Family Carers Ireland Launches FREE eLearning Courses for Family Carers

Online courses cover five key aspects of caring

Family Carers Ireland – the national charity representing Ireland’s 500,000 family carers – is delighted to launch a suite of eLearning courses which aim to provide information and guidance to those caring for loved ones at home.

The courses, which can be accessed through https://familycarers.ie/carer-supports/learning-education, cover five key aspects of caring:

• self-care
• coping with grief
• nutrition and hydration
• positive communication
• continence care.

Each includes an introduction and overview of the topic and allows family carers to work through the information at a time and pace that suits them. This online initiative is particularly timely given that in-person courses are not possible due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The courses were developed with the support of the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Dormant Accounts Fund administered by Pobal.

Welcoming today’s launch, Family Carers Ireland’s National Lead for Psychosocial Supports Anna de Siún said:

“We are delighted to be launching these eLearning programmes that will allow carers to access valuable information at a time and place that suits them. This is particularly needed at this time when carers cannot attend workshops or education programmes in person. Each programme is designed to give carers the opportunity to enhance their caring skills, and keep themselves well within their caring role. We hope they will complement the suite of resources available through our website, our Careline and our Carer Support Managers around the country.”

Notes to the editor:

All courses (descriptions below) can be found at https://familycarers.ie/carer-supports/learning-education

Self-Care for Family Carers: This eLearning course recognises the importance of self-care for family carers, and gives insight into what self-care might look like for you. Developed in partnership with Bryan Nolan, a grief and loss specialist, the course provides practical tips and suggestions on how to care for yourself when you're caring for someone else.

Family Caring and Coping with Grief: Developed in partnership with The Irish Hospice Foundation, this eLearning course is designed to help you as a family carer to cope with the losses and griefs that are an inevitable part of caring for someone. The course explores the different losses associated with being a family carer, examines the grieving process and gives guidance on how to support yourself when grieving.

Supporting Good Nutrition and Hydration for Family Carers: This eLearning course was developed in partnership with Carmel Folan, learning and development specialist, and Bernadette O'Connor, Innovation and Programme Manager at Family Carers Ireland. It gives family carers guidance and information around nutrition to ensure both they, and the person they are caring for, is receiving a diet that provides optimum nutrition to remain as healthy as possible.

Positive Communication for Families: This eLearning course aims to give you insight into your own communication style and tips and strategies to enhance your communication with the person you care for and your family. Developed in partnership with Janette Casey of Fusion Psychotherapy Service, it also helps you to understand boundaries and be more aware of your own boundaries as well as how to use them to keep you well within your caring role.

Continence Care for Family Carers: This eLearning course, which was developed in partnership with Carmel Folan, learning and development specialist, looks at some of the causes of both urinal and faecal incontinence, gives tips on promoting continence and provides guidance on supporting a person who is incontinent.