In our country, a person who suffers from a severe disability has received personal assistance service as a legal right since 2007. However, their right to choose and decide is being considerably infringed in the developmental process or the service-...
In our country, a person who suffers from a severe disability has received personal assistance service as a legal right since 2007. However, their right to choose and decide is being considerably infringed in the developmental process or the service-offering procedure. Accordingly, although there is personal assistance service being provided, many cases reveal that a variety of social needs of the disabled fail to be reflected and do not conform with the goal in the enhancement of independent living.
The purpose of this study is to examine the general tendency of the required level and the availability of personal assistance service and to clarify the influential factors of personal assistance service upon the independent living of the handicapped.
For this, targeting people with disabilities who are now using personal assistance service, the questionnaire research was carried out through the Purposive Sampling method. 144 copies of the research were utilized for analysis by committing to the welfare centers which accommodate the disabled as well as the rehabilitation centers, both of which are offering personal assistance service mainly in the Seoul area.
As for the method of analysis, the descriptive statistical analysis was carried out in order to grasp the required level for the general tendency of the independent living of those who have a severe disability and how much they need personal assistance service along with its availability. In order to grasp the influence of the personal assistance service level upon independent living, the multiple regression analysis was carried out. The analytical results through this are as follows:
First, the required level for personal assistance service was indicated very highly at 3.603. The required level for personal assistance service on the activities of daily living(ADL) was highest at 3.642 for ADL, 3.597 for IADL(instrumental ability of daily living), and 3.576 for personal assistance.
Second, in the use level for personal assistance service, the use time was indicated to be 4.44 times the average use frequency per week, and to be 4.85 hours for the average one use time. It was indicated to be 3.989 for the proficiency of the personal assistance service and to be 3.643 for the proper choice of the personal assistance service. Also, the contents for the personal assistance service were indicated to be 3.288 for ADL-related service, 3.324 for IADL-related service, and 2.923 for service related to social activity.
Third, the independent living level among persons with severe disabilities was indicated relatively highly at 3.397 for the whole independence. It was indicated to be the highest in physical independence and to be the lowest in social independence with 3.589 for physical independence, 3.408 for psychological independence, and 3.240 for social independence.
Finally, the results of the multiple regression analysis on variables of having an effect on the independent living level in the persons with severe disabilities were indicated to be significantly influenced by the average use frequency per week, by the average one use time, by ADL-related service, by service related to social activity, by the required level for the personal assistance service, by age, and by whether or not social activity is involved.
In order for the personal assistance service to achieve the goal called the enhancement of the independent living through offering the comprehensive service for daily life and social life for persons with severe disabilities, the social foundation needs to be formed together so that the personal assistance service can lead to being available for participation in social activity. However, as the results of this study show, the lack of foundation related to occupational or social activity leads to what personal assistance service is formed centering on solving primary problems like ADL and what the use of service for participation in social activity is short. Accordingly, in order for personal assistance service to reinforce the capability of the independent living and to increase independence level among persons with severe disabilities, the social foundation will need to be formed together so that persons with severe disabilities can take part in society as well as increasing the time of personal assistance service.