For the research topic, I chose the implementation of home help during the epidemic of Covid-19. The topic is relevant for social work, as the results will show the consequences of the measures taken by the state during the first wave of the epidemic, how the measures affected during the second wave and therefore provide a base for improving the implementation of help at home in case of future severe measures due to the epidemic.
In my research I have studied the following topics: life changes, user experience and coping with the first and second waves of the epidemic, changes in help at home in the first and second waves of the epidemic, the effect on social carers during first and second waves of the epidemic, their views on appropriate and inappropriate measures taken by the state and the consequences of the first and second waves of the epidemic they noticed with users. The research was qualitative. I came to the people who took part in the research by convenience and I covered a sample consisting of seven users and three social carers. I conducted user interviews with users of help at home in their home environment, and with social workers we used the space of the office. I helped with the guidelines for the interviews that I had previously prepared.
During the first wave of the epidemic, both users and social carers pointed out the cancellation of certain services and the shortening of the services that were still provided. This was accepted by users with dissatisfaction, they were exposed to loneliness, and social carers pointed out that there were visible consequences for users when services had resumed. In the second wave, there were no changes in the implementation of home help, which was positively received by users. There was more positive feelings in comparison with the first wave among both users and social carers. In both waves, the use of protective equipment increased, causing problems at work and with communication. In the case of future measures, users and social carers are of the opinion that the needs of users should be met and users should be given the option of canceling services, which will not affect the users they want to maintain their services.
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