In this section you will learn to
- Use a person-centred approach and work in a manner that acknowledges the person as their own expert.
- Work with the person to facilitate person-centred options for action on relevant issues and discuss with the person, family, carer or others identified by the person.
- Provide assistance to the person to facilitate communication of their personal goals.
- Work with the person to provide person-centred support in a manner that encourages and empowers the person to make their own choices and action.
- Support the person’s use of assistive technologies in meeting their individual needs.
- Work with the person to implement strategies to ensure that the person is comfortable with decisions made
- Work with the person to identify barriers to empowerment and determine strategies to address
- Assist the person to access advocacy services and other complaint mechanisms when required
Supplementary materials relevant to this section
- Reading G: Developing personal-centred goals
In the previous section of this module, you were introduced to means of assisting a patient under your care to understand their rights and identify the means behind a person-centred approach to deliver services that do not hinder their rights and needs. We also looked at how to approach and inquire about the individual’s cultural personas and how we as community workers do not compromise these beliefs. Lastly, we will look at consulting the patient about any abuse or neglect that they may have gone through and how we can support them appropriately.
Person-centred practices refer to an approach to care and support that prioritises the individual's needs, preferences, and goals, and involves them as an active partner in their care and decision-making. Person-centred care aims to respect the person's autonomy, dignity, and cultural background, and to provide care that is responsive, inclusive, and empowering. For example:
- Consumer-Directed Care (CDC) in Aged Care is an approach to aged care that gives older adults more choice and control over their care and services. It allows consumers to make decisions about their care plan, service providers, and the type of services they receive, based on their individual needs and preferences. CDC promotes person-centred care by involving older adults in decision-making, supporting their autonomy, and tailoring care plans to their unique needs and preferences (National Seniors Australia, 2017).
- Shared decision-making is an approach that involves individuals as active partners in their healthcare decisions. It involves healthcare professionals and individuals working collaboratively to develop a care plan that aligns with the individual's values, preferences, and goals. Shared decision-making respects the autonomy and choices of the individual and encourages their active participation in their care.
- Culturally sensitive care is an important aspect of person-centred care that recognises and respects the cultural background, beliefs, and practices of individuals. It involves understanding and valuing the diversity of cultures and providing care that is inclusive, respectful, and responsive to the cultural needs and preferences of individuals.
- The strengths-based approach focuses on identifying and building upon the strengths, abilities, and resources of individuals, rather than focusing solely on their deficits and limitations. It encourages individuals to participate in decision-making, set goals based on their strengths and abilities, and be active partners in their care and support.
- Person-centred planning is a process that involves individuals, their families, and their support networks in developing a plan that reflects the individual's needs, preferences, and goals. It involves listening to the individual's voice, respecting their choices, and tailoring the care and support plan to their unique needs and preferences.
Facilitating person-centred options for action on relevant issues involves working closely with the person you are supporting to identify and explore different choices or solutions.
- Start by actively listening to the person's concerns, needs, preferences, and goals. Create a safe and non-judgmental space where they can freely express themselves without fear of criticism or repercussions. Take note of their verbal and non-verbal cues to better understand their perspective.
- Work collaboratively with the person to identify their goals and priorities. What outcomes do they want to achieve? What issues do they want to address? Help them define clear and measurable goals that align with their values and preferences.
- Facilitate brainstorming sessions to generate a range of possible options or strategies to address the identified issues. Encourage creativity and open-mindedness and explore different perspectives and ideas. Make sure to involve the person, their family, carer, or others identified by the person in the brainstorming process, as appropriate.
- Provide the person with relevant and accurate information about the options available to them. This can include information about services, programs, policies, regulations, and any other relevant resources that can support their decision-making process.
- Help the person explore the pros and cons of each option or strategy. Encourage them to critically evaluate the potential benefits, risks, and challenges associated with each option. This can help them make informed decisions that align with their values and priorities.
- Offer support in the decision-making process, while respecting the person's autonomy and choices. Provide them with guidance, insights, and perspectives, but avoid imposing your own preferences or judgments. Encourage them to make decisions that feel right for them.
Communication is key when helping a person to support their goals. It is important when communicating with a person that it should be done with respect, sensitivity, and person centeredness, remembering that each person is unique, and their goals must be tailored to their individual needs, preferences, and circumstances.
This can be done through:
- Creating a safe and supportive environment where the person feels comfortable to express their personal goals.
- Avoiding closed questions and instead considering open-ended questioning techniques such as “tell me about your goals and what you hope to achieve.
- Always clarifying the person’s statements and validating their feels and desires.
- Supporting their decision-making and help them weigh up the pros and cons and different options towards their personal goals.
