Making assessment protocols workable: Navigating transparency and person-centredness in Norwegian reablement

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Health Services Research
• Sociology of Professions

Background:

• Western welfare states face challenges optimizing health and social systems for aging populations.
• Reablement services are increasingly utilized to help older adults regain functional capacity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how reablement staff perceive and implement person-centered assessment protocols.
• To understand the practical and moral work involved in aligning standardized protocols with daily assessment practices.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative exploration of how reablement staff navigate assessment protocols.
• Analysis of the "tinkering" work involved in aligning protocols with practice.

Main Results:

• Professionals engage in "tinkering" with workflows (articulation work), clients (identity transformation work), and protocols (editing work).
• This "tinkering" is essential for navigating diverse values and concerns in practice.
• The intensity and forms of tinkering highlight practical and moral difficulties in making protocols workable.

Conclusions:

• Standardized assessment protocols require continuous adaptation by frontline staff.
• Understanding staff "tinkering" offers insights into the implementation of person-centered care in reablement services.
• Addressing the practical and moral challenges of protocol adaptation is crucial for effective service delivery to older adults.