Sociala behov och andra behov som är svårare att tillgodose inom äldreomsorgen : Förhållningssätt hos biståndshandläggare och enhetschefer

Sammanfattning: This study is based on the public eldercare assistances administrators and unit managers perspective. The purpose of this study is to describe and understand how the assistance administrator and unit manager approach elderly needs, who can be harder to accommodate as well as alternative providers that also can meet the needs of the elderly. It is important to gain more knowledge about how assistance administrators and unit managers look at these aspects, what their attitude and approach is towards them. This is important to learn more about because the assistance administrators and unit managers have discretion in their work and the power to change and affect the elderlys situation in a significant way. They decide on actions and design implementation to meet the needs of the elderly and enable them a reasonable standard of living. The choice of method used in this study was qualitative through semi-structured interviews, conducted with assistance officers and unit managers. The theoretical analyse was conducted by using Lipsky 's theory of street-level bureaucracy and Berglind theory of conduct. The results of our study indicate that the professionals have discretion that they can use in their work, that they have a empathic approach toward their work and that social needs can be more difficult to meet.