Reading G: Developing personal-centred goals
Reading G explains and provides you with a specific tool that will help you target and provide achievable goals to your client, because measurable and achievable goals are critical to the success of wellness and reablement. Without goals, clients can feel overwhelmed and unsure of how to get where they want to go. While there is no universal tool for setting meaningful and achievable goals, there are certain principles that should underpin the goal setting process with your clients.
As support workers we must always be mindful of person-centred support and how it is about empowering the person to make their own choices, act, and have control over their own life. It requires a collaborative and respectful approach that recognises and respects the person's autonomy, preferences, and strengths. Prioritising a person’s autonomy, choices and actions is crucial when encouraging and empowering an individual.
Establishing positive relationships can provide a collaborative partnership wit the individual and encourage them to be open in their communication and actively participate in the support process. Similarly, actively listening to the person, being non-judgmental, being encouraging and supportive can also lead to the person actively making their own choices, decisions and acting.
Continuous development of assistive technologies and their implementation in various programs and services enable people with different impairments and disabilities to live an active, better-quality life, build upon their strengths and increase their independence.
Types of assistive technology include:
- aids for daily living such as self-care, hygiene equipment, modified eating utensils, emergency call systems and page turners
- computer access such as touch screens, light pointers, modified keyboards, and special software
- mobility aids such as electric wheelchairs, scooters, lift chairs and modified vehicles
- aids for recreation activities such as sitting systems for boats, swings and seesaws, modified switchboards for computer games and closed captions for videos and movies
- home and workplace modifications such as ramps, lifts, automatic doors, sensor water taps and lights operated by voice recognition
- augmentative communication, such as speech synthesisers, communication boards and text-to-voice software
- cognition and memory loss support such as medication reminders, active brain games, smart watch
![[ADD IMAGE'S ALT TEXT]](/sites/default/files/IntelliPaat.jpg)
The Australian Government services fund a range of appropriate assistive technologies. These technologies can also be added to individual plans, and the NDIS provides an assistive technology operational guide. Before choosing an aid product, it is recommended to consult an assessor to determine the right solution for each individual need (NDIS, 2023).
Assistive technology is any type of item such as a piece of equipment, system or software program that can be used to maintain, increase, or improve functional activities in a person’s life.
Assistive technology can benefit a wide range of people, including those with:
- disabilities
- age-related frailties
- noncommunicable diseases; and
- rehabilitation.
The following table provides examples of various assistive technologies that are used across the life domains for:
| Assistive technologies used across the life domain | |
|---|---|
| Self-care | May include devices or tools to assist with activities such as dressing, grooming, bathing, toileting, and personal hygiene. Examples may include dressing aids, grooming aids, adapted toothbrushes, and bathing aids. |
| Continence and hygiene | May include devices such as urinary catheters, bowel management systems, incontinence pads or briefs, and bidets or washlet toilet seats. |
| Communication | May include speech recognition software, e.g., google docs voice typing, social media and voice conferencing applications, text-to-speech software such as CaptiVoice. |
| Mobility and transferring | May include mobility aids such as wheelchairs, walkers, canes, crutches, and transfer boards or benches to assist with transferring in and out of beds, chairs, or vehicles. |
| Cognition and memory loss | Assistive technologies for cognition and memory loss may include memory aids, reminder systems, cognitive training software, and electronic organisers or planners. |
| Vision and hearing | May include magnifiers, screen readers, hearing aids, alerting systems, and closed-captioning devices for individuals with visual or hearing impairments. |
| Daily living activities | May include a wide range of tools and devices, such as reachers, grab bars, adaptive utensils, jar openers, and adaptive switches for controlling appliances or devices. |
| Recreation and leisure | Adaptive sports equipment, switch-accessible toys, or games, modified musical instruments, and other recreational devices or systems for individuals with disabilities. |
| Education and employment | Tools or devices to assist with reading, writing, note-taking, time management, and other tasks related to education or employment. Examples may include text-to-speech software, screen magnifiers, speech recognition software, and adaptive keyboards. |
| Home and other environments | Home modifications such as grab bars, ramps, and stair lifts, as well as environmental control systems that enable individuals to control lighting, temperature, and other home features through adaptive switches or voice commands. |
| Eating and drinking | Adapted eating utensils, spill-proof cups, special plates, or bowls, and feeding devices or systems for individuals with swallowing difficulties or other eating and drinking challenges. |
| Pressure area management | pressure-relief cushions, mattresses, overlays, and specialised seating systems to help prevent pressure ulcers or manage existing pressure sores. |
| Carer support | tools or devices to assist caregivers in providing care to individuals with disabilities, such as transfer aids, lifting devices, and specialised care management software or apps. |
Assistive technologies play a vital role in supporting a person's life activities by maintaining and promoting independence, as well as enabling inclusion and participation. They empower individuals with disabilities to overcome barriers, achieve their goals, and live a more independent, inclusive, and fulfilling life. It's important to assess and select appropriate assistive technologies based on individual needs, preferences, and goals, and to provide ongoing support, training, and monitoring to ensure their effective and safe use.
