Link Cooperatives International – innovating care services in Portugal
Link Cooperatives International, CRL (Link) is a cooperative start‐up based on the commitments of “Co-ops for 2030” program. Good Health and Well‐Being (Objective 3), Sustainable Cities and Communities (Objective 11), Responsible Consumption and Production (Objective 12) and Partnerships for The Goals (Objective 17) are the principal objectives in the development of our work strategies.
Care cooperatives play an important role in the implementation of local important strategies in healthcare systems, social connectivity and lifelong learning. LinkCare is an integrative project in healthcare area, to provide services in home care support, technical support, health support devices and health tourism, in Portugal.
(President Liliana Lemos da Silva pictured above)
What are the opportunities & challenges of care in Europe?
The European Commission in “Europe 2020: a strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth” (2010), has identified the population ageing as one of the principal challenges to Europe.
Ageing process comprehending a physical, physiological and social changes. The investment in health systems, long-term care systems, lifelong learning and age‐friendly environments are the WHO (2015) guidelines to achieve benefits in health, skills and knowledge, mobility, social connectivity, financial security and personal dignity, safety and security. These will ensure a return to the individual well-being, workforce participation, consumption, entrepreneurship and investment, innovation, social and culture contribution and social cohesion.
The progressive loss of natural cognitive and functional capacities in the ageing process have a personal, family, social and professional consequences in the individual quality of live. Degenerative diseases and dementia affects 18,7 million of people in OECD, in 2017. Integrative strategies and multiple stakeholders in healthcare systems are imperative in the prevention and treatment.
A challenge for the future
We would like to challenge other international care cooperatives to build “freeway” services to improve the healthcare mobility, education and training, especially in dementia, oncology and geriatric support.
“Coming together is a beginning, keeping together is process, working together is success” (Henry Ford).
Author:
Liliana Lemos da Silva
MSc of Clinical and Metabolic Biochemistry
President of Link Cooperatives International, CRL
Find out more:
Link Cooperatives Internationalinfo@linkcooperatives.com
https://www.facebook.com/linkcooperatives/
