Open AccessMAINTENANCE VS REHABILITATION IN HOME CARE OF THE AGED AND DISABLED — THE ROLE OF THE PARAMEDICAL AIDE
Author(s) -
Abbott David,
Hobbin Elizabeth
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
community health studies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.946
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1753-6405
pISSN - 0314-9021
DOI - 10.1111/j.1753-6405.1988.tb00590.x
Subject(s) - rehabilitation , referral , context (archaeology) , occupational therapy , nursing , work (physics) , service (business) , disabled people , medicine , physical therapy , business , engineering , mechanical engineering , paleontology , marketing , biology , cerebral palsy
This paper reviews an attempt to change the focus of work of Paramedical Aides (PMAs) in a South Australian domiciliary care and rehabilitation service. Faced with a rapid rise in the number of clients, and a demand for maintenance care at the expense of rehabilitation, the service put four supernumerary PMAs to work as ‘dedicated’ rehabilitative aides under the direct supervision of Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy professional staff. Evaluation of the scheme showed an increased rate of case closures, an increase in the time spent by health professionals in assessment and treatment, and increased job satisfaction, during the project period. Dedication of a nucleus of PMAs to a rehabilitation role was also seen as the most efficient arrangement in a context of high referral rates and caseloads.