Preventive effect of home care, 2009

The overall purpose of this study has been to examine whether there is a preventive effect on the physical functional level and psychological well-being of older people if local authorities focus on help for self-help when providing home care rather than providing service-oriented help. In the study, we sought to answer the following questions: How do social and health care helpers/social and health care assistants perceive the principles of help for self-help and service, and how are these principles im-plemented in practice? What is the effect on the physical functional level and psychological well-being of older people if they receive help based on the principle of help for self-help com-pared with service-oriented help? How does the volume of practical and personal care services develop in municipal-ities representing one or the other of these principles, respectively? In the study were included two municipalities (Høje-Taastrup and Varde) to represent the principle of help for self-help and two municipalities (Brønderslev and Fredensborg) to rep-resent the service-oriented principle.