The thesis deals with the social and medical orientation of older people's homes and the role of social work in relation to this orientation. Several orientation factors influence the orientation of a home (general and structural characteristics, interpersonal relationships, personal development and maintaining and changing the system). We are interested in whether other factors, such as current events occurring in society and within older people's homes (e.g. the epidemic of covid-19, the adoption of the Long-Term Care Act, the shortage of nursing staff in older people's homes, etc.), also influence the orientation of the institution. In the thesis, we investigated the challenges and difficulties social workers in older people's homes face in the practice of their profession. At the same time, we were interested in what methods and forms of support help social workers to maintain a social-work orientation and a social orientation when working in an older people's home while facing all the challenges.
The qualitative empirical material for the thesis was obtained using the focus group method with five female social workers from different public homes for the older people in three Slovenian regions. The sample of female social workers used is non-random and convenience.
By conducting the research, we found that the social workers come from homes for the older people with different orientations. We have noticed that none of the institutions has a purely medical or social orientation. We realised that social workers face similar challenges in their work due to medical orientation factors and some current events, all of which have an impact not only on the work of the social work service but on the orientation of the whole home. Social workers pointed out that they play a key role in shaping the orientation of the home, which they do through different ways and methods of working.
On the basis of the research carried out, we propose to increase the employment standards for social workers and to create new posts that would allow social workers to work directly with residents. We also propose the introduction of a new post of administrative worker in homes for the older people, who would take over the administrative work that makes the primary role of social work - working with users - difficult and impossible. The introduction of compulsory supervision for professional workers in older people's homes is also proposed. We also propose increasing and promoting the integrative role of social work in promoting a positive working environment and institutional climate in old people's homes. All of these proposals would have a positive impact in promoting a more social orientation in older people's homes. On the basis of the statements made by the social workers, We also propose to work actively on changing the public image of social work through the media and the use of social networks. In order to reduce burnout among social workers, we propose increasing support for social workers in health care settings and to increase the offer of training courses and workshops to learn to work on oneself.
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