Independent Living for People with Disabilities : A Comparison of Services Provided by Personal Assistants, Live-in Migrant Care Workers, and Homecare Workers

• Main Authors: Ya-Yu Kao, 高雅郁
• Other Authors: Yueh Ching Chou
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2013
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/58539676498632429879

碩士 === 國立陽明大學 === 衛生福利研究所 === 101 === In order to live in the community independently, people with disabilities may choose to use home-based care (HC) services or hire a live-in migrant care worker (MC) in Taiwan. Since 2008, personal assistant (PA) services were just launched by an NPO, then, people with disabilities have another choice to apply for a PA in their daily life. Among these three services, which one for the users is more appreciated to support them to live independently? However, no research has focused on the comparison of these three services from the users’ own perspectives. This study aims to explore the users’ experiences and perceptions while they use these three services and also compare which service/s supports them to live in the community more independently. An in-depth interview was conducted and 6 users who have used at least two of these three services were invited and completed the interview between March to April, 2011. Findings suggest that the PA and MC were more welcomed by the users while comparing home-based care services. The MC could provide the longest hours of services, thus they became the essential assistants for the participants in their daily life. However, the ‘longest-working-hours’ was also the controversy for the live-in migrant care workers’ working conditions. The system of PA was designed to support people with disabilities. The PA provided the services from the wants of people with disabilities. The users felt they could control their own life with his/her PA’s support. However, the limited hours of services provided and resources also caused the users losing their autonomy. The users felt they were controlled while using the services provided by homecare workers; to what extent of the personal service programmes provided to them were determined by the professionals and the service providers. Additionally, due to the limit of hours of home care services provided, the family was still the primary support of daily life for people with disabilities. From the perspective of independent living for people with disabilities, these three services are all with strengths and limitations. However, for users, they just expect the service hours can meet their needs and the cost of services can be affordable. Furthermore, the users also look forward to being able to control their own life. How to reorganize these three service systems and provide more flexible and accountable services to the users, also, to build up a friendly working conditions for personal assistants, live-in migrant care workers and home care workers, it needs the efforts from state, service systems, service providers, and family of people with disabilities.