Learning to be caregivers for people with chronic conditions

Universidad Nacional de Colombia via Coursera

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Details

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Provider

Coursera
Pricing

Free Online Course (Audit)
Languages

English
Certificate

Paid Certificate Available
Duration & workload

14 hours 3 minutes
Sessions

On-Demand
Level

Beginner
Subtitles

English

Found in

Overview

This course is designed for people interested in developing skills in caregiver care, regardless of whether or not they have a background in healthcare. Throughout the training, participants will learn to address the realities of the caregiver role, whether to improve their well-being, reduce the emotional and physical burden they face, or out of academic interest. In light of the growth of chronic conditions and the increasing demand for care, this course highlights the importance of supporting caregivers, who have often been rendered invisible and neglected. Participants will be able to understand the value of caregiver care, their context, and their role, developing key competencies to meet the challenges of caring for people with chronic conditions. Through updated content on the context of care and fundamental concepts related to caregiver well-being, topics such as anxiety, depression, loneliness, and overload that affect those who take on the role of caring for a loved one will be addressed. In addition, global research results on the profile and health of family caregivers will be presented, offering a panoramic and in-depth view of this crucial topic. The evidence and recommendations will consolidate a broad understanding of the importance of caring for caregivers in the context of chronic diseases, providing practical tools to improve their quality of life and support in their role. This course is an excellent opportunity for those who wish to acquire in-depth knowledge about caregiving in chronic situations and generate a positive impact on the well-being of caregivers.

Syllabus

Module 1_Fundamental concepts of caregiving.

Considering that the course is aimed at people interested in the work of being a caregiver and the ways in which their care can be promoted to achieve quality of life, it is necessary to know their previous experiences on the subject and thus enable them to articulate the basic concepts. It is intended that by familiarizing themselves with keywords related to caring for caregivers, participants will be able to understand basic aspects that significantly affect the execution of the role. The topics to be covered include: ●Caregiver context. ●Statement of topics such as:○ Caregiver types. ○Types of health conditions. ○Transition of the caregiver role and possible situations. The skills we aim to strengthen include: ●Adaptability. ●Knowledge management. ●Creative thinking.

Module 2_ Context of care.

When talking about a chronic health condition, the focus is usually on the patient, ignoring the realities and needs of the caregiver. This lack of visibility prevents this role from being valued, so it is necessary for the caregiver to reflect independently on the environment in which they find themselves, the dynamics with the person being cared for, and the support networks they have, in order to identify in time, the challenges and facilitators that influence the care process. By becoming aware of the characteristics of the health condition of the person receiving care and the particularities of their role, they will be able to value the work they perform and thus more easily face the realities of caregiving. The topics to be covered include: ●Caregiver context. ●Caregiving context. ●Acute and chronic health conditions. ●Difference between acute and chronic health conditions. The skills we aim to strengthen include:

Module 3_Transition to adoption of the caregiver role.

Most people have performed care work for others at some point in their lives; however, whenit comes to caring for patients with chronic health conditions, it is necessary to be clear aboutthe role to be assumed as it suggests emotional and physical support that provides well-beingto the individual being cared for, but without losing sight of one's own quality of life.Therefore, it is important to know what types of caregivers there are, in order to positiononeself in the corresponding one and identify who can support this task.Being able to adopt the role of caregiver is not acquired immediately; it requires a continuousprocess of adaptation to the new reality, in order to redefine identity and purpose, for whichthe caregiver will go through some planned phases that will help him/her gain sufficientconfidence in his/her new role. The topics to be covered include: ●Types of caregivers. ●Caregiver role. ●Transition to the caregiver role. The skills we aim to strengthen include: ●Critical thinking. ●Analysis capacity. ●Caregiving management.

Module 4_Caregiver Abilities.

Taking on the role of caregiver implies a significant change in the life project, so it is necessary to identify in a timely manner what the execution of the work consists of and the skills to be developed or strengthened. Because it is an abrupt change, it takes caregivers without preparation and prior knowledge, so it is necessary to consider the learning curve that is required and pay attention to the progress and lessons learned.However, it is possible that, during the transition to this new role, unfavorable response patterns for the quality of life of the caregiver may arise, making it necessary to identify the emotions, conditions and factors of incidence. The topics to be covered include: ●Transition to the Caregiver Role and Response Patterns. ●Response patterns arising from the transition to the caregiver role. ●Cognitive and instrumental skills and their impact on the caregiving role. The topics to be covered include: ●Critical thinking. ●Initiative. ●Information management. ●Caregiving skills.

Module 5_Caregiving impact.

When a caregiver experiences constant episodes of loneliness, depression, and anxiety, it is very likely that overload will arise and from there the impact on their physical, emotional, spiritual, social, and economic health. It is therefore necessary to identify the relevant strategies to address it and prevent the caregiver from becoming a patient with a hidden chronic disease.However, the impact generated by care is not always negative. After going through the phase of role organization; strengthening cognitive and instrumental skills and having a support network whom to delegate tasks to, it is possible for the caregiver to direct their life project, based on the lessons learned. The topics to be covered include: ●Overload and quality of life of the caregiver. ●Factors that can influence the caregiver's overload and quality of life. ●Healthy and unhealthy effects of caregiving. ●Levels of the caregiver's role. The skills we aim to strengthen include: ●Critical thinking. ●Problem solving. ●Analytical skills.