| Summary: | The focus of this study is on the evaluation of community based care and support
service for older persons in the community. The government of South Africa and
other African Countries held several discussions with the intention of addressing the
needs and challenges of older persons in the community. As a follow up to the
discussion, the new developmental approach, that is the South African Policy for
Older Persons of 2005 and the Older Persons Act, 13 of 2006, promulgated in line
with the recommendation of the Madrid International Plan of Action on ageing which
was drafted and adopted at the World Assembly on Ageing that was convened by
the United Nations in 2002.
Older Persons Act 13 of 2006 was developed with the intention of addressing the
needs of older persons in the community as the Aged Act no 100 of 1967 as
amended in 1998, was focusing more on the residential care service. The Older
Persons Act 13 of 2006 recognizes the importance of community-based care and
support services and this means that the service delivery to older persons has been
broadened and services have become more inclusive and accessible. Older
persons will be able to remain in their communities within their families for as long
as possible. According to the Older Persons Act 13 of 2006, the community-based
care and support services means any programmes that are rendered to older
persons to enable them to remain independent in their communities for as long as
possible. These programmes are preventing the unnecessary admission of older
persons in the residential care facilities. According to the Older Persons Act 13 of
2006, the Community-based care and support services are categorized into,
namely, prevention and promotion programmes and the home-based care services.
These two categories will be discussed in details in this study.
In this study the researcher used the older persons (recipients of services),
representatives of management committees for the Non-profit organizations
rendering services to older persons in the community and the officials of the
Department of Social Development as participants.
The aim of this study is to discuss and evaluate the community-based care and
support services strategy as used by the Department of Social Development in
rendering services to older persons within communities in Motheo District (Free
State Province) and to raise the viewpoints of direct service providers (management
committees) officials of the Department of Social Development and older persons
that receive these services, in order to enhance the delivery of this programme.
The research methodology that was utilized in this study includes the empirical
research and the literature review. A literature review was conducted by the
researcher for a clear understanding of the nature and meaning of the problem that
has been identified. The questionnaires and interview tools were used by the
researcher as methods of data collection. This study consists of two articles, article
1: Background and nature of community-based care and support services and
article 2: Evaluation of community-based care and support services
The findings from the study indicated that the community based care and support
services can be the best and important programme for older persons in the
community if it can be well implemented. === MSW, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014
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