As part of our agreement with the Department of Health to provide services, Care for Seniors applies a Wellness and Reablement approach to everything we do.
What does that mean? We work with each person to ensure they are doing as much for themselves as possible and we are there to support, NOT DO FOR.
We discuss with you what you want to achieve and how we can support you with this. In some instances there are time frames attached to the support.
Below is an explanation from a Department of Social Services document explaining what Wellness and Reablement means and what to expect from service providers.
What does that mean? We work with each person to ensure they are doing as much for themselves as possible and we are there to support, NOT DO FOR.
We discuss with you what you want to achieve and how we can support you with this. In some instances there are time frames attached to the support.
Below is an explanation from a Department of Social Services document explaining what Wellness and Reablement means and what to expect from service providers.
Wellness
Wellness is an approach that involves assessment, planning and delivery of supports that build on the strengths, capacity and goals of individuals, and encourage actions that promote a level of independence in daily living tasks, as well as reducing risks to living safely at home.
Wellness as a philosophy is based on the premise that, even with frailty, chronic illness or disability, people generally have the desire and capacity to make gains in their physical, social and emotional wellbeing and to live autonomously and as independently as possible. The wellness philosophy underpins all activities under the Commonwealth Home Support Programme.
A wellness approach draws on the wellness philosophy to inform a way of working with people. It therefore involves working with individuals, and their carers, to maximise their independence and autonomy[1]. The approach involves assessment, planning and delivery of supports that build on the strengths, capacity and goals of individuals, creatively addressing problems or barriers and encouraging actions that promote a level of independence in daily living tasks, as well as reducing risks to living safely at home.
It avoids ‘doing for’ when a ‘doing with’ approach can assist individuals to undertake a task or activity themselves, or with less assistance, and to increase satisfaction with any gains made. It underpins all assessment and service provision, whether the need for assistance is episodic, fluctuates in intensity or type over time, or is of an ongoing nature.
[1] In this context, independence means the ability to self-manage the activities of daily living, including social and community participation, and autonomy means being able to make decisions about one’s life.
A wellness approach draws on the wellness philosophy to inform a way of working with people. It therefore involves working with individuals, and their carers, to maximise their independence and autonomy[1]. The approach involves assessment, planning and delivery of supports that build on the strengths, capacity and goals of individuals, creatively addressing problems or barriers and encouraging actions that promote a level of independence in daily living tasks, as well as reducing risks to living safely at home.
It avoids ‘doing for’ when a ‘doing with’ approach can assist individuals to undertake a task or activity themselves, or with less assistance, and to increase satisfaction with any gains made. It underpins all assessment and service provision, whether the need for assistance is episodic, fluctuates in intensity or type over time, or is of an ongoing nature.
[1] In this context, independence means the ability to self-manage the activities of daily living, including social and community participation, and autonomy means being able to make decisions about one’s life.
Reablement
Reablement involves time-limited interventions that are targeted towards a person’s specific goal or desired outcome to adapt to some functional loss, or regain confidence and capacity to resume activities.
Like wellness, reablement aims to assist people to reach their goals and maximise their independence and autonomy. However, reablement involves time-limited interventions that are more targeted towards a person’s specific goal or desired outcome to adapt to some functional loss, or regain confidence and capacity to resume activities. Supports could include training in a new skill or relearning a lost skill, modification to a person’s home environment or having access to equipment or assistive technology.
Reablement is targeted to CHSP clients who are motivated to continue to undertake activities of daily living for whom time-limited supports can achieve an increase in independence.
In the CHSP, reablement is embedded within the assessment, referral and service pathway. It will be overseen by Regional Assessment Services that will identify opportunities for clients to be as independent as is practical, potentially reducing the need for ongoing and/or higher levels of service delivery.
Essential elements that are defining features of any reablement service are:
• Reablement is about helping people to do things for themselves, rather than doing things to or doing things for people.
• Reablement is time-limited; the maximum time that the user can receive reablement support is decided at the start.
• Reablement is outcome-focused: the overall goal is to help people back into their own home or community.
• Reablement involves setting and working towards specific goals agreed between the service user and the reablement team.
