Challenges

According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), about 12 percent of elderly people in Latin America and the Caribbean have some degree of dependency, meaning they require attention and assistance to carry out daily activities. The same data estimates that this number will triple by 2050 (WHO, 2015 1).

Demand for elderly care in the region will only increase in the coming decades, which gives rise to the need both immediately and in the future to strengthen health systems and train health personnel to care for older people in long-term care facilities, day care and home care. This will aid in achieving SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 4 (Quality Education).

Toward a Solution

To address the growing need for elderly care in the Latin America and Caribbean region, and to strengthen the quality of care provided, the project created an e-learning Diploma for Long-term Care for the Elderly, with Emphasis on Long-term Care Facilities, Day Centres and Home Care. This specialization in elderly care targeted health professionals from Chile and Ibero-America. The e-learning methodology of the course ensured that the training could reach professionals and technicians from nine Latin American countries, namely Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay. The combination of compulsory and complementary readings, conferences and synchronous classes with experts, tutorials and group and individual work allowed the training to be applicable to the work context of each student and benefitting the health systems of all countries involved.

The project was participatory and each project partner played an important role in the development and roll out of the e-training, as described below.

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• Project coordination was jointly shared among the National Service for the Elderly (SENAMA), the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB) and the Chilean Agency for International Cooperation for Development (AGCID) for the evaluation and selection of technical experts to produce the course contents and for financially support- ing the development of the e-learning modules.
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• The Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and the Ibero-American Organization of Social Services (OISS) supported the construction, development and content management of the on-line platform activities.
• The Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and SENAMA conducted the technical and expert review of the training modules.
• Activity design was based on collaboration among various institu- tions, including OISS, which made available its virtual classroom plat- form (Moodle) and a technical team to support the platform; this lowered costs, facilitated its implementation and widened the project scope.

This high-level, quality academic activity was carried out over eight months, with the participation of more than 10 international expert teachers and lecturers, reaching 270 students from the nine countries. Students were divided into 27 expert tutoring groups allowing spaces for the exchange of experiences and good practices among students.

The project contributed to promoting learning opportunities with a gender approach (SDG 4, Target 4.3). Of the total applications received, 77 percent were women, highlighting their greater labour force participation in the field of elderly care in the region, as well as the barriers to access to training in this field. Of the 270 scholarships available, 209 were awarded to women (77.4 percent).

The course contributed to of the training of socio-health personnel (SDG 3, Target 3c), with 54 percent of the scholarships being awarded to professionals and technicians from long-stay establishments for the elderly (ELEAM), day centres and home care collaborators of SENAMA. Of the remaining 46 percent of the scholarships, 37 percent went to professionals and technicians working in care programmes run by foundations and NGOs and 23 percent to professionals and technicians working in health centres and hospitals. Of the 270 students enrolled, 222 completed the course and received a formal training certification.

The students finished the course by conducting an intervention applied in their work context, which contributed to project sustainability and with benefits that can be observed in the medium term.

The activities and contents of the diploma continue to be available on the OISS Moodle platform, enabling it to be replicated at any time.

Lessons learned with this project are described below:

• Offering a tutoring system focused on communication not only supports the academic outcomes but also monitors performance throughout the activity, raises alerts and provides support when necessary.
• A flexible evaluation system is important for training that targets working professionals, including allowing new deadlines and making help facilities available for those who have difficulties during the academic activity or who face situations of force majeure.
• It is beneficial to include activities that generate space for dialogue and exchange of experiences, conducted in the presences of recognized experts in the field.
• In the Latin American and Caribbean region, efforts are needed to improve the integration of Portuguese-speaking students.
• Standardize the selection criteria for professionals and technicians who apply for scholarships so that the levels of personal commitment and participation from each applicant are similar.
• Be aware of the need for a strategy to address time zone differences that allows the synchronous participation of students from different countries.

The initiative addressed the challenge of an increasing demand for elderly care, a global challenge shared by all countries, regardless of their specificities and level of development. The academic activity facilitated access to new care models and approaches applicable for each specific context. It will be important to continue to address the theme of long-term elderly care in the Latin America and Caribbean region (as well as elsewhere around the world), as this will remain a significant development challenge.