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Empowering Migrant Carers through Digital Literacy: Insights from Brussels Workshop

The workshop on Digital Literacy for Migrant Carers, held in Brussels on October 12, 2010, explored the critical role of technology and online inclusion in enhancing the skills and social integration of migrant care workers (MCWs). With rising care needs in Europe, the session highlighted solutions for labor shortages and the challenges faced by MCWs, including social isolation and skill gaps. Discussions emphasized the importance of digital competence in improving emotional resilience, professional qualifications, and societal integration, while also addressing ethical considerations and legal barriers.

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Empowering Migrant Carers through Digital Literacy: Insights from Brussels Workshop

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  1. Getting Migrant Carers On-Line eInclusion Days, Digital Literacy workshop Brussels, 12th October 2010 Andrea SchmidtContact: schmidt@euro.centre.org (Presentation prepared with inputs from Ricardo Rodrigues)

  2. A changing world will bring... ...and changing availability of care: ...changing care needs: Prevalence of Dementia in Europe (2005) “Support ratio”: number of women aged 45-64 for each 80 year-old Source: Own calculations based on Alzheimer Europe (2006) Source: Eurostat

  3. Home is where you’re cared for Beneficiaries of institutional and home care in EU Member States (latest available year) Institutional care confined to a minority Home care is key for more people accessing care Source: ECFIN (2009), European Centre 2009

  4. Solutions? Migrant care workers (MCWs) • Labour shortages in the care sector > pressure on informal care; • Demand e.g. for 24h care; • Budgetary constraints at state & household level; • Favourable policy settings: unregulated cash benefits Targeting immigration of skilled labour for health and LTC sector: “Legal” carers” (e.g. nurses employed by health sector) as well as... …“grey markets of care”, particularly in home care: Undocumentedcarershiredby private households

  5. But...MCWs- at the edge of society? Social isolation • 24h presence required: psychological distress/loss of self-esteem • Cultural and language barriers Quality concerns • Limited skills and experience: Poor knowledge on existing services, lack of training opportunities >> Impact on quality of care; • Lack of integration with formal care Ethical concerns • Exploitation and lack of social protection; • Two-tier labour market through imperfect formalisation • Beggar-thy-neighbour policies? (Future) care gaps in sending countries and “brain drain” (qualified migration);

  6. Potential of ICT in domiciliary care Source: Unpublished working paper, Lamura et al. (2010)

  7. Good practices (1) (not specifically for MCWs) Sources: ACTION website; Carers UK website; Yeandle and Fry (2010), Kluzer et al. (2010), and Empirica/WRC (2010)

  8. Good practices (2) Sources: ACTION website; Carers UK website; Yeandle and Fry (2010), Kluzer et al. (2010), and Empirica/WRC (2010)

  9. Digital competence for MCWs Crucialissues: • Accessibility • Availability • Safety • Ethical/legal concerns • Language skills Digital skillsof MCWs: …to understand …tocriticallyevaluate …touseresponsiblyandconfidently …tocommunicateeffectively • Effectivenetworking • Peer support • Increasedindependence • Increasedself-esteem • Increasedqualification DC „involvestheconfidentandcriticaluseof IST forwork, leisureandcommunication[,…] underpinnedbybasicskills: theuseofcomputersto […] exchangeinformation, andtocommunicateandparticipate in collaborativenetworksvia the Internet.“ (European Council, 2006)

  10. Conclusions for further debate Given the appropriate legal, technological and cognitive environment... Digital competence can support MCWs at: • Emotional level: strengthening personal coping strategies and self-management, increasing social networks and independence • Professional level: improving qualification of MCWs, providing on-the-job and peer support, integrating them in the formal labor market • Societal level: Integrating MCWs better in the hosting country and in interacting with family caregivers Yet, many challenges remain: • Lack of initiatives designed particularly for MCWs (e.g.in mother tongue) • Legal concerns (e.g. over information exchange, revealing identity) • Evidence-based knowledge on the benefits,impact and costs of ICT solutions especially in informal domiciliary long-term care

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