• Reablement is a very personalised approach – the kinds of supports given are tailored to the individual user’s specific goals and needs.
• Reablement often involves providing intensive support to people.
• Reablement treats assessment as something that is dynamic not static. This approach means that you cannot decide a user’s care or support package on the basis of a single, one-off assessment, instead you need to observe the user over a defined period of time, during which their needs and abilities may well change, with a reassessment at the end of the period of reablement.
• Reablement approaches assume that something should change by the end of the reablement intervention; you are working towards positive change.
• Reablement builds on what people currently can do, and supports them to regain skills to increase their confidence and independence.
• Reablement may also involve ensuring people are provided with appropriate equipment and/or assistive technology, and understand how to use it.
• Reablement aims to maximise users’ long-term independence, choice and quality of life.
• Reablement aims to reduce or minimise the need for ongoing support after the period of reablement.
In practice, reablement can mean different things for different people – it all depends on a person’s individual situation. For example, it might mean a service works with a client to:
• practise daily activities like cooking and bathing to help the person regain skills and get their confidence back;
• find new ways to do some things so that they feel safer and more confident;
• look at what else might help (for example, support to go out, personal alarms, home adaptations or other equipment, such as bath rails); and
• involve their relatives and/or carers in helping the person to live more independently – and discuss any support they might need.
The kind of supports reablement might draw on are many and varied but could include the following:
• equipment and technology to help a person live more independently at home;
• skills for independent living provided through intensive, short-term support; and
• outreach - help with transport and getting out and about.
Reablement is targeted to CHSP clients who are motivated to continue to undertake activities of daily living for whom time-limited supports can achieve an increase in independence.
In the CHSP, reablement is embedded within the assessment, referral and service pathway. It will be overseen by Regional Assessment Services that will identify opportunities for clients to be as independent as is practical, potentially reducing the need for ongoing and/or higher levels of service delivery.
Essential elements that are defining features of any reablement service are:
• Reablement is about helping people to do things for themselves, rather than doing things to or doing things for people.
• Reablement is time-limited; the maximum time that the user can receive reablement support is decided at the start.
• Reablement is outcome-focused: the overall goal is to help people back into their own home or community.
• Reablement involves setting and working towards specific goals agreed between the service user and the reablement team.
• Reablement is a very personalised approach – the kinds of supports given are tailored to the individual user’s specific goals and needs.
• Reablement often involves providing intensive support to people.
• Reablement treats assessment as something that is dynamic not static. This approach means that you cannot decide a user’s care or support package on the basis of a single, one-off assessment, instead you need to observe the user over a defined period of time, during which their needs and abilities may well change, with a reassessment at the end of the period of reablement.
• Reablement approaches assume that something should change by the end of the reablement intervention; you are working towards positive change.
• Reablement builds on what people currently can do, and supports them to regain skills to increase their confidence and independence.
• Reablement may also involve ensuring people are provided with appropriate equipment and/or assistive technology, and understand how to use it.
• Reablement aims to maximise users’ long-term independence, choice and quality of life.
• Reablement aims to reduce or minimise the need for ongoing support after the period of reablement.
In practice, reablement can mean different things for different people – it all depends on a person’s individual situation. For example, it might mean a service works with a client to:
• practise daily activities like cooking and bathing to help the person regain skills and get their confidence back;
• find new ways to do some things so that they feel safer and more confident;
• look at what else might help (for example, support to go out, personal alarms, home adaptations or other equipment, such as bath rails); and
• involve their relatives and/or carers in helping the person to live more independently – and discuss any support they might need.
The kind of supports reablement might draw on are many and varied but could include the following:
• equipment and technology to help a person live more independently at home;
• skills for independent living provided through intensive, short-term support; and
• outreach - help with transport and getting out and about.
Acknowledgement:
Department of Social Services. (2015). Living well at home: CHSP Good Practice Guide. Retrieved from https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/living-well-at-home-chsp-good-practice-guide
Department of Social Services. (2015). Living well at home: CHSP Good Practice Guide. Retrieved from https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/living-well-at-home-chsp-good-practice-guide