In my last blog post, I described the problems that make
working conditions for personal support workers very, very difficult. I described the challenges for clients who
need personal support services, as well.
The Problems:
- · Low pay
- · Clients need many hours of support over long periods, so can’t afford the care they need
- · Personal Support Workers, or PSWs can’t afford to insure themselves privately
- · PSWs have few opportunity for regular, full-time work
Solutions/Innovations
Carol and Rod MacDonald are Canadian social entrepreneurs
based in Toronto. Together, they created
a web-based company to match PSWs with clients who need care. Currently, myPSW is operating within Ontario
only, but Carol and Rod have plans to expand into the rest of Canada
and the USA. I had an opportunity to ask
Carol about the model and why it’s innovative.
Q: Describe myPSW and
tell us why it’s so innovative.
myPSW
is a very innovative model in that the website enables consumers of personal
support services to independently search for, locate, hire and manage their own
Personal Support Worker who lives right within their local communities.
This is innovative because this technology puts the power and control in
the hands of the consumer of care and/or their family to manage without going
through an agency or third party. The site not only acts an effective
means to link people, but also facilitates all the transactions right through
the site. What is really interesting is that something as vast as the
internet/world wide web is used to build small communities of care in every
little nook and cranny across the province. This would not be possible without
technology, innovation and forward thinking.
Q: What
are the benefits for PSWs?
·
Client’s loyalty
is with the PSW.
·
PSW determines
her own schedule.
·
Geographic
assignment of files based on a territory of PSW’s choosing.
·
Net earnings are
significantly higher than industry average.
·
Legitimacy and
no paper work as all invoicing/billing is completed on behalf of the PSW.
So no hassles on the administrative side of being self-employed.
·
No canvasing of
clients. Referrals are provided directly.
·
No collections.
Funds are transferred directly into your account.
·
No upfront fees
to create a profile.
Q: What
are the benefits for clients/families?
·
Choice – you get
to choose your PSW.
·
The peace of
mind to know that your PSW is part of your local community!
·
Efficacy – find
a PSW within minutes of arriving on the site.
·
Qualified – all
PSWs have at least 500 hours of training.
·
Checked – all
PSWs have provided a “Police Check” and “Liability Insurance”.
·
Legitimacy –
professional billing charged to your credit card.
·
Reconciliation –
ability to view PSW time slips on line.
·
No upfront fees.
·
All PSWs charge
$20 per hour.
·
Electronic
records provided for possible reimbursement or tax refunds.
·
PSWs earn
significantly more than private home care industry average.
Q:
Can MyPSW be used together with agency or
government provided home care services?
Yes,
myPSW can be used in conjunction with agencies or the government funded health
care services. At the present moment, we are in conversation with a few home care agencies in order to solidify strategic partnerships. By partnering with these agencies, myPSW and the existing industry are working together to provide consumers a continuum of care and a "basket" of unique options from which they can choose. Our plan, on a larger scale, would be to engage the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care further to discuss how myPSW might be introduced into the current service delivery model of the provincial home health services entry point. myPSW is an ideal tool to be used in conjunction with individualized funding in health care budgets and this is our dream for the future.
Silver Chain has eight palliative care teams in the greater Perth (Australia) area. Each inter-professional team
consists of palliative medicine physicians, specialist nurses, family
doctors, social workers, counsellors, psychologists, pharmacists, and
physiotherapists, personal support workers, resident doctors and volunteers.
This full service, lead agency model for palliative care
provides full-time employment for the PSW within a supportive team environment
in which everyone’s contribution is valued. Diagnosis-specific, full-service lead agencies offer PSW job security and the potential of insurance plan and government funding because of their multi-disciplinary nature.
The innovative organizational structure in the Green House
model is based upon “the conviction that we need a new framework around which
to organize the experience of those who protect, sustain, and nurture our
elders.” The structure challenges the traditional nursing home hierarchy to
create environments that empower elders and those who are closest to them.
The direct-care providers (PSWs) function within
self-managed work teams to provide the day-to-day care for the elders and act
as managers of the home. These individuals, called Shahbazim, partner with
nurses and other clinical team members to create an empowered clinical care
team of excellence. The Shahbazim report to a Guide, who is responsible for
providing the team with the support, accountability and resources necessary for
success in their role. The PSW role,
reinvented as Shahbazim, gives care workers responsibilities for carrying out
all activities of home life for elders.
This means cooking, personal care, ordering of supplies and
cleaning. Shahbazim report very high job
satisfaction.
CONGREGATED CARE
Some jurisdictions are experimenting with congregated
care. Service provider agencies that
staff the needs of several clients within one residence are looking at new ways
of bringing in a single PSW to serve several clients in the same building. In my mother’s seniors’ residence, multiple
PSWs from both private and government funded agencies come in to assist through
a revolving door. The travel time and
lack of coordination amongst clients and staff in a single location must have a
huge and unnecessary cost. It’s
encouraging to hear about models that make life easier for both clients and
itinerant care staff. The congregated care model offers greater job security for PSWs and has the potential of lowering costs for clients through group purchase of service.
NEXT UP - NATIONAL and PRIVATE LONG-TERM CARE INSURANCE PLANS
There is another answer to full-time, fairly waged
employment for PSWs that would also be affordable for those who need care – a long
term care national insurance plan. That’s
the subject of my next post.
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