Indicator 2(B): Is personal assistance available that can support people with mental disabilities to remain and live in the community?
Conclusion:
Some forms of assistance – personal assistance, social assistance and domestic (home) assistance (see Glossary) – are available to people with mental disabilities. However, the purpose of these are mainly to reduce unemployment rather than to provide individualised support to people with mental disabilities.
Explanation:
A national ‘Assistants to People with Disabilities’ programme was introduced in 2003 with the aim of providing care in the family environment to people with permanent disabilities and people with severe diseases. This programme allows service users to hire unemployed people to provide personal or social assistance. According to the National Social Report 2013-14, personal assistants provided support to more than 4,500 users in 2013.[43]
‘Help At Home’ operates under the national programme with the aim of expanding or improving existing domestic assistance services – personal, social and domestic assistance. At the end of 2013, this scheme had reportedly provided domestic assistance to 11,560 people, hiring approximately 5,400 unemployed people.[44] Often, family members are employed as assistants – with the aim of reducing their unemployment.[45]
An NGO report pointed out that these schemes failed to enhance the independence or autonomy of people with disabilities or their families. In some cases it was noted that the scheme forced people with disabilities into passivity and dependence.[46] The emphasis of the scheme, therefore, is more about providing employment for unemployed family members/carers than about supporting people with mental disabilities to live independently. It also presupposes that people with disabilities prefer to employ their family members as assistants and does not allow for free choice.[47]
Assistant often lack sufficient training and knowledge about the needs of people with mental disabilities,[48] personal assistants are not regulated, and the eligibility criteria are different to disability benefits.[49] Funding is provided for a maximum of ten hours per day.[50]
[43] Ibid.
[44] Ibid.
[45] Slavka Kukova, “Fundamental Rights situation of persons with mental health problems and persons with intellectual disabilities: desk report Bulgaria”, 18.
[46] Ibid, 27.
[47] European Network on Independent Living – European Coalition for Community Living, Briefing on Structural Funds Investments for People with Disabilities: Achieving the Transition from Institutional Care to Community Living, 2013, 10.
[48] Ibid, 31.
[48] Ibid, 30.
[50] Article 53a of the Regulations for Implementation of the Social Assistance Act.