Sara Santini
Biographic Data
| ID | 3976143 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Sara Santini |
| GIVEN NAMES | Sara |
| FAMILY NAME | Santini |
| SIGNATURE | SANTINI S |
| AFFILIATIONS | Research Institute on Sustainable Economic Growth |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-4705-4631 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 26 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 16 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 26 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2014 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Building elder care training for migrants and refugees employed in informal care
Background: The increased demand for care by older population with multimorbidity and the shortage of staff in the care sector are challenging healthcare systems across Europe. Migrants currently represent a valuable resource to bridge the gap between demand and supply of care in both the formal and informal elder care sector. Their specific educational and social needs have to be addressed by tailored training courses, which would allow them to …
Educational offer in older adult home care for migrant family care assistants
Introduction The increasing number of older people with multiple chronic diseases determines care demand, while the number of formal and informal caregivers is decreasing. In many EU countries, migrant family care assistants (MFCAs) bridge the gap between supply and demand of H24 tailored home care, often without training in older adult care. This study aims to explore older adult care education for (migrant) family care assistants at the Europea…
Information and education for informal dementia caregivers
Background: While there are several studies on caregivers' needs in general, the interest towards dementia education as a mean of support and empowerment for caregivers is more recent. This article specifically aims to explore and better understand the training needs of informal caregivers of people with dementia in Italy as to inform the development of an educational tool specifically devoted to them. Methods: Informal caregivers were recruited …
Reforming Italy’s long-term care system
Background: In Italy, population ageing is causing an unprecedented demand for long-term care (LTC) services, that led to the recent national reform of the LTC system (Law n. 33/2023). Since LTC services are provided by regional authorities, identifying drivers of and barriers to their use by older people and their family caregivers locally is very important to identify the mismatch between national regulation and local demand of these services. …
Caregiving burden, social support, and psychological well-being among family caregivers of older Italians
Objectives This study aimed to identify factors affecting the psychological well-being of family caregivers of dependent older adults in Italy. Understanding these variables is essential for designing interventions to prevent negative outcomes in at-risk caregivers. The research explored how varying levels of caregiving burden and types of perceived social support influence psychological well-being. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted a…
The Impact of Digital Coaching Intervention for Improving Healthy Ageing Dimensions among Older Adults during Their Transition from Work to Retirement
Retirement is a critical step in older adults' lives, so it is important to motivate them to stay physically active, mentally healthy, and socially connected in the transition from work to retirement, including through digital health coaching programs. This study aims to: evaluate the impact of a digital coaching intervention to enhance three healthy ageing dimensions, i.e., physical activity, mental well-being, and socialization of a group of ad…
Visibility as a Key Dimension to Better Health-Related Quality of Life and Mental Health
This paper examines the health-related quality of life (HRQL) and mental health of adolescent young carers (AYCs) aged 15-17 in Switzerland, based on data collected within the Horizon 2020 project 'Psychosocial support for promoting mental health and well-being among AYCs in Europe' (ME-WE). It addresses the following questions: (1) Which characteristics of AYCs are associated with lower HRQL and with higher level of mental health problems? (2) D…
Recruitment of Adolescent Young Carers to a Psychosocial Support Intervention Study in Six European Countries
Young carers provide a substantial amount of care to family members and support to friends, yet their situation has not been actively addressed in research and policy in many European countries or indeed globally. Awareness of their situation by professionals and among children and young carers themselves remains low overall. Thus, young carers remain a largely hidden group within society. This study reports and analyses the recruitment process i…
Ethical Considerations When Conducting Pan-European Research with and for Adolescent Young Carers
Adolescent young carers (AYCs) are a sub-group of young carers who carry out significant or substantial caring tasks and assume a level of responsibility which would usually be associated with an adult. They are a potentially vulnerable group of minors because of the risk factors associated with their caring role. AYCs face a critical transition phase from adolescence to adulthood often with a lack of tailored support from service providers. The …
Quality of Life and Social Inclusion of Migrants and Refugees Attending an Elderly Care Training in Four Mediterranean Countries
The progressive population ageing observed in Western countries determines a growing need for long-term care for older people. At the same time, migrants and refugees often have integration difficulties in regards to the hosting country society and labour market, with one reason being the lack of EU recognition of the educational degrees obtained in their native country. Creating educational opportunities in elderly care for migrants may facilita…
Cognitive Digital Intervention for Older Patients with Parkinson’s Disease during Covid-19
