This master’s thesis examines the phenomenon of compassion fatigue among personal assistants. This profession is based on direct support and close interpersonal relationships with users and is therefore associated with high emotional and psychological strain. The theoretical part presents the helping professions, the concept of emotional labour, and the profession of the personal assistant. It describes the tasks, working conditions, rights and obligations of assistants, as well as the complexity of their relationships with users and their families, which often go beyond the traditional framework of employment relations. Particular attention is given to burnout and compassion fatigue, their symptoms, consequences, and possible prevention strategies.
The research is based on a qualitative approach and highlights the experiences of personal assistants in their everyday work. The findings show that assistants are often exposed to emotional burdens, unclear boundaries in relationships with users and their families, and demanding working conditions. Although they generally perceive their work as meaningful and important, they face the risk of compassion fatigue. They also highlight a lack of adequate systemic support and low financial recognition. Many feel that the state does not value or reward them to the same extent as employees in comparable caregiving professions.
The thesis finds, based on the reviewed literature, that compassion fatigue has multifaceted consequences, ranging from reduced emotional engagement and depersonalisation to a decline in the quality of services provided, which directly affects service users. It is therefore essential to establish effective measures to prevent these phenomena. Key solutions include regular professional support in the form of supervision, intervision, and individual counselling, which would allow assistants to process difficult experiences and emotional strain as they arise. Equally important is the promotion of continuous education and training, enabling assistants to develop both professional and emotional competences that are essential for carrying out their work.
It is also crucial to encourage self-care and peer support. Promoting such practices, combined with stronger organisational support and fairer financial recognition, would help reduce the risk of exhaustion. At the systemic level, improvements are needed in the legislative regulation of personal assistance, ensuring comparable rights to those of other professions in social care, and increasing public recognition of this work.
Based on the reviewed literature and the conducted research, it may be concluded that better working conditions, stronger professional support, and greater social recognition of the value of the personal assistant profession would significantly improve the quality of life of both assistants and users of personal assistance. At the same time, this would ensure the long-term sustainability of personal assistance as one of the key services for independent living for people with disabilities.
|