Maintaining and promoting independence
Assistive technologies are designed to enhance an individual's ability to perform various tasks and activities independently, despite their disabilities or limitations. For example, mobility aids such as wheelchairs or walkers can enable individuals with mobility impairments to move around and navigate their environment independently. Communication aids such as speech generating devices or AAC devices can empower individuals with communication difficulties to express themselves and engage with others. Daily living aids such as adaptive utensils or teachers can assist individuals with limited mobility or dexterity in performing self-care tasks, cooking, or household chores independently. By promoting independence, assistive technologies help individuals maintain a sense of autonomy, dignity, and control over their lives.
Enabling inclusion and participation
Assistive technologies can break down barriers and enable individuals with disabilities to participate fully in various aspects of life, including education, employment, social interactions, recreation, and community engagement. For example, accessibility features in electronic devices or software, such as screen readers or captioning, can make information and communication more accessible for individuals with visual or hearing impairments, facilitating their inclusion in educational or employment settings. Adaptive sports equipment or recreational devices can enable individuals with disabilities to participate in sports, leisure activities, and hobbies. Environmental control systems can empower individuals with physical disabilities to control their home environment independently, enhancing their comfort and quality of life. By enabling inclusion and participation, assistive technologies help individuals with disabilities to fully engage in their communities, pursue their interests, and enjoy a meaningful and fulfilling life.
It is worth nothing that assistive technologies are continuously evolving, so new solutions and devices are constantly being developed and introduced to the market.
Implementing strategies
Working with individuals in aged care and disability settings requires a person-centred approach, which prioritises the individual's preferences, needs, and autonomy. Additionally, it’s important to collaborate with the person you are caring for to implement strategies that ensure their comfort with decisions made related to aged and disability care.
Strategies may include:
- Establishing clear communication with the person. Open and honest communication is key in any care relationship. Make sure to have regular conversations with the person you are supporting to understand their preferences, concerns, and goals. Listen attentively and respect their choices and decisions.
- Educate the person about available care options, services, and resources related to aged and disability care. Present information in a clear and understandable manner, taking into consideration their cognitive abilities and language skills. Encourage questions and address any concerns they may have.
- Include the person in the decision-making process as much as possible. Respect their autonomy and involve them in discussions about their care plan, goals, and preferences. Encourage them to express their opinions and preferences and consider their input when making decisions.
- Provide the person with choices whenever possible. This can include choices about daily routines, activities, meals, and other aspects of their care. Having options empowers the person and gives them a sense of control and ownership over their care.
Working with individuals it is critical to be able to identify barriers to empowerment and to learn to develop strategies that can support the individual. For example, building trust, attentively listen to the person, engage in conversations about any barriers they may be facing, working together to set empowering goals that are meaningful and unique to the person or advocating on their behalf to help navigate systems and services that can connect them.
Always try to remember that empowerment is a process, and it's important to approach it with a person-centred and strengths-based approach, respecting the person's autonomy, preferences, and rights throughout the process. Collaborate with the person, involve them in decision-making, and provide appropriate support and resources to help them overcome barriers and achieve their goals.
- Gendered attitudes such as men don’t need to, nor should they access flexible work arrangements or women are not interested in promotions because they have young children.
- Work stereotypes such as males make better leaders and managers or females can’t do certain jobs.
- Embedded bias such as we overlook a candidate, in this case, the female in her early 30’s, because she is put in the “will likely have kids and go on maternity leave” category.
- Unconscious bias where there is bias (conscious or unconscious) in the workplace, we continue to recruit, promote, allocate work, and manage performance with ‘filters’ on our thinking. You might assign work or lean towards someone’s opinion more (even if they’re not the subject matter expert) who you have unconscious affinity with.
- Discrimination on the basis of gender, particularly in relation to family and caring responsibilities.
(City of Wagga NSW, n.d.)
As a community service provider, it is important to support individuals in accessing advocacy services and other complaint mechanisms when needed. Advocacy services and complaint mechanisms are designed to help individuals express their concerns, seek resolution, and uphold their rights.
As a support worker, you play a vital role in empowering individuals to access advocacy services and complaint mechanisms, ensuring that their concerns are addressed, and their rights are upheld. Collaborate with other professionals, maintain open communication with individuals and their families, and work towards resolving any concerns or complaints in a timely and appropriate manner.
Some suggestions below provide information to support a client to access these services and mechanisms:
- Be informed and familiarise yourself with the advocacy services and complaint mechanisms available in your area, including disability advocacy organisations, aged care advocacy services, and relevant complaint resolution bodies such as the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission or the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. Stay updated on their contact information, processes, and procedures.
