target group of the event was representatives of public
institutions, local governments, civil society organisations and
academia and the objectives were to assess the current situation
and challenges in Turkey with regard to participation of persons
with disabilities to political life, to share good examples of
practices in EU countries and to increase expertise and awareness
of related stakeholders in Turkey on alternative methods in
casting votes such as e-voting, use of assistive devices or
alternative formats for persons with visual/hearing disabilities in
an EU perspective.
The speakers provided comprehensive information on legal
capacity of persons with mental disabilities, assistive devices used
during vote casting and international reports (such as EC-FRA
report, ANED Report and OHCHR Report) on participation of
persons with disabilities to political life.
Many representatives from various public institutions/ministries,
universities and CSO’s were present at the workshop. M-CARE
Project leaflets were distributed to the participants and they were
informed about the project activities.

M-Care presentation at ITAG 2014
Stavroula Papavasiliou, Prof. Constantinos Mourlas and Karel Van
Isacker prepared the presentation “Personal care giving services
for people with disabilities and older people: current trends and
future directions” which was presented at ITAG 2014, the
Interactive Technologies and Games (ITAG) Conference 2014,
Health, Disability and Education on Thursday 16 October 2014 in
The Council House, NG1 2DT, Nottingham, UK.
Sector Skill Alliance projects monitoring visit
Representatives of Gazi University and PhoenixKM participated
in the Sector Skill Alliance projects monitoring visit (Brussels,
Belgium) on behalf of M-Care. This took place at EACEA premises
on 20th October 2014.

M-CARE project team visited the Yenimahalle Municipality
In the scope of the dissemination activities, the Project team
carried out a visit on 31.10.2014 to Yenimahalle, Municipality
Disabled and Elderly Coordination Unit. M-care Project was
introduced during the visit. It was given information about the
project aim, activities and outcomes. The meeting was very much
helpful. During the visit, we invited them to participate on
December 3, 2014 World Disabled Day activities as one of the
panelist. They agreed this join this activity. They also promised
that they would support M-CARE Project in the future.
M-CARE project disseminated in front of Bulgarian Business
Community
On 7th
November, 2014 in Plovdiv, Bulgaria the Forum of
Bulgarian Business Leaders organized a seminar on Corporate
Social Responsibility. The event was led by Mr. Maxim Behar, a
well-known PR expert. Among the participants were policy makers
in the field of social affairs, university professors, and managers of
national and international companies who share the principles of
SCR.
All participants agreed that the human resource is the most
valuable factor which influences the development of the economy.
Therefore, the investments in training and education of the
working population should be sustainable and of a reasonable
size.
M-CARE project was appreciated as such initiative and the policy
makers from the Municipality of Plovdiv asked the Interprojects’
team to keep them informed about its development. Furthermore,
they shared that the social assistants and the personal ones pro-
viding assistance to people with disabilities will join the online
training course when it is available.

M-CARE project disseminated on EU level
The Norwegian National Agency initiated a Contact Seminar on
Adult Learning held on 12th
to 14th
of November 2014 in Brussels,
Belgium. Interprojects’ team has received a special invitation to
attend the Seminar which allowed us to present M-CARE project.
During the sessions Petya Grudeva introduced the project in front
of guests from different European countries such as Norway,
Sweden, Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Italy, etc.
At the end of the first working day the participants were able to
allocate their own market place where they demonstrated the
materials and products of their work. M-CARE project was
disseminated through leaflets given to all participants.
Very enjoyable moment during the event was the demonstration
of a typical drinks and food which helped for building of a good
team spirit.
As a whole the seminar broad many fruitful contacts and thus the
stakeholders involvement in M-CARE project was strengthened.

European Day of people with Disabilities – policy event
The PhoenixKM team was excited to attend the policy event
“Building together a barrier-free Europe – Celebrating the Day of
Persons with Disabilities” which took place in Brussels on 2-3 De-
cember 2014 at the Charlemagne building.
The prestigious event offered the opportunity for networking with
representative organisations from all over Europe.
M-Care at SGSCC workshop in Brussels
SGSCC (Serious Games for Social & Creativity Competence)
project organised a dedicated workshop “Social competences &
creativity as a stepping stone towards personal growth, social de-
velopment and employability” on 17 December 2014 in
Brussels, Belgium at VLEVA premises, focusing on the
importance of social skills and creativity for people with disabilities
which is fundamental to both social integration and professional
self-realisation. This project is dedicated to conceptualisation and
development of social competence in terms of training related to
adult education, school curricula and professional development
through the creation of serious games and other exercises that
make use of ICT. A set of training materials on social competences
and creativity using 3D scenarios, web and mobile games
has been created in English, Bulgarian, German, Dutch, Turkish,
Serbian & Lithuanian.
At the end of the workshop the attendees were familiarised with
the M-CARE project concept and received leaflets and more infor-
mation about the project. The workshop was attended by 60 par-
ticipants coming from different fields but they were all linked with
support of people disabilities.

M-CARE transnational partner meetings
Second Transnational Partners Meeting
At the beginning of September 2014 The University of Athens
(Greece) hosted the 2nd
transnational partners meeting of M-CARE
project.
During the working days partners reported the work done in ac-
cordance with the Action Plan adopted during the kick-off meeting.
There were no considerable delays in the development of the pro-
ject outcomes and the project itself is running smoothly.
The partners made decisions on the finalization of the Survey
Report Findings as well as on the content of the PCG training
curriculum, taking on board feedback received from experts in the
field. The themes of the Modules and other interesting
information will be announced soon.
The next transnational meeting will be held in Frankfurt, Germany
on 21-22nd
January, 2015.

