Author name: Frederico

On 10 July 2025, partner CADIAI hosted an event at Fondazione Barberini in Bologna, Italy, to present the main outcomes of the YoungCare project. The session, attended by five participants, highlighted the project’s key achievements and detailed the research and content co-creation methodology. Participants considered the topics relevant and valuable, particularly for the target audience. However, they also pointed out the challenges of providing consistent information, given the significant regional differences in services for people with disabilities and caregivers across the country. Although attendance was limited, likely due to the summer holiday period, the event successfully contributed to the dissemination of project results within the organiser’s network.

The YoungCare consortium is pleased to announce the release of two new leaflets that provide a clear and accessible summary of the project’s main results and how to make the most of them. These resources are ideal for professionals, organisations, and informal caregivers seeking a practical overview of the tools and insights developed throughout the project. The “Meet the YoungCare Project Results” leaflet offers a complete overview of all project outcomes, with direct links to the YoungCare e-learning platform, the European Compendium for Informal Caregivers, the Policy Recommendations, and the Recommendations for Professional Caregivers. All resources were co-created with caregivers, young adults with care needs, and experts to ensure they are practical, inclusive, and relevant to real-life challenges. Access the leaflet and all project results here. The “Explore the YoungCare Platform” leaflet serves as a step-by-step guide to the YoungCare online platform, an e-learning tool created to support informal caregivers of adults aged 18 to 64. The platform features practical content across five core areas: Housing and Living, Leisure and Mobility, Participation and Employment, Care and Support, and the Legal Framework. It is available in six languages: English, German, Italian, Lithuanian, Dutch, and Portuguese. Explore the leaflet here.

The YoungCare consortium is proud to announce the official release of its Policy and Professional Caregivers Recommendations, available in both short and full versions. This milestone is the result of a collaborative process that culminated in three European expert roundtables, two of which involved structured co-creation sessions with 38 and 28 participants, respectively. During these sessions, participants explored six key challenges faced by informal caregivers: lack of time, information gaps and complexity, gender inequality, financial difficulties, psychological and emotional burden, and infrastructure and accessibility issues. Through this participatory approach, the YoungCare team co-developed actionable recommendations for both policymakers and professional caregivers. Contributors who expressed interest in being publicly recognised have been formally acknowledged in both documents. Discover the recommendations here.

On 19 June 2025, Vytautas Magnus University (Kaunas, Lithuania) hosted the national multiplier event “Informal care for working-age people with disabilities: challenges and opportunities.” Organised by YoungCare researchers and moderated by Dr. Rasa Naujanienė, the event brought together 17 professionals, including social workers, case managers, and disability coordinators. The event opened with a keynote by Prof. Jonas Ruškus, former expert-member and vice-chair of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2015–2022). He presented the landmark Bellini v. Italy case and its importance in affirming the rights of informal caregivers as a human right. Participants then took part in interactive activities based on the YoungCare e-learning platform, engaged in discussions around policy and professional recommendations, and explored the platform hands-on in a computer. The day concluded with a presentation by Dr. Dovilė Daugėlienė and Dr. Gedas Malinauskas on the emotional and biographical impact of caregiving, accompanied by distribution of their published article. The event fostered meaningful dialogue and reinforced the importance of supporting informal caregivers of working-age people with disabilities across Europe.

On 29 May 2025, the Portuguese YoungCare Multiplier Event took place in Porto as part of the conference “Innovation and Sustainability: the grand societal challenges”, hosted at the University of Porto and jointly organised by the University and SHINE 2Europe. The YoungCare project was first introduced during the session “Warm-up Teasers | Innovation (Almost) Ready to Adopt,” which highlighted the role of informal caregivers in Portugal. The presentation, titled “Support to Informal Caregivers – The Example of YoungCare,” included key statistics and an overview of the project’s main outputs. This was followed by an interactive workshop where participants explored the YoungCare educational platform, discovering a range of practical, relevant, and engaging tips. The event gathered recognised experts and institutions from across Portugal to share practical and inspiring solutions to some of today’s most pressing societal challenges. With a total of 102 participants (36 online and 66 in person), the event provided an excellent stage to amplify the visibility, impact, and reach of YoungCare’s results.

The German multiplier event of YoungCare was held on the 25th of May at the “Family and Health Day” (“Familien- und Gesundheitstag”) in Rüsselsheim. On a rainy Sunday, a lot of visitors found their way to the health fair organised by the self-help office of the Paritätische Projekte and the GPR Clinic in Rüsselsheim. A self-help mile offered interested parties the opportunity to get to know the work of different self-help groups at stands and engage in dialogue. The whole event was rounded off by specialist but also very practical presentations, such as ADHD in old age, the exhibition of a two-metre knee joint, and a teddy clinic for the youngest guests. Next to the stand of the self-help office, the YoungCare project had its own exhibition stand, including the opportunity to try out the platform and view poster presentations showing the YoungCare platform and recommendations for policy-makers and professionals. A broad public audience joining the fair, as well as professionals representing their work at other exhibition stands, got general information about the YoungCare project and were invited to use the platform. In particular, professionals who deal with care, illnesses such as dementia, or pastoral care were welcomed to advertise the project results in their professional environments too.

