TI Solvieva et al. Personal Assistance Services (PAS) for individuals with disabilities: Self-care at the workplace. Work, 2010;36:339-343.

Solvieva and colleagues sought to identify current definitions, issues, and strategies related to the use of Personal Assistance Services (PAS) in the workplace. Participants were employees with disabilities who used PAS in the workplace as well as employers who participated in research studies over the past 20 years. More than 30 articles were reviewed to determine PAS definitions, use, policies, and outcomes. A comprehensive search of bibliographic resources (e.g., EBSCOhost) was conducted to identify appropriate articles. The articles revealed current definitions of workplace PAS, demonstrated an increasing need for PAS, and highlighted fiscal and societal barriers to the full implementation of PAS at work.

WHAT THE STUDY MAY MEAN TO YOU AS A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER: The authors concluded that the outcomes clarify the historical components, but also identify questions that remain. These questions concern the effectiveness of PAS, best practices for funding PAS, and the need for national and local policies to support the use of PAS for workers with disabilities.

WHAT THE STUDY MAY MEAN FOR YOU AS A HEALTH CARE CONSUMER: As the age of consumers continues to increase, PAS’s in the workplace are apt to assist workers with comorbid conditions. This would seem an ideal setting for the introduction of self-management to workers. If performed correctly, workers would be able better able to not only carry out their jobs but to have better quality retirement years.