- Provide information to the individuals you support about their rights, including their right to access advocacy services and complaint mechanisms. Educate them about the importance of self-advocacy and their options for addressing concerns or complaints.
- Be an active listener and provide emotional support to individuals who express concerns or grievances. Respect their perspective and validate their feelings. Offer empathy and reassurance and avoid making judgments or taking sides.
- If an individual expresses a desire to access advocacy services or complaint mechanisms, offer to assist them in navigating the process. This may include helping them gather information, fill out forms, make phone calls, or accompany them to meetings or appointments.
- Maintain the confidentiality and privacy of the individuals you support. Obtain their consent before sharing any personal information with advocacy services or complaint mechanisms and ensure that their privacy rights are always protected.
- Keep accurate records of any concerns or complaints raised by the individuals you support, as well as the steps taken to address them. Follow your organisation's policies and procedures for reporting incidents, complaints, or concerns to the appropriate channels, and ensure that the individuals are kept informed of the progress.
- Follow up with the individuals after they have accessed advocacy services or lodged complaints to check on their well-being and the outcome of the process. Offer continued support as needed, and advocate for their rights and needs throughout the process.
- Stay updated on relevant policies, procedures, and best practices related to advocacy and complaints in aged care and disability services. Participate in ongoing training and professional development opportunities to enhance your knowledge and skills in supporting individuals in accessing advocacy services and complaint mechanisms.
Accessing advocacy services
The Act requires mental health and wellbeing service providers to notify the non-legal mental health advocacy service provider when certain events occur. These events include when a person is made subject to a temporary treatment order or treatment order, when a person’s order is varied or revoked, if restrictive interventions are used or when certain patients are received at, or transferred to, a designated mental health service.
The Chief Officer has set the requirements for mental health and wellbeing service providers in the Non-legal mental health advocacy service and opt-out register – Protocol for mental health and wellbeing service providers.
(Victoria Health, 2023)
As a support worker, your role may include assisting clients in accessing and using advocacy services and complaint mechanisms.
For example:
- Engage in open communication with the client to understand their concerns, needs, and preferences. Discuss the possibility of accessing advocacy services or lodging a complaint and obtain their consent to proceed.
- Research and identify the advocacy services or complaint mechanisms that are relevant to the client's needs or concerns. This may involve searching online, contacting relevant organisations, or consulting with colleagues or other professionals.
- Share information with the client about the available advocacy services or complaint mechanisms, including their contact information, processes, and procedures. Provide them with options and empower them to make informed decisions about how they want to proceed.
- Assist the client in accessing the identified advocacy service or complaint mechanism. This may include helping them make phone calls, sending emails, or completing online forms, depending on the specific requirements of the service or mechanism.
- Assist with Communication concerns or issues effectively. This may involve helping them articulate their concerns, gather relevant information, or evidence, and prepare written or verbal statements.
- Keep accurate records of all communication, documentation, and outcomes related to the advocacy or complaint process, with the client's consent. This includes dates, times, names of individuals involved, and any relevant information shared or received.
- Follow up with the advocacy service or complaint mechanism as needed to inquire about the progress of the case and ensure that it is being addressed in a timely and appropriate manner. Keep the client informed of the progress and provide support as needed.
Once the advocacy or complaint process is completed, review the outcomes with the client and discuss any further actions that may be required. Provide support in implementing any recommendations or decisions that are made.
Maintain the confidentiality and privacy of the client's information throughout the advocacy or complaint process. If you encounter challenges or complexities during the advocacy or complaint process, seek guidance from relevant authorities, colleagues, or professionals for further support and assistance.
This section of the module outlined how to identify and respond to risk exposure, including industry and organisational guidelines to assess and take appropriate immediate action. We covered implementing control measures to minimise contamination, management of spills and exposure. You have learnt how to document report and respond, shaped by organisational policies and procedures, as well as develop professional practice of storage of records, materials, and equipment.
City of Wagga NSW. (n.d.). Barriers to empowerment and how to break them down. https://wagga.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/130494/Barriers-to-empowerment-and-gender-equality-Fact-Sheet.pdf
IntelliPaat. (2023). [Image of icons representing different types of assistive technologies]. https://intellipaat.com/blog/what-is-assistive-technology/
National Seniors Australia. (2017). Consumer Directed Care In Australia: Early stage analysis and future directions. https://agedcare.royalcommission.gov.au/sites/default/files/2019-12/08172617par-consumer-directed-care-research-report-fnemail.pdf
NDIS. (2023, January 30). Assistive technology explained. https://www.ndis.gov.au/participants/assistive-technology-explained
Victoria Health. (2023, 31 August). Mental Health Advocacy (non-legal). https://www.health.vic.gov.au/mental-health-and-wellbeing-act-handbook/supported-decision-making/mental-health-advocacy-non-legal
