Personal Assistance

HUPT representatives participate in the committee of the Ministry of the Family, Veterans’ Affairs and Intergenerational Solidarity in creation of the Law on Personal Assistance for Persons with the Highest Disability. HUPT members are included in pilot project of personal assistance which is preparation for final definition of the Law.

Realization of this MOBMS pilot project is a way to accomplish conditions for introducing the new model of out-of-institutional support to persons with the highest physical disability. Introducing philosophy of the Independent Living movement implies achievement of the conditions that are necessary to provide a possibility for people with the highest disability to control and create their own life.

Making person stronger for more independent life including possibility of choice and employment of personal assistant. This is the way of educating users for the role of an employer. In eight months period, it will be possible to valorise costs of personal assistance and benefits of the person with disability, comparison with other countries will be done and it will be seen how this way of aid is more acceptable from the usually offered institutional care.

Level of realization will be measured by pleasure of the users in the first place and by spectre of realisation of their basic needs as by realisation of previously planned activities.

Project guides will offer help, if it is needed, to person with disability to find personal assistant. User of assistance and assistant will both make evidence of their work and guide will verify it. HUPT, SOIH and MOBMS will give logistic support to the project.

By finishing this project, it is expected that institute of personal assistant for persons with highest disability will be included in the system. It is also expected that the Centre of Independent Living will be founded as place of offering services in order to realize conditions for independent life and making choice of way of life for persons with the highest physical disability. Establishing the model for continuing will lead to general results for final definition of the Law on personal assistant and payment of his/her services. Evaluation will show what did personal assistance mean to persons who were chosen to participate in pilot project and it will indicate models which should be developed in Croatia.