The organisation’s experience shows that there are few places where families taking care of the disabled and chronically ill can receive guidance and support. Long-term care results in frustration and constant tension, and in muscle and skeletal-and-joint system ailments (caused by overstrain when caring for and lifting patients). This may result in a sense of social abandonment, burnout, legislative confusion, and health issues.
The project purpose was to prevent the social exclusion of caregivers (parents, partners, spouses) to the disabled by providing educational and information assistance, and improving their emotional and physical condition.
A support community was formed to offer mutual help, advice, and conversation contact when needed. Forty-six parents and caregivers improved their physical and mental condition, expanded their knowledge, and dared kindle their social lives.
The following were delivered: 24 integration meetings; 7 seminars with experts (sexuologist, psychiatrist, therapist, social worker, notary public, dietician, paramedic); individual consulting sessions on the use of state-of-the-art equipment and available software in the therapy and education of the disabled (220 hours, 16 parents); individual rehabilitation sessions (massage, 960 hours, 33 persons); group physiotherapy (aerobics: 117 classes, 22 women; gym: 87 sessions, 5 men; swimming: 47 classes, 25 persons); 20 culture and entertainment outings, 4 integration trips (3-day: the Tri-City and Kołobrzeg, day trips: Warsaw and Gdańsk); 6 general access events. Care was provided (311 hours) for the disabled for the time of classes and trips attended by their caregivers.
Project beneficiaries mainly included parents of disabled adults (40 women, 6 men) from Toruń and the local area.