Masters Degrees (Speech-Language and Hearing Therapy)

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Browsing Masters Degrees (Speech-Language and Hearing Therapy) by Author "De Wet, Caroline"

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    An analysis of the organizational framework of rehabilitation services at a community health centre in the Western Cape
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2014-04) De Wet, Caroline; Visagie, S.; Mji, G.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dept. of Rehabilitation Studies.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT:Background In the past, a lack of policy guidelines in the area of rehabilitation often resulted in underdeveloped or no rehabilitation services in many areas. This led to the development of The South African National Rehabilitation Policy (NRP) which was finalised in 2000. This policy is guided by the principles of development, empowerment and the social integration of persons with disabilities. It aims to provide improved access to rehabilitation services for all and forms part of a strategy to improve the quality of life of persons with disabilities. South Africa ratified the United Nations Convention for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in 2001. The UNCRPD is an international rights based document and focuses on equalisation of opportunities for people with disabilities and their inclusion in development. Aim The aim of thestudy was to describe and analyse the organizational framework of rehabilitation services at the Gugulethu Community Health Centre (CHC) in Cape Town and to determine if the framework used complied with the objectives of the National Rehabilitation Policy. Method This was a case study that made use of both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection. The Kaplan framework, the objectives of the NRP and the five relevant articles of the UNCRPD were used to design three questionnaires for data collection. The first questionnaire was for service providers and answered by seven participants. The second questionnaire was completed by the Facility Manager of Gugulethu CHC and the third questionnaire was answered by the managers of 2 purposively sampled NGOs in Gugulethu. Qualitative data was collected from interviews held with three of the service providers and the facility manager as well as from two focus groups held with service users. Results The results of the study showed that there was some coherence between the rehabilitation services provided and the objectives of the NRP such as good access to the service for clients coming to the Centre for rehabilitation and adequate resources to provide assistive devices with. However, in other areas there was little or no adherence. Limited evidence of intersectoral collaboration was found. There was no evidence of the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the planning, implementation and managing of rehabilitation services. Similarly services were not monitored and evaluated in a constructive way and while the therapists did engage in skills development activities the suitability of the courses attended for their role is questioned. Conclusion The findings showed a facility based curative rehabilitation service that was accessible for clients who came to the facility, but did not expand to provide community based rehabilitation. Thus it was concluded that the organisation in its current form lacked the ability to effectively address the needs of the community that it served. At Gugulethu Community Health Centre rehabilitation services need to be planned according to community based rehabilitation strategies by the manager, the service providers and the community. Only when implementation of the NRP and UNCRPD takes place will the benefits become tangible to the entire community. Key Words Rehabilitation, Disability, National Rehabilitation Policy, UNCRPD, Organisational capacity.