Needing other people to live the independent life you want is challenging. We know that being dependent on others for good living conditions can be stressful. We also know how important it is, as an assistance provider, to listen to our customers, those entitled to assistance, how they want it. Our role in the assistance can look very different depending on how involved and responsible a customer is and can be for their assistance. We have customers who leave everything around the assistance to us, they do not want, or are not able to be involved in either recruitment or follow-ups. Then we have the customers who want to manage their assistance themselves with some support from us, those customers both recruit, staff, hold APT themselves while we are involved and present to ensure quality. This by guiding so that rules and laws are followed. Often there are requests for help to develop a budget and then support in follow-up on this. Most commonly, however, our customers want to be involved in certain areas or involved in certain parts.
In conversation with two of our area managers, Sofie Jeansson and Malin Brasjö about how we at Carelli manage to customize the personal assistance to be unique, they describe that everything is about communication and a clear mission. A functioning communication between the customer and us as well as a clear decision and assignment by the Social Insurance Agency and/or municipality. If these two elements are in place, there are great opportunities to customize the assistance as the customer wants it.
How personalised assistance is described
Sofie describes an occasion when one of our clients wanted to travel abroad. The client and Sofie had several meetings to review the possibilities and to make a plan. They applied for extended time with the municipality, they recruited assistants and trained them for the slightly different assignment. The customer's decision and needs also meant an opportunity to save some assistance hours for a few weeks before the trip and spend them during the trip so that it would be safe and secure for both customer and assistant. But above all, to enable the customer to get the most out of their trip abroad.
Malin emphasizes that a prerequisite for good assistance is that the assistants working with the customer have the right skills and that they are confident in their roles. Confident and competent assistants will also have the ability to offer flexible and adapted assistance in everyday life for customers. This is something that the area managers are actively working on through support, guidance and training.
Both Sofie and Malin also want to nuance the possibilities for adapting the assistance. The adaptations that can be made always depend on what is described in the decision and what the customer's needs are. Everyone who is entitled to assistance has the right to decide when the measures decided on are to be implemented and how they are to be implemented. As an assistance provider, we cannot change the decisions, we cannot add or remove the need for measures that have been assessed and decided by the Social Insurance Agency or municipality. Our task is to work together with the customer to make the best of the existing decision. Should the customer think that the decision does not match the needs, we can help to have a dialog with the Social Insurance Agency or municipality about this and see if there is a possibility to change the decision or get a new decision.
Other examples that Sofie and Malin mention of assistance that they have been involved in adapting to suit the client's living conditions are (the names in the examples are made up)
Sven has a decision on single staffingHe has a decision on double staffing for specific activities such as 8 transfers. The decision describes it as if the double staffing is evenly distributed throughout the day, while Sven wants to move in connection with performing an activity and therefore the schedule is adjusted with the double staffing so that Sven gets the right help when he wants it.
Sarah has a decision on single staffing with double staffing for showers in the evening. Sarah does not want to shower in the evening as stated in the decision and suggests to the area manager to shower in the middle of the day instead. This enabled the area manager to arrange the schedule so that it would not be so "a lot of running of people at the customer's home" but when the assistant leaves, the new assistant arrives earlier and their shifts overlap and they can help the customer in the shower together.
When Ali received his decision, he loved going to the gym and exercising three times a week, 2 hours each time. This is described in his decision. Ali has suffered a serious muscle rupture and cannot exercise as before. He wants to take daily walks instead. In his decision, the client has 6 hours of assistance for his leisure activities. The fact that he now chooses to spread the hours over all days of the week means that he can take his walks within the framework of his decision. Living conditions are again good and Ali's needs for an active leisure time are met.
Personal assistance should be "unique to the client"
Sofie and Malin are asked why they think it is so important to customize the assistance so that it is unique to the customer. They then describe how important it is that we as assistance providers are based on the basic idea of LSS, that customers should be involved and that the intervention should provide an opportunity to live the life the customer wants. For this to be possible, the assistance must be adapted to the customer's unique needs and wishes. Sofie describes that it is important to be able to provide assistance that is safe and continuous. Among other things, through good contact with the customer about their wishes.
Sofie and Malin mention an example of an important thing that makes a big difference in how safe and continuous the assistance is. It is clear and efficient scheduling with as few changes of staff as possible during the day. Where work shifts are as long as possible to give the customer greater flexibility during the day and not have to take into account that staff start and stop in the middle of their activities.
Similarly, it is also important to be aware that the customer may need time to decide how they want their assistance. Perhaps several different schedules need to be tested, the implementation plan revised or perhaps collaboration with the municipality on supplementary efforts. Sometimes it can take up to six months before everything falls into place and the assistance flows exactly as the customer wishes.
We value flexibility!
Carelli is pleased that there is such great flexibility in the business that allows for customer participation and self-determination. While it is also important to always keep in mind the importance of complying with laws and regulations, Carelli never agrees to adaptations or requests that we consider risk a deterioration in quality for the customer or that may involve violation of any of the applicable laws.
Our customers should always feel confident that our assistance follow the rules and laws in place, but that we do everything we can within them and the decisions that are in place to ensure that their assistance gives them the opportunity for a good life.
If you are curious to know more about how your or someone in your family's assistance can be adapted, you are welcome to call us and we will tell you more.
0770-17 60 30