You assist your spouse, a parent, a child, a friend, a neighbor, or someone close to you who is facing a loss of autonomy, by providing moral, physical, or material support regularly or daily. According to the European federation of caregivers, Eurocarers, you are among those who ensure, in Europe, 80% of home care. Family caregivers fill a huge gap in social support and, through their work, indirectly contribute to the economy, accounting for 40% to 90% of the total cost of long-term care.
The Greek Caregivers Network EPIONI participates in the research program, Europ’Aidants, funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ program, which brings together three countries to understand the social policies concerning caregivers in France, Belgium, and Greece, based on European law.
After a year of work, four representatives from our organization and four representatives from the project coordinator, the Belgian organization Aidants Proches Wallonie, met in Montauban, France, where the organization APAS 82 operates. The partners had the opportunity to visit many support structures, to be informed about the support of informal caregivers in France, and to review the rights of caregivers in each country. For four days, they shared experiences and discussed common goals. Upon completion of the Europ’Aidants project, a guide of good practices for informal caregivers will be presented. The next meeting of the project will take place in Athens and Aegina from May 21-24, 2024. The final meeting of the project will be held in Brussels and Namur from November 12 to 15, 2024.