Consumer‐directed personal assistance and ‘care’: perspectives of workers and ventilator users

‘Consumer‐directed personal assistance’ has been a central tenet of the North American Independent Living Movement since its inception. There is, however, surprisingly little research that explores how consumer‐directed assistance gets played out in practice. We conducted a qualitative study that explored the relationships between disabled ventilator users and their personal support workers (PSWs) in supportive housing environments in Ontario, Canada. The results show that while all participants agreed that they adhered to the philosophies of ‘independent living’ embedded in ‘consumer‐directed personal assistance’, how this was understood and enacted varied considerably. Narrow interpretations focused on the task‐oriented aspects of PSWs’ work, while broader interpretations included interpersonal aspects of care, respect and mutuality. We discuss how a conceptualization of consumer‐directed personal assistance can be elaborated to accommodate a notion of ‘care’ while retaining the core tenets of the independent living philosophy.     

Variability in Physical Constant Parameter Values from Standard Data Sources and the Implication of this Variability for Risk Analysis

Physical property values are used in environmental risk assessments to estimate media and risk-based concentrations. Recently, however, considerable variability has been reported with such values. To evaluate potential variability in physical parameter values supporting a variety of regulatory programs, eight data sources were chosen for evaluation, and chemicals appearing in at least four sources were selected. There were 755 chemicals chosen. In addition, chemicals in seven environmentally important subgroups were also identified for evaluation. Nine parameters were selected for analysis--molecular weight (MolWt), melting point (MeltPt), boiling point (BoilPt), vapor pressure (VP), water solubility (AqSOL), Henry's law constant (HLC), octanol-water partition coefficient (Kow), and diffusion coefficients in air (Dair) and water (Dwater). Results show that while 71% of constituents had equal MolWts across data sources, <3% of the constituents had equivalent parameter values across data sources for AqSOL, VP, or HLC. Considerable dissimilarity between certain sources was also observed. Furthermore, measures of dispersion showed considerable variation in data sets for Kow, VP, AqSOL, and HLC compared to measures for MolWt, MeltPt, BoilPt, or Dwater. The magnitude of the observed variability was also noteworthy. For example, the 95th percentile ratio of maximum/minimum parameter values ranged from 1.0 for MolWt to well over 1.0 x 10(6) for VP and HLC. Risk and exposure metrics also varied by similar magnitudes. Results with environmentally important subgroups were similar. These results show that there is considerable variability in physical parameter values from standard sources, and that the observed variability could affect potential risk estimates and perhaps risk management decisions.     

Computation of the Two-Sample Smirnov Statistics

A simple method is given for evaluating the one- or two-sided Smirnov statistic for comparing two independent samples from continuous populations.     

Reshaping Responses to Children When Parents are Separating: Hearing Children's Voices in the Transition

Abstract

The present paper reports on the findings of a research project involving a literature review and telephone interviews with children whose parents had separated or divorced. The aim of the research was to hear children's accounts of their experiences and needs during the transition in order to inform the development of a child-centred model of service delivery. The author recommends a number of strategies to assist service providers to enhance the wellbeing of children experiencing family separations.     

A structural model of subjective well-being: A comparison of ethnicity

Using secondary data analysis, we proposed and tested a structural model of subjective well-being using LISREL V. Separate analyses were performed on samples of Asians (N=142), Blacks (N=338), Hispanics (N=188), and Whites (N=293). Exogenous predictor variables were age, serious personal loss, occupational status, and employment status. Endogenous predictors were self-perceived health, physical activity, and strength of social ties. Results indicated that within group models were somewhat different from each other. We concluded that analyses done separately be ethnicity yielded more accurate representations of structural models of subjective well-being, and provide evidence that ethnic groups are reference groups in which determinants of subjective well-being operate differentially.     

Examining Organizational Functioning Through the Lens of Complexity Theory Using System Dynamics Modeling

ABSTRACT

The methodologies associated with complexity theory might serve as an adjunct to some of our more traditional behavioral social science research methods. While the latter has a well-established history in social work, the approaches related to complexity theory are just now gaining a foothold. One such approach is system dynamics modeling. This article will describe the application of system dynamics modeling to a well-known early intervention program. The manner in which it complements traditional research approaches will be discussed, and its unique contribution to understanding the organizational aspects of complexity theory will be highlighted.