Mild cognitive impairment is frequent among people with Parkinson's disease. Cognitive training seems effective for cognitive status and for mitigating anxiety and depression. With the COVID-19 outbreak, such therapeutic interventions were delivered online. This longitudinal mixed-method study was aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of an online cognitive treatment, carried out during COVID times and based on Parkinson's-Adapted Cognitive Stimu…
Difficulties and Needs of Adolescent Young Caregivers of Grandparents in Italy and Slovenia
Many adolescent young caregivers (AYCs) care for a grandparent (GrP) with chronic disease, especially in countries with no or low developed long-term care systems and/or level of awareness of and policy responses to young caregivers. This mixed-methods study aimed at shedding light on the needs and difficulties faced by a sample of 162 adolescents aged 15-17, caring for GrPs, living in Italy (87) and Slovenia (75), respectively. A multiple linear…
A Single-Case Design Investigation for Measuring the Efficacy of Gestalt Therapy to Treat Depression in Older Adults with Dementia in Italy and in Mexico
Psychotherapy is one of the evidence-based clinical interventions for the treatment of depression in older adults with dementia. Randomised controlled trials are often the first methodological choice to gain evidence, yet they are not applicable to a wide range of humanistic psychotherapies. Amongst all, the efficacy of the Gestalt therapy (GT) is under-investigated. The purpose of this paper is to present a research protocol, aiming to assess th…
Research and Innovation for and with Adolescent Young Carers to Influence Policy and Practice—The European Union Funded “ME-WE” Project
Young carers are children and adolescents who provide care to other family members or friends, taking over responsibilities that are usually associated with adulthood. There is emerging but still scarce knowledge worldwide about the phenomenon of young carers and the impact of a caring role on their health, social and personal development spheres. This paper provides an overview of the main results from the ME-WE project, which is the first Europ…
Factors Worsening and Mitigating the Consequences of the Covid-19 Outbreak on the Overall Health of Informal Caregivers of Older People with Long-Term Care Needs Living in Germany and in Italy
Population ageing and the higher prevalence of multimorbidity in later life are increasing the demand for Long-Term Care (LTC) worldwide; this has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. As in Europe and beyond, the bulk of care for frail older people is carried out by informal caregivers. This study aimed at understanding the factors affecting the overall worsening health of informal caregivers of older people with LTC needs living in Germany…
The first cross-national study of adolescent young carers aged 15–17 in six European countries
For the first time, this article will provide a cross-national profile of adolescents who provide unpaid care to their ill or disabled family members in six European countries with varied levels of awareness, policy and service provision regarding adolescent young carers. Utilising an online survey, 2,099 adolescent young carers were identified in Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. This article focuses on the impact…
The 2021 cross-national and comparative classification of in-country awareness and policy responses to ‘young carers’
Many children under the age of 18 are drawn into unpaid caring roles because they live in families where there is chronic illness, mental health problems or substance misuse, and because other alternatives are not available. Many of these children, widely referred to as ‘young carers’, provides regular and significant amounts of care, often ‘hidden’ because of the absence of awareness by professionals in the fields of education, health and social…
The influence of gender and class on the transition to retirement
The aim of this study is the reconstruction of the multifaceted points of view related to the transition from work to retirement using a gender perspective. This article includes 40 interviews of ageing Italian workers, 24 women and 16 men, carried out in the cusp of retirement (wave 1) and two years after retirement (wave 3). The experiences related to the 'decision to retire' and 'life after retirement' were analysed using a complex theoretical…
Italian Adolescent Young Caregivers of Grandparents
The article aims to describe the experiences of 87 Italian adolescent young caregivers (AYCs) of grandparents (GrPs), with reference to the caregiving stress appraisal model (CSA) that provides a theoretical lens to explore the difficulties encountered and support needed in their caring role. Qualitative data were drawn from an online survey conducted within an EU Horizon 2020 funded project. An inductive thematic analysis was carried out, and th…
User Requirements Analysis of an Embodied Conversational Agent for Coaching Older Adults to Choose Active and Healthy Ageing Behaviors during the Transition to Retirement
the VC can address the active and healthy ageing paradigm by increasing the chances of doing low-cost healthy activities at any time and in any place
Cross-national Analysis of Legislation, Policy and Service Frameworks for Adolescent Young Carers in Europe
Despite some national examinations of policy responses for young carers (YCs), this study provides a first comprehensive cross-national comparison of the different legislation, policy and service frameworks that exist to protect and support adolescent young carers (AYCs) in six European countries (Italy, Netherlands, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom) and how these are enacted. Until now, research has focused on estimating numbers …
Older adult entrepreneurs as mentors of young people neither in employment nor education and training (Neets). Evidences from multi-country intergenerational learning program
