Main types of social services for the population

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

One of the main elements of social security is social services. However, it sounds too formal. In fact, the state apparatus found it necessary to help those in need, which, in fact, is a normal human need - to support their own kind. Depending on what a citizen needs, there are several types of social services, which will be discussed.

A moment of terminology

Before we begin to consider the types of social services, we will study what this whole system is.

In general, the system of social services can be called a complex of social assistance, expressed in material terms and addressed to citizens who find themselves in a difficult life situation, which is caused by illness, old age, disability and other reasons.

Lawdefines a difficult life situation as a circumstance that disrupts the normal life of a person, with which he cannot cope on his own. Social assistance is comprehensive and consists of different types of social services.

Typology

If we consider all possible options for social services, then the type of state assistance will be represented by the following categories:

• social and/or social he alth care at home;
• advisory services in various areas of life;
• urgent social services;
• stationary or semi-stationary services for needy categories of citizens;
• providing temporary shelter to live in;
• rehabilitation services.

Home Help

This type of social service provides citizens with various kinds of household and rehabilitation assistance. Such care is available for single people and those who have partially lost the ability to self-care. Home assistance is one of the main types of social services for the population, all efforts of which are aimed at extending the stay of disabled and elderly citizens in the social environment, as well as protecting their rights and interests.

For the disabled and the elderly, medical care is also provided. Usually it is given to people who suffer from mental disorders, but are in remission, or simply seriously ill who do not need treatment in specializedestablishments.

Home-based social services include:

• catering (this also includes home delivery of groceries);
• help with buying medicines and essential goods;
• accompanying to the hospital and assistance in obtaining medical care;
• maintaining hygiene in the living quarters;
• assistance in obtaining qualified legal advice;
• organization of funeral services.

Inpatient Social Services

The next type of social service activity is inpatient provision. Simply put, this is the provision of assistance to citizens who are in such an institution and need constant care. These people have partially or completely lost the ability to serve themselves independently. Employees of a stationary institution must provide conditions appropriate for the age and state of he alth of citizens. This is the most labor-intensive type of social service: institutions should constantly carry out various medical and psychological activities, provide round-the-clock care and organize feasible work activities, as well as recreation and leisure.

Temporary shelter

Temporary shelter available in institutions:

• orphans;
• children left without parental care;
• minors, without constant supervision;
• children in difficult situations;
• peoplewithout a fixed place of residence and profession;
• people who are victims of mental or physical violence, natural disasters, wars, etc.

Social services for these citizens are carried out in special institutions or departments of social services, created in accordance with the age, state of he alth and status of citizens. Services provided to all who live in social service centers:

• material and household;
• for catering and leisure activities;
• medical and sanitary nature;
• on the organization of education;
• social and labor rehabilitation;
• legal.

Boarding houses

Elderly people and people with he alth problems can stay on stationary social security with supporting documents. Also, children are admitted to permanent-temporary state guardianship. However, few people know that some stationary institutions are intended for persons who are under administrative supervision. Not only the disabled and the elderly live in such institutions. These may be particularly dangerous recidivists who have been released. Citizens who have been repeatedly convicted or repeatedly brought to administrative responsibility for violating public order also end up in special institutions. There are special boarding houses for such people, in which they are provided with all conditions for living, provide medical assistance and try tosocially adapt to normal life.

Semi-residential service

This type of social service for citizens consists of social, medical and cultural services. Such care usually includes elderly and disabled people who have retained the ability to actively move around. To receive semi-residential care, the applicant must submit a written application or provide a he alth certificate.

Such institutions include departments of day or night stay at complex centers, as well as organizations of social support for people without a fixed place of residence. In semi-stationary conditions, the following services are provided:

• organization of food, leisure and life;
• medical assistance;
• legal protection;
• support for education.

If we talk about institutions for persons without a fixed place of residence, then there is a completely different system. People are provided with a place to sleep along with personal hygiene items, they are given coupons for one-time (once a day) free meals. They carry out sanitization and provide first aid, if necessary, those in need are sent for treatment to the appropriate institution. In addition, they provide assistance in prosthetics, glasses and hearing aids. They help to socially adapt and integrate into society. If this does not happen or for some reason it is impossible, the person is registered in a boarding house for permanent residence.

Providing advisoryservices

People who seek help from social services can receive qualified advice on various life support issues. Such consultations are aimed at adapting a person in society, reducing the level of social tension and creating favorable conditions in the family.

Basically, all consultations are focused on the psychological support of a citizen. They teach him to make decisions and deal with the situation on his own.

It can be said that one of the main types of social services is advisory support, because it is:

• provides for the prevention of socio-psychological deviations;
• helps with training, professionally orients and promotes employment;
• provides competent legal services;
• works with families with elderly or disabled people;
• promotes he althy relationships and helps create a supportive social environment.

Rehabilitation services

Social rehabilitation helps citizens to lead a normal, socially acceptable life. The reasons why a person is in a difficult situation and needs help can be very different. Forms and types of social services are selected depending on them. Such variability has not bypassed the rehabilitation system. Today there are the followingspecies.

• Socio-medical rehabilitation. It is focused on the full or partial restoration of the normal functioning of the damaged part of the body. In particularly severe cases, the work is to possibly slow down the deterioration.
• Psychological rehabilitation. Aimed at improving mental he alth, helps to quickly adapt to changing conditions.
• Socio-Pedagogical Rehabilitation is focused on helping you get an education and acquire the right skills.
• Vocational rehabilitation helps a citizen find a job.
• Social and domestic support enables a person to arrange a life and adapt to a new household environment.

Urgent help

Urgent social services are provided if there is a need to provide emergency assistance of a one-time nature to the elderly, the disabled or simply citizens in dire need of support. Urgent Social Services may consist of the following services:

• one-time provision of free hot meals or a grocery set;
• providing basic necessities, clothing and footwear;
• providing financial assistance;
• help with temporary housing;
• organization of legal, emergency medical and psychological assistance.

Not only the elderly and the disabled have the right to urgent social assistance, but also all citizens who find themselves in a difficult life situation. Even families with children are en titled to receivestate one-time material support.

Provision of social assistance

In general, this is all you need to know about the concept and types of social services. Finally, it should be recalled that everyone has the right to assistance from the state, they just don’t tell us about it. Various social services are provided if there is an appeal from a citizen, his guardian or legal representative. Usually, assistance is provided at the place of actual residence or temporary stay of a person, it can be gratuitous or paid, carried out on a contractual and non-contractual basis. Both public and private funds help people.

Over the past few years, social services have come to be seen as a necessary form of assistance to make the entire welfare system more efficient. Therefore, it is important to understand that the main activity of any state should focus on providing social protection to the population, so that citizens can overcome the negative consequences caused by the life situation, illness, old age and other reasons.