Ministry of health & welfare has carried out personal assistant service
program for the most significantly disabled people since April, 2007, based on
the independent living paradigm. Despite the growth and development of
programs related with independent living, however, personal assistant service
program is being evaluated that it hasn't reached the level that can provide
disabled people with high quality services enough to satisfy the needs of
each person.
This study is intended to review on the present condition and problems of
personal assistant service program to improve disabled people's independent
living skills comprehensively, and then to suggest plans for improvements.
Consequently, the current personal service program needs to reconsider a
standard to choose a suitable service per type of disability and rating
standard per time service delivery system. It means that personal assistant
service program needs to be established and operated disabled people's right
of choice and social participation can be expended. Third, a budget expansion
and effective operation need to be promoted. Furthermore, the support on
intermediary agencies and personal assistants should be expended. It's
expected that such financial support might lighten the burden on intermediary
agencies which carry out services, and thereby lead to their efforts to
improve services qualitatively.
In conclusion, personal assistant service program should be expanded and
relative policies should be strengthened so as to maximize disabled people's
right of choice and autonomy to improve their independent living skills.