Population aging is exacerbating the loss of competences in the workforce and simultaneously young people neither in employment nor in education and training (NEETs) are struggling to be reengaged in employment. These issues, which are deemed priorities for the European policy agenda, could be addressed by triggering active aging dimensions, valuing and exploiting older adult entrepreneurs’ knowledge for enhancing youngsters’ entrepreneurial atti…
Positive and Negative Impacts of Caring among Adolescents Caring for Grandparents. Results from an Online Survey in Six European Countries and Implications for Future Research, Policy and Practice
Although up to 8% of European youngsters carry out high-intensity care for a family member, adolescent young carers (AYCs), especially those caring for their grandparents (GrPs), remain an under-researched group. This study aimed at addressing the current knowledge gap by carrying out an online survey in Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The analysis included a final sample of 817 AYCs aged 15-17 years…
A pilot programme evaluation of social farming horticultural and occupational activities for older people in Italy
The aim of this study was to evaluate a 1-year social farming programme conducted between 2014 and 2015, including horticultural and occupational activities on six agricultural farms for older people in good general health. Social farming is a practice that uses agricultural resources to provide health, social or educational services to vulnerable groups of people. Activity participation, social relationships, physical activity, and the quality o…
Retirement plans and active ageing
This study explores whether the plans of older workers on the cusp of retirement are in line with the active ageing agenda set by policy makers in Europe. The study was carried out in Italy, England, and the United States of America (USA). A total of 133 older workers who planned to retire within the next 10–12 months were interviewed (55 in England, 40 in Italy and 38 in the USA) between May 2014 and early 2015 using common semi-structured quest…
Retirement plans and active ageing
This study explores whether the plans of older workers on the cusp of retirement are in line with the active ageing agenda set by policy makers in Europe. The study was carried out in Italy, England, and the United States of America (USA). A total of 133 older workers who planned to retire within the next 10–12 months were interviewed (55 in England, 40 in Italy and 38 in the USA) between May 2014 and early 2015 using common semi-structured quest…
The 2021 cross-national and comparative classification of in-country awareness and policy responses to ‘young carers’
Many children under the age of 18 are drawn into unpaid caring roles because they live in families where there is chronic illness, mental health problems or substance misuse, and because other alternatives are not available. Many of these children, widely referred to as ‘young carers’, provides regular and significant amounts of care, often ‘hidden’ because of the absence of awareness by professionals in the fields of education, health and social…
Cross-national Analysis of Legislation, Policy and Service Frameworks for Adolescent Young Carers in Europe
Despite some national examinations of policy responses for young carers (YCs), this study provides a first comprehensive cross-national comparison of the different legislation, policy and service frameworks that exist to protect and support adolescent young carers (AYCs) in six European countries (Italy, Netherlands, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom) and how these are enacted. Until now, research has focused on estimating numbers …
A pilot programme evaluation of social farming horticultural and occupational activities for older people in Italy
The aim of this study was to evaluate a 1-year social farming programme conducted between 2014 and 2015, including horticultural and occupational activities on six agricultural farms for older people in good general health. Social farming is a practice that uses agricultural resources to provide health, social or educational services to vulnerable groups of people. Activity participation, social relationships, physical activity, and the quality o…
Good practice in European integration
Interest in the integration of health and social care services has grown in recent years amongst all Governments in Europe in light of the increasing numbers of older people and those affected by chronic illnesses. This poster offers a review of the "Album of 10 Good Practices of integration at European level" carried out within the Advancing Integration for a Dignified Ageing (AIDA)-Project (www.projectaida.eu/). This was funded by EU Progress P…
A pilot programme evaluation of social farming horticultural and occupational activities for older people in Italy
The aim of this study was to evaluate a 1-year social farming programme conducted between 2014 and 2015, including horticultural and occupational activities on six agricultural farms for older people in good general health. Social farming is a practice that uses agricultural resources to provide health, social or educational services to vulnerable groups of people. Activity participation, social relationships, physical activity, and the quality o…
Retirement plans and active ageing
This study explores whether the plans of older workers on the cusp of retirement are in line with the active ageing agenda set by policy makers in Europe. The study was carried out in Italy, England, and the United States of America (USA). A total of 133 older workers who planned to retire within the next 10–12 months were interviewed (55 in England, 40 in Italy and 38 in the USA) between May 2014 and early 2015 using common semi-structured quest…
Older adult entrepreneurs as mentors of young people neither in employment nor education and training (Neets). Evidences from multi-country intergenerational learning program
