Easycare Academy and the International Council of Nurses Enter Into Agreement to Expand Access to Quality Care for Older Adults Around the World

GENEVA, March 21, 2018 (Newswire.com) - EasyCare Academy, S.A. ('ECA') and the International Council of Nurses ('ICN') today announced that they entered into an agreement in which they will work together to expand access to quality care for older adults around the world. The goal of the collaboration is to create robust and accredited educational and training material for those working to provide care to older adults, either in home-based or institutional settings. This educational material is created for caregivers - family members, paid care workers, nurses, and other healthcare professionals focused on supporting people as they age. According to the World Health Organization, there will be 1 billion people over 60 years of age in the world by 2020 and this number is projected to double to 2 billion by 2050. Thus, as the global population ages, there is a need to expand access to quality care so that people can live better as they live longer.

"Longevity is one of the great challenges of the 21st century. While it should be good news for all, many older adults experience misgivings due to concerns about their health and well-being," commented Peter Nicholson, co-Founder, President & CEO of ECA. "We need to empower all caregivers through better training and education, so they can become even more confident and effective in supporting older people to age with dignity."

"Nursing plays a vital role in improving and maintaining the health of the older person," commented Annette Kennedy, ICN President. "To foster attitudes, knowledge, and skills, maximize the functional ability of ageing populations, and support age-friendly supportive environments and public health policies, we must ensure the presence of an adequately skilled nursing workforce. This new collaboration will go a long way to improving care for an increasingly elderly population."

Over the past 29 years, research studies using ECA's person-centric, compassionate care model have shown that addressing the needs and priorities identified by each older adult can have a meaningful impact on their health and wellness and lower the cost of health and care. ECA is focused on providing training and education materials based on these principles.

"Putting the older person at the center and then developing the tools and training caregivers need to support them based on these insights is at the heart of everything we do," commented Professor Ian Philp, M.D, CBE, co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of ECA. "At the same time, as we empower an ever-broader group of people to care for older adults, we need to safeguard the quality of the care delivered and ensure a clear understanding of when to link to healthcare professionals."

Across the globe, the nursing profession is increasingly intersecting with the needs for caring for older adults. At the same time, there is a shortage of nurses around the world, and this issue is expected to be exacerbated in the future due to a rapidly increasing ageing segment of the global population. ICN believes it is essential that nurses are involved in the education, training, and supervision of carers and support workers to provide the best quality care.

"Nurses are often the primary care provider for the older person, particularly when their health needs require them to be placed in an aged care facility, "commented Professor Thomas Kearns, Interim Chief Executive Officer of ICN. "Most of the health problems of older age are linked to chronic conditions, particularly non-communicable diseases. Many of these can be prevented or delayed by healthy behaviours. With expertise in the life course approach, especially in primary health care settings, nurses are well positioned to promote healthy ageing. Supporting and empowering nurses to train and supervise other cadres of carers is key to improving access to quality health care for older people around the world."

ECA and the ICN are developing robust, structured and accredited learning materials for caregivers, including nurses, and plan to release this through ECA's online educational platform in the future.

About EasyCare Academy

Based on 29 years' research experience across nearly 50 countries, EasyCare Academy ('ECA') is a social impact company that has created a proprietary digital platform to address the global challenge of population aging in the 21st century. We work with caregivers - family members, paid care workers, healthcare professionals and others focused on supporting people as they age - by providing best-in-class training and education. Our person-centred compassionate care model assesses older people's concerns and priorities to generate a personalized care plan connected to local resources. The focus of our tools and training is to improve the well-being, independence, social connection and health of older people while creating jobs with meaning and lowering the costs of health and care. More information about ECA can be found at www.EasyCareAcademy.com.

About the International Council of Nurses

The International Council of Nurses ('ICN') is a federation of more than 130 National Nurses Associations ('NNAs'), representing more than 20 million nurses worldwide. Founded in 1899, ICN is the world's first and widest reaching international organization for health professionals. Operated by nurses and leading nurses internationally, ICN works to ensure quality nursing care for all, sound health policies globally, the advancement of nursing knowledge, and the presence worldwide of a respected nursing profession and a competent and satisfied nursing workforce. ICN's ever-increasing networks and connections to people reinforce the importance of strong linkages with national, regional and international nursing and non-nursing organizations. Building positive relationships on a global scale helps position ICN, nurses, and nursing for now and the future. Our work with the specialised agencies of the United Nations system, particularly with the World Health Organization, the International Labour Organization, and the World Bank, are important for nurses everywhere. In addition, we work closely with a range of international non-governmental organizations. More information about the International Council of Nurses can be found at www.icn.ch.

CONTACTS:
EasyCare Academy
Christine Perrin
Tel: +41 79 235 47 39
[email protected]

International Council of Nurses
Julie Clerget
Tel: +41 22 908 0100
[email protected]
www.icn.ch
@ICNurses

Source: EasyCare Academy