Empowering the disabled and their carers
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Why is it a good practice of the Person-Centered Model?
Because it provides personal assistance tailored to individuals with disabilities and supports their carers, giving real choice, dignity and support to live independently and participate in community life. The project treats each person as a citizen with rights — not as a passive beneficiary — and engages carers, families and communities in a shared support network. This respect for autonomy, inclusion and support rooted in the personal context reflects core values of the Person-Centered Model.
Integrated Assessment (Person, Family, Housing) and Life History
At the start the project identifies people with disabilities who need assistance — mapping their support needs and living conditions — and also considers their carers’ situation. It recognises that disability affects both individuals and their immediate environment, so support must take into account their living circumstances, family or carer capacity, and broader social context. This makes possible a more holistic understanding of each case, beyond mere diagnosis or institutionalisation.
Personalised Care and Support Plan for the Life Project
Each assisted person receives services tailored to their needs. The project offers personal assistance services adapted to their dependencies, and includes options like short-stay respite care at a regional centre for those needing a break from their daily environment. This allows people with disabilities to live more autonomously, receive support when necessary, and maintain dignity and wellbeing. Carers also receive psychological support and guidance, acknowledging their needs and ensuring sustainability of care.
Support groups
Carers benefit from support through guidance, counselling and training — enabling some to become personal assistants themselves. Through these shared activities and training, a support network emerges among carers, former carers and staff. Such group-based support helps reduce social isolation, fosters mutual aid, and builds collective capacity for personal assistance — providing emotional, social and practical support beyond one-to-one care.
Case Management and Resource Coordinator
The project is managed centrally by a Subregional Assistant Centre which coordinates services: it identifies beneficiaries, arranges personal assistance, organises respite stays, recruits and trains assistants, provides psychological support to carers, and liaises with community volunteers. This organisational coordination ensures support is consistent, tailored, and responsive to changing needs, rather than fragmented or ad hoc.
Highlined results
Has directly benefited 112 people with disabilities, trained 25 caregivers (of which 10 already work as personal assistants) and strengthened community integration. Additionally, has increased social awareness about inclusion and the value of personalized support.
Inspiring ideas for other enviorments. It can works! 😉
This model shows that combining personal assistance, carer support, respite care and community awareness can significantly improve independence and inclusion for persons with disabilities. The integration of carer training and employment — turning some carers into paid assistants — is also a powerful idea that supports both inclusion and economic participation. Other regions could replicate this by setting up Assistant Centres, offering respite stays, training carers as assistants, and coupling care with community engagement to foster inclusion and dignity.
Other observations
The project demonstrates a shift from institutionalised or minimal support toward a community-based, personalised assistance model that includes carers, recognizes their needs, and values their role. By integrating respite care, psychological support, employment pathways, and community involvement, it builds a comprehensive support ecosystem rather than isolated interventions. This holistic perspective is key to sustainable social inclusion and dignity for persons with disabilities.