Population aging is exacerbating the loss of competences in the workforce and simultaneously young people neither in employment nor in education and training (NEETs) are struggling to be reengaged in employment. These issues, which are deemed priorities for the European policy agenda, could be addressed by triggering active aging dimensions, valuing and exploiting older adult entrepreneurs’ knowledge for enhancing youngsters’ entrepreneurial atti…
Positive and Negative Impacts of Caring among Adolescents Caring for Grandparents. Results from an Online Survey in Six European Countries and Implications for Future Research, Policy and Practice
Although up to 8% of European youngsters carry out high-intensity care for a family member, adolescent young carers (AYCs), especially those caring for their grandparents (GrPs), remain an under-researched group. This study aimed at addressing the current knowledge gap by carrying out an online survey in Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The analysis included a final sample of 817 AYCs aged 15-17 years…
Italian Adolescent Young Caregivers of Grandparents
The article aims to describe the experiences of 87 Italian adolescent young caregivers (AYCs) of grandparents (GrPs), with reference to the caregiving stress appraisal model (CSA) that provides a theoretical lens to explore the difficulties encountered and support needed in their caring role. Qualitative data were drawn from an online survey conducted within an EU Horizon 2020 funded project. An inductive thematic analysis was carried out, and th…
User Requirements Analysis of an Embodied Conversational Agent for Coaching Older Adults to Choose Active and Healthy Ageing Behaviors during the Transition to Retirement
the VC can address the active and healthy ageing paradigm by increasing the chances of doing low-cost healthy activities at any time and in any place
Cross-national Analysis of Legislation, Policy and Service Frameworks for Adolescent Young Carers in Europe
Despite some national examinations of policy responses for young carers (YCs), this study provides a first comprehensive cross-national comparison of the different legislation, policy and service frameworks that exist to protect and support adolescent young carers (AYCs) in six European countries (Italy, Netherlands, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom) and how these are enacted. Until now, research has focused on estimating numbers …
Cognitive Digital Intervention for Older Patients with Parkinson’s Disease during Covid-19
Mild cognitive impairment is frequent among people with Parkinson's disease. Cognitive training seems effective for cognitive status and for mitigating anxiety and depression. With the COVID-19 outbreak, such therapeutic interventions were delivered online. This longitudinal mixed-method study was aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of an online cognitive treatment, carried out during COVID times and based on Parkinson's-Adapted Cognitive Stimu…
Difficulties and Needs of Adolescent Young Caregivers of Grandparents in Italy and Slovenia
Many adolescent young caregivers (AYCs) care for a grandparent (GrP) with chronic disease, especially in countries with no or low developed long-term care systems and/or level of awareness of and policy responses to young caregivers. This mixed-methods study aimed at shedding light on the needs and difficulties faced by a sample of 162 adolescents aged 15-17, caring for GrPs, living in Italy (87) and Slovenia (75), respectively. A multiple linear…
A Single-Case Design Investigation for Measuring the Efficacy of Gestalt Therapy to Treat Depression in Older Adults with Dementia in Italy and in Mexico
Psychotherapy is one of the evidence-based clinical interventions for the treatment of depression in older adults with dementia. Randomised controlled trials are often the first methodological choice to gain evidence, yet they are not applicable to a wide range of humanistic psychotherapies. Amongst all, the efficacy of the Gestalt therapy (GT) is under-investigated. The purpose of this paper is to present a research protocol, aiming to assess th…
Research and Innovation for and with Adolescent Young Carers to Influence Policy and Practice—The European Union Funded “ME-WE” Project
Young carers are children and adolescents who provide care to other family members or friends, taking over responsibilities that are usually associated with adulthood. There is emerging but still scarce knowledge worldwide about the phenomenon of young carers and the impact of a caring role on their health, social and personal development spheres. This paper provides an overview of the main results from the ME-WE project, which is the first Europ…
Factors Worsening and Mitigating the Consequences of the Covid-19 Outbreak on the Overall Health of Informal Caregivers of Older People with Long-Term Care Needs Living in Germany and in Italy
Population ageing and the higher prevalence of multimorbidity in later life are increasing the demand for Long-Term Care (LTC) worldwide; this has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. As in Europe and beyond, the bulk of care for frail older people is carried out by informal caregivers. This study aimed at understanding the factors affecting the overall worsening health of informal caregivers of older people with LTC needs living in Germany…
The first cross-national study of adolescent young carers aged 15–17 in six European countries
For the first time, this article will provide a cross-national profile of adolescents who provide unpaid care to their ill or disabled family members in six European countries with varied levels of awareness, policy and service provision regarding adolescent young carers. Utilising an online survey, 2,099 adolescent young carers were identified in Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. This article focuses on the impact…
The 2021 cross-national and comparative classification of in-country awareness and policy responses to ‘young carers’
