Operating profile of SAD, Home Support Service, in the case of Braga, Portugal

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The Portuguese SAD is characterized by a traditional profile. Its main characteristics are to operate from Monday to Friday, with a low intensity, with the provision of care for ADLs, activities of daily living of the elderly. Objectives of this study: (i) to identify the provision of the existing care structure provided by SAD in the Private Social Solidarity Institutions (IPSS) specifically in the district of Braga (Portugal); and (ii) analyze its operating profile, based on management behaviors and the existence or otherwise of care plans in the DSS. The methodology used was quantitative, using surveys by means of the assessment instrument, Protocol of Home Support Service, version 2. The sample was for convenience, composed by the 20 technical directors of Braga IPSS, Portugal. As conclusions, the study points to a traditional, rural DSS, with care function, aiming to satisfy the ADLs, with functional decline, very elderly, or under 65 years old, with the need to complete the multidimensional assessment performed, and distribute the tasks performed still centered on the technical director. Three priorities are pointed out: think about good management and profitability of human resources; work with health care and family care plans as the main focus; and standardize the exclusion and inclusion criteria for access to SAD, the all-important eligibility criteria, leading to the implementation of a model of SAD that is based on individualized personal care based on the Rai Home Care classification.