Important for professional care-givers
How burnout syndrome could influence your work
Burnout is a term used in the article "Burnout: The high cost of
excellence" of the American psychiatrist Herbert Freudenberger in
1974, who noticed this syndrome among his colleagues. It is
characterized by specific symptoms and stages of development.
The main aspect of this syndrome is the increased sense of
intellectual, emotional and physiological exhaustion. To counteract
this occupational disease is recommended to develop interests
outside the workplace - something that is done with pleasure.
Christina Maslach identifies six main areas of non-compliance:
1. Requirements for the worker and his real possibilities
2. Striving for independence in the work and the degree of
control applied
3. Efforts invested in the work and underestimation of
contributions
4. Absence of positive working relationships with the team
5. Lack of equitable relations in work
6. Ethical principles of the personality and the job
requirements
Phases of burnout syndrome
Honeymoon phase. Your work makes you joyous, you have a
great degree of enthusiasm, you feel "complete", and each task is
within your power.
Reality. You understand that not everything is as perfect as you
imagined it. Your boss gives you more and more tasks. You are
very diligent, you work hard, you are disappointed, and you
become frustrated. Delays and extraordinary tasks start, you go
back home later and later, and the extra hours spent at work are
not paid. You realize that the work does not satisfy you - neither
in social, nor in financial terms.
Phase of disappointment. You are caught in a closed circle –
you become more and more tired and nervous, sharp lose or gain
weight because you have trouble sleeping. You are angry and
blame others for what happens to you. You become increasingly
critical to superiors and colleagues. You feel helpless. Frustration
and depression accompany you constantly. You are often ill.
Alarming phase. You are exhausted; your mental and physical
powers are gone. You feel like you will never succeed, you lose
your self-confidence and faith in yourself. You feel yourself
incapable of any change in your life. This phase is serious and if
you do not ask for help, this can have effects on your health. Your
life seems pretty pointless and you are constantly frustrated. Do
you recognize yourself in this description?

How burnout syndrome could influence your work
What should you do?
There are four phases that accompany this problem:
1. Identification of the syndrome - to recognize stressors in the
workplace as "burning out";
2. To find a way to deal with the syndrome;
3. If possible, to avoid the appearance of the syndrome;
4. Recovery from its consequences.
What to do to avoid its appearance?
• Be focused - concentrate on the work, arguing and proving that
you are right;
• Learn to say "NO", reinforce your self-consciousness;
• If it is not possible to change your job, at least change your atti-
tude towards it – learn to set boundaries and stick to them;
• Avoid jobs where you have to be dedicated;
• Do not let the work take over your life – overtime work will af-
fect your ability to do your duties for a long time.
• Find one or two colleagues with whom you can talk and share
your difficulties;
• Plan and organize each day;
• Maintain an active social life and do not give up your hobbies.
The skill to withstand stress
• Let your lifestyle be healthy;
• Eat regularly and wisely;
• Avoid taking caffeine, sweets and do not smoke;
• Play sports to be fit enough;
• Give yourself enough rest and sleep;
• Change the timing of your duties at home and at work;
• Discontinue certain activities that are not necessary and that
burden you.
If possible, prevent stressful situations or your attitude to
stress:
• Keep your sense of humor in situations that may be stressful;
• Maintain a balance between work and pleasure;
• Find time for leisure;
• Share your problems with friends and family;
• Get to know yourself and the limits of patience to stress;
• If necessary, seek professional help.
A healthy lifestyle and measures to improve the lives and health
lead to increased resistance to stress. Good relations in the family
and positivism in the workplace, at school and during free time
are part of good mental health, joy of life and good mood.

Consortium
Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey – Project Coordinator
Gazi University is one of the biggest universities of Turkey
with over 68.000 students including 56.000 undergraduate
and 12.000 postgraduate students currently studying in its
171 academic departments.
Contact person: Prof. Dr. Seyhan FIRAT
Email: sfirat@gazi.edu.tr
Ministry of family and social policy, General Directorate of services
for elderly and disabled people, Turkey
The General Directorate coordinates the activities
on preparing national policies and strategies aimed
at prevention, education, employment and rehabili-
tation services, ensuring that people with disabili-
ties fully and equally participate in social life with-
out facing any discrimination.
Contact person: Mr. Tayyar Kuz
Email: tayyar.kuz@aile.gov.tr
PhoenixKM BVBA, Belgium
PhoenixKM is a consultancy with extensive
expertise in the field of education and training
that targets people with disabilities, but also
their stakeholders, while making use of the
benefits offered by ICT.
Contact person: Mr. Karel Van Isacker
Email: karel@phoenixkm.eu
INTERPROJECTS Ltd., Bulgaria
INTERPROJECTS is a training provider, having its activities
fully directed towards people with disabilities and older
people. Their team consists of experts in the field of acces-
sibility issues, career orientation and guidance, employ-
ment, mentoring, e-games and networks of employers of disability etc.
Contact person: Mrs. Tonka Cholakova
Email: interprojectsbg@gmail.com
University of Athens, Greece
The Laboratory of New Technologies in Communication, Edu-
cation and the Mass Media operates within the Faculty of
Communication and Mass Media Studies of the National and
Kapodistrian University of Athens. The Laboratory serves re-
search and educational needs in the domain of new tech-
nologies and their applications in communication, education
and the mass media.
Contact person: Prof. Constantinos Mourlas
Email: mourlas@media.uoa.gr
Europäischer Verband Beruflicher Bildungsträger, Germany
EVBB is an Umbrella-Organisation of 50 Vocational
Training Centres in 21 European and International
countries and is based in Germany. In 2012 EVBB set
up a “Quality Charter”, taking into account the actual
developments in European Quality Policy such as EQAVET and EQARF.
Contact person: Mr. Fritz-Gerhard KUHN
Email: Fritz-Gerhard.kuhn@evbb.EU

M-Care newsletter 2

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