(Nieuwe) professionals in de zorg welkom, als bondgenoot in empowerment – discussiebijdrage

Abstract

This article provides a critical response to the growing ‘professionalisation’ of the Dutch care sector. The author comments upon an article by Van Ewijk en Lammersen (Sociale Interventie 15(2)), concerning the nature of the profession and the professional attitude of care workers. Based on personal experiences as a client in the care sector and studies on care for disabled people, the author formulates a few lessons regarding ‘professionalisation’ of the care sector and her workers. She claims that most of the time, professional care does not meet the needs of clients. Furthermore, she argues that clients and their families are confronted with a lot of ‘disability management’: to receive the care they are entitled to, they have to develop diverse abilities, like collect and distribute information, negotiate with care workers, confront stigmatization, etcetera. The author therefore concludes that disabled people need care workers who support their empowerment and who are willing to be an ‘ally’ in this empowerment.