We are delighted to announce the launch of Nua Healthcare's latest community support initiative, the Caregiver Empowerment Programme, which has been fulfilled by our MDT.
The Caregiver Empowerment Programme is free to all caregivers and is focused on both giving the healthcare system and the people who rely upon it, a helping hand. Although we cannot support everyone, the Caregiver Empowerment Programme aims to help as many as possible by providing information on various topics such as Intellectual Disability, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder, Acquired Brain Injury, Mental Health Difficulties in Children and Adolescents, Mental Health Difficulties in Adults, and Self-Care for the Caregiver.
The programme hopes to enable caregivers to develop a sense of empowerment, agency and self-confidence, to promote awareness and understanding around disabilities and mental health difficulties, and to share the various avenues for seeking additional support, accessing additional resources, self-help skills, strategies, and techniques. It also aims to reduce the sense of helplessness carers may be feeling, while supporting and validating their experiences and struggles.
The team put a lot of thought, time, and effort into ensuring the programme was completed to the highest standards possible, and designed in a way that acknowledged the many roles and responsibilities of a caregiver both inside and outside of the home. The Caregiver Empowerment Programme, which can be accessed through the link at the end of this article, consists of 7 introductory modules, all of which have been made available in PDF for downloading and reading at leisure, or for listening to on the go.
Each module has been narrated by a professional voiceover artist, and all modules have been further augmented through the provision of various additional resources, signposting to relevant third-party organisations and useful sample tools and templates the caregiver may choose to download and use at home.
In keeping with time constraints caregivers may often experience, we chose a new and more simplistic cloud-based learning management system as the most appropriate platform, allowing for simple and quick access to the programme through various devices, easy navigation of modules and resources, and allowing for stop/start learning. Towards the end of this year and into 2024, Nua’s MDT hope to commence delivering live webinars on more specialised topics and look forward to sharing their vast expertise with those most in need of guidance and support.
"The Caregiver Empowerment Programme has been an absolute privilege to work on. From the initial discussions and design briefings to accumulating, presenting, and delivering the finished programme, the team and I have put everything into it over the last few months and feel a great sense of pride in officially launching it. Giving back is something I personally feel very passionate about, but to have an opportunity to share my skills and expertise in the knowledge that it could potentially help thousands of people in need has been a truly wonderful feeling. Thanks to Nua's' MDT for their input and support. I look forward to seeing the Clinical Department expand the programme in the months and years ahead. Caitriona Rochford, Executive Assistant to the CEO".
"It was an honour to lead on the course content of this community support initiative, I would like to acknowledge the contribution of my colleagues from the multi-disciplinary team in Nua for their time and effort in producing evidence-based information, strategies and resources for the Caregiver Empowerment Programme. As a team who support team members and families in various areas of complex needs, we were able to apply our experience and skills from our time in Nua and hope that we can empower others in taking a lead role in their wellbeing and happiness. Tania Carvalho, Principal Clinical Psychologist".
"It was a privilege to be able to apply Nua’s expertise and create a programme that local communities can benefit from - a special thank you to Caitriona Rochford and Tania Carvalho for their guidance, direction and dedication in the design and development of the Caregiver Empowerment Programme. Ita Forde, Director of Services".
If you wish to access the Caregiver Empowerment Programme, or indeed you wish to share it with others who you feel may benefit from it, please do so by clicking here.