Caring neighbourhoods in Belgium: lessons learned on the development, implementation and evaluation of 35 caring neighbourhood projects

Background: In recent years, there has been a rise in international (care) movements that prioritise community-centred initiatives such as age-friendly communities, compassionate communities or integrated community care. Although these movements have different focal points, they share common features: seeking to address systemic failures in (care) services, value the participation of end-users, focus on unmet (care) needs, through a local, neighbourhood-oriented approach. In the Flemish and Brussels regions notably the concept of Caring Neighbourhoods is experiencing rapid growth. Objectives:... Mehr ...

Verfasser: De Donder, Liesbeth
Stegen, Hannelore
Hoens, Sylvia
Dokumenttyp: Artikel
Erscheinungsdatum: 2024
Reihe/Periodikum: Palliative Care and Social Practice ; volume 18 ; ISSN 2632-3524 2632-3524
Verlag/Hrsg.: SAGE Publications
Sprache: Englisch
Permalink: https://search.fid-benelux.de/Record/base-27378385
Datenquelle: BASE; Originalkatalog
Powered By: BASE
Link(s) : http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/26323524241246533

Background: In recent years, there has been a rise in international (care) movements that prioritise community-centred initiatives such as age-friendly communities, compassionate communities or integrated community care. Although these movements have different focal points, they share common features: seeking to address systemic failures in (care) services, value the participation of end-users, focus on unmet (care) needs, through a local, neighbourhood-oriented approach. In the Flemish and Brussels regions notably the concept of Caring Neighbourhoods is experiencing rapid growth. Objectives: The objective of the present study is to examine the development and implementation of 35 Caring Neighbourhood initiatives in Flanders and Brussels (Belgium) to explore the added value of such projects, as well as the crucial elements for creating Caring Neighbourhoods. Design: Thirty-five caring neighbourhood projects were examined by means of five focus group interviews with project coordinators ( n = 34) and five focus group interviews with neighbourhood residents ( n = 27), using participant-generated photo elicitation. Methods: The focus group sessions were recorded, transcribed and data were labelled using an inductive analytical framework, following the steps of reflexive thematic analysis. Results: The analysis of the 35 Caring Neighbourhoods showed that fostering connections was key in building Caring Neighbourhoods: connections among residents, connections between residents and care and support services and among care services themselves. The three primary ways to connect people were through activities, places and people. Also, the role of the Caring Neighbourhood coordinator is highlighted as key, which should focus on weaving existing resources, facilitating and coaching instead of organising. Altogether, the projects brought meaning and value to participants’ lives, enhancing overall life satisfaction and well-being, with an emphasis on physical and psychosocial care and support. Conclusion: Through critically ...