On 29th May 2025, the YoungCare Multiplier Event will take place in Porto, integrated into the conference “Inovação e Sustentabilidade: Os grandes desafios sociais”, held at the University of Porto and jointly organised by the University and SHINE 2Europe. The event will gather recognised experts and institutions from across Portugal to share practical and inspiring solutions to today’s pressing societal challenges. As part of the programme, the YoungCare project will be featured in two key moments: during the session “Warm-up teasers | Innovation (almost) ready to adopt”, which offers an overview of innovative projects close to finalisation; and in a hands-on workshop where participants will explore the YoungCare educational platform, delve into its content, and interact with its functionalities. More information can be found here. Registration is free but mandatory: Conference registration form

  April 1, 2025, marked an intense and productive day for the YoungCare consortium. All project partners came together in Vilnius, Lithuania, at Mykolas Romeris University for one transnational hybrid project meeting, organised by SHINE 2Europe. The gathering provided a valuable opportunity to discuss the final steps for the completion of the YoungCare platform, refine the policy and professional caregivers’ recommendations, and explore strategies to ensure the project’s long-term sustainability. During the meeting, a SWOT analysis was conducted to identify the project’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This initial step will guide a more in-depth discussion in a follow-up meeting, where partners will explore concrete ways to build on project results and possibly continue collaborating beyond the project’s formal conclusion. After a joint lunch, the consortium hosted the European Multiplier Event of YoungCare. The event took place as part of the PAAR-NET Training School, a COST Action focused on participatory approaches in ageing research, which brought together young researchers, representatives from municipalities, start-ups, and other key stakeholders. Organised by SHINE 2Europe, the session was structured in two parts. First, the results of the YoungCare project were presented, with a particular focus on the participatory and co-creation methodologies employed throughout the project. This was especially relevant to the training school’s theme and offered participants an overview of the platform and the accompanying policy recommendations. The second part of the session featured a hands-on co-creation exercise. Participants were invited to reflect on the challenges identified during YoungCare’s European roundtables and brainstorm how co-creation methods could be used to address complex caregiving issues. This interactive segment not only gave attendees a chance to apply the co-creation framework presented earlier, but also generated concrete ideas that will be included in the project’s sustainability plan as potential paths forward. The day concluded with a joint dinner with the DigitalScouts consortium, as some partners are involved in both projects and the DigitalScouts team was also in Vilnius for their multiplier event.

  On 17 February, the YoungCare consortium gathered online for a transnational project meeting to discuss the latest project developments. The first full presentation of the e-learning platform, now available in English, was delivered. As the platform is still in the testing phase, all partners will be evaluating it over the coming days to provide feedback for further improvements. The goal is to refine the platform before workshop tests take place in Portugal, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, and Lithuania throughout February and March. These workshops will gather insights to enhance the platform’s effectiveness and accessibility. Discussions also covered data collection procedures and the assessment framework to ensure a structured evaluation process. Additionally, preparations for the European Multiplier Event, scheduled for 1 April 2025 in Vilnius, were discussed. This event will coincide with the next Transnational Project Meeting (TPM), where partners will focus on shaping the YoungCare sustainability plan. A brief update on sharing and promotion efforts was also provided, including the organisation of National Multiplier Events. These events aim to broaden YoungCare’s impact, presenting the project’s key outputs to wider audiences through open sessions across consortium countries. The main outputs to be showcased include: the compendium, the e-learning platform, policy and professional caregiver recommendations. With these ongoing activities, YoungCare continues to strengthen its support for informal caregivers and young adults in need of care, ensuring its tools and resources are well-tested, designed appropriately for the target audience, widely disseminated, and effectively implemented.

    On January 22, the YoungCare project held its 3rd and final European roundtable with experts, bringing together 28 participants from various sectors including nursing, architecture, social work, social innovation, and medicine. Participants represented diverse countries such as Portugal, Italy, Germany, Albania, Turkey, Romania, Belgium, Lithuania, Spain, Austria, Greece, the UK, and Serbia. This collaborative session aimed to address key challenges faced by informal caregivers and propose actionable recommendations for policymakers and professional caregivers. The session began with a presentation by Carina Dantas, Co-Director of the SHAFE Foundation and CEO of SHINE, who introduced the SHAFE approach and shared key insights developed during the NET4Age-Friendly COST Action. Following this, an overview of the YoungCare project was presented, including results from desk research and interviews that highlighted good practices from Lithuania, Italy, Portugal, Germany, and the Netherlands. A key focus of the session was on discussing six critical challenges faced by informal caregivers, which were identified through prior research and during the last co-creation session: time constraints, information gaps and complexity, gender inequality, financial strains, psychological and emotional burden, infrastructure and accessibility issues. Participants reflected on these challenges and contributed additional insights, good practices, and practical recommendations. The outcomes from this and previous co-creation sessions will be analysed to finalise the recommendations for policy-makers and professional caregivers, ensuring alignment with the identified challenges and experts’ concerns. The final recommendations will serve as a key deliverable of the YoungCare project, aiming to promote improved support for informal caregivers across Europe.