A Survey on AAC Fringe Vocabulary to Support Personal Assistance Service

Objectives: There are increasing demands for personal assistance services which help the disabled to carry out their daily life. To use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) approaches more effectively in daily communication, it is essential to include the appropriate core and fringe vocabulary in the AAC system. Considering the fact that there are few studies in Korea which have reported fringe vocabulary compared to core vocabulary, this study is aimed to develop a noun list that can be used to promote interactive communication between the disabled and their assistants in each communication situation.Methods: A literature review was conducted to elicit frequently used nouns in each communication situation. Then, a survey was carried out to identify nouns with high word commonality across 105 personal assistants.Results: Sixty-three nouns with more than 50% of word commonality across personal assistants were identified from the 244 fringe vocabulary; consisting of 112 nouns in the area of going out, 29 in cleaning, 27 in personal hygiene, 26 in cooking, 20 in meal supporting, 20 in other service areas, and 10 in commuting.Conclusion: The identified nouns are expected to help people with complex communication needs to express their needs and wants more clearly and effectively using those nouns embedded in their AAC systems. The list of nouns can be used not only for people who receive personal assistance services, but also for people who rely on AAC systems to express their daily needs.

Caregiving and COVID-19: Perspectives from a Care Coach

Family caregivers of community-dwelling older adults have faced unprecedented caregiving challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Examining the accumulated impact on family caregivers can help health and aging service providers design resources and supports that are resilient to emergency situations, and reduce negative psychological and physical consequences and risk of abuse within caregiving dyads. Data was collected as part of a pilot intervention in which “Care Coaches” provided telephonic coaching sessions to family caregivers of older adults. We examined Care Coach observations documented after coaching sessions with 24 family caregivers between March 2020 and February 2021. Two coders employed thematic analysis to generate codes and themes. The sample was 70% female, 80% were the spouse or significant other of their care receiver, the mean age was 61, and 53% were Non-Hispanic White. Themes and sub-themes included: (1) increased caregiver burden and diminished care networks due to fear of exposure to or contraction of COVID-19, (2) barriers to accessing in-home personal assistance services and home-delivered meals despite intervention efforts, and (3) the exacerbation of caregiver social isolation due to COVID-19 lockdown policies. Findings highlight the ways in which COVID-19 has amplified caregiver burden through the breakdown of formal and informal support systems. Potential adaptations of community-based services for older adults and their caregivers include remote service liaisons and need assessment of caregiver dyads to assure access to home-based personal assistance services and nutrition support for those at greatest risk of negative consequences during emergency service lapses.

Self-directed Support: Impact of Hiring Practices on Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Families

The study examined the differential experiences and outcomes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families receiving self-directed services based on the type of personal support worker hired (parents, siblings, other relatives, friends, and agency staff). The sample consisted of 372 participants in a self-directed waiver program who used personal assistance services. Results indicated that the caregiver's satisfaction with the personal support worker, self-efficacy in managing personal support workers, and mental health varied significantly based on type of personal support worker hired. Also, the physical health and daily choice making of the adults with disabilities differed significantly by type of personal support worker hired.