Care in the digital age
The DiMiCare project (Digital Mindset for Carers), launched in November 2022 and concluding in October 2024, brought together five partners from four different countries working in the fields of health, care, and adult education.
The primary goal was to enhance the digital skills of care assistants and home helpers by offering accessible, online-based learning and training opportunities. Through free, user-friendly materials, the project aimed to not only inform carers about the benefits and importance of digital tools in care but also equip them with the skills needed to use these tools safely, effectively, and ethically.
As the project ends, the partnership is proud to present its three key products: the Groundwork Paper, the DiMiCare Training Course, and the Dimicare Micro-Learning Units, all of which are now available on the DiMiCare website.
The Groundwork Paper is based on an analysis of current trends in the use of technology within the care sector, as well as the digital competency needs of care workers. It is available as an interactive e-book on the project website, alongside the national reports from each partner country.
The DiMiCare training course is an online training course consisting of five modules, each focused on a critical aspect of digital competence in long-term care.
- Basic Digital Competences
- Care-Specific Technology
- Application of Digital Tools
- Supporting Clients in Digital Tool Use
- Data Protection
This modular training course, with a total duration of 20-30 hours, can be integrated into initial vocational education and training (IVET) or offered as a stand-alone continuing vocational education and training (CVET) programme. It includes a blend of theoretical content, videos for reflection, practical exercises, and final questions to help learners reflect on the material and their learning progress. It comes with a comprehensive curriculum and training guidelines for trainers to facilitate in-class trainings.
The DiMiCare Micro-learning units are building on the content of the DiMiCare training course and cover five topics with five short and entertaining learning videos each:
Topic 1: Digital services and apps to promote independence and autonomy of clients
Topic 2: Application of communication systems in care settings
Topic 3: XR in care
Topic 4: Applying smart home technologies in care
Topic 5: The integration of robotics for physical assistance in care
The units are delivered in small, bite-sized lessons lasting just a few minutes, designed for informal, self-directed learning in the workplace. Care workers can select topics based on their specific learning needs and watch the videos on their smartphones or on a computer.
To ensure their effectiveness, the materials underwent national trials to assess how well they prepare care workers for integrating digital tools into caregiving. Over 100 care workers (in training) and 20 trainers participated in testing, providing valuable feedback. Based on their input, adjustments were made, primarily simplifying certain units to ensure they are easily understood by the target audience.
The finalised products are now available on the DiMiCare website and are licensed under a Creative Commons license, allowing adaptation and sharing for non-commercial purposes, with proper attribution.
We hope these products are engaging and contribute to fostering a digital mindset among care workers.
