With an ageing population, the number of people in need of long-term care is increasing. As constant caring for someone is challenging, different services are developed to assist carers in fulfilling their activities. In this context, the JRC partnered with EUROCARERS to launch a new online database of digital services for carers of older people.

This new tool offers access to 78 good practices of digital services for older care at home, which the JRC gathered and that EUROCARERS, the European network representing informal carers and their organisations, helped make available to all.

The database, which is hosted on the EUROCARERS website, constitutes a valuable tool for EU Member States and all stakeholders involved in long-term care, including practitioners. The database contains information needed to develop, implement and transfer such services. Moreover, this database aims to raise awareness among policy-makers and care-responsible organisations about the benefits of these services for the sustainability of the care system, the welfare of the European population, and to create growth and jobs.

Telecare, e-learning, online information platforms on older care, and care-tasks coordination apps are just a few examples of digital services for carers of older people. These services help them to carry out their tasks better and make their care more accessible and qualified. However, these services are still not fully deployed in public care systems and an analysis on returns on investment, business models, digital skills and exchange of good practices, such as the ones provided in this online database, are needed to scale them up and mainstream these services.

The content of the database has been produced by the JRC in collaboration with the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content & Technology, with the support of INRCA (the Italian National Institute of Health and Science on Ageing) and EUROCARERS.