Many children under the age of 18 are drawn into unpaid caring roles because they live in families where there is chronic illness, mental health problems or substance misuse, and because other alternatives are not available. Many of these children, widely referred to as ‘young carers’, provides regular and significant amounts of care, often ‘hidden’ because of the absence of awareness by professionals in the fields of education, health and social…
The influence of gender and class on the transition to retirement
The aim of this study is the reconstruction of the multifaceted points of view related to the transition from work to retirement using a gender perspective. This article includes 40 interviews of ageing Italian workers, 24 women and 16 men, carried out in the cusp of retirement (wave 1) and two years after retirement (wave 3). The experiences related to the 'decision to retire' and 'life after retirement' were analysed using a complex theoretical…
The Impact of Digital Coaching Intervention for Improving Healthy Ageing Dimensions among Older Adults during Their Transition from Work to Retirement
Retirement is a critical step in older adults' lives, so it is important to motivate them to stay physically active, mentally healthy, and socially connected in the transition from work to retirement, including through digital health coaching programs. This study aims to: evaluate the impact of a digital coaching intervention to enhance three healthy ageing dimensions, i.e., physical activity, mental well-being, and socialization of a group of ad…
Visibility as a Key Dimension to Better Health-Related Quality of Life and Mental Health
This paper examines the health-related quality of life (HRQL) and mental health of adolescent young carers (AYCs) aged 15-17 in Switzerland, based on data collected within the Horizon 2020 project 'Psychosocial support for promoting mental health and well-being among AYCs in Europe' (ME-WE). It addresses the following questions: (1) Which characteristics of AYCs are associated with lower HRQL and with higher level of mental health problems? (2) D…
Recruitment of Adolescent Young Carers to a Psychosocial Support Intervention Study in Six European Countries
Young carers provide a substantial amount of care to family members and support to friends, yet their situation has not been actively addressed in research and policy in many European countries or indeed globally. Awareness of their situation by professionals and among children and young carers themselves remains low overall. Thus, young carers remain a largely hidden group within society. This study reports and analyses the recruitment process i…
Ethical Considerations When Conducting Pan-European Research with and for Adolescent Young Carers
Adolescent young carers (AYCs) are a sub-group of young carers who carry out significant or substantial caring tasks and assume a level of responsibility which would usually be associated with an adult. They are a potentially vulnerable group of minors because of the risk factors associated with their caring role. AYCs face a critical transition phase from adolescence to adulthood often with a lack of tailored support from service providers. The …
Quality of Life and Social Inclusion of Migrants and Refugees Attending an Elderly Care Training in Four Mediterranean Countries
The progressive population ageing observed in Western countries determines a growing need for long-term care for older people. At the same time, migrants and refugees often have integration difficulties in regards to the hosting country society and labour market, with one reason being the lack of EU recognition of the educational degrees obtained in their native country. Creating educational opportunities in elderly care for migrants may facilita…
Caregiving burden, social support, and psychological well-being among family caregivers of older Italians
Objectives This study aimed to identify factors affecting the psychological well-being of family caregivers of dependent older adults in Italy. Understanding these variables is essential for designing interventions to prevent negative outcomes in at-risk caregivers. The research explored how varying levels of caregiving burden and types of perceived social support influence psychological well-being. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted a…
Building elder care training for migrants and refugees employed in informal care
Background: The increased demand for care by older population with multimorbidity and the shortage of staff in the care sector are challenging healthcare systems across Europe. Migrants currently represent a valuable resource to bridge the gap between demand and supply of care in both the formal and informal elder care sector. Their specific educational and social needs have to be addressed by tailored training courses, which would allow them to …
Educational offer in older adult home care for migrant family care assistants
Introduction The increasing number of older people with multiple chronic diseases determines care demand, while the number of formal and informal caregivers is decreasing. In many EU countries, migrant family care assistants (MFCAs) bridge the gap between supply and demand of H24 tailored home care, often without training in older adult care. This study aims to explore older adult care education for (migrant) family care assistants at the Europea…
Information and education for informal dementia caregivers
Background: While there are several studies on caregivers' needs in general, the interest towards dementia education as a mean of support and empowerment for caregivers is more recent. This article specifically aims to explore and better understand the training needs of informal caregivers of people with dementia in Italy as to inform the development of an educational tool specifically devoted to them. Methods: Informal caregivers were recruited …
Psychology (18 works) · Medicine (17 works) · Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving (16 works) · Family Support in Illness (11 works) · Gerontology (10 works) · Political science (9 works) · Sociology (8 works) · Nursing (7 works) · Psychiatry (7 works) · Youth Education and Societal Dynamics (7 works)