Program |
Diploma in Health and Social Care |
Unit Number and Title |
Unit 2 Principles of Health and Care Practice |
QFC Level |
Level 5 |
A number of organizations together form the health and social care sector of a particular place. These centers take care of the people who are suffering from various types of diseases or other health hazards. Various kinds of approaches are put forward by these business organisation for the cure of these people. The most recommended approach is the person-centered approach. One such place is the East & West Care Home of London that takes care of the needs of several vulnerable people. In principles of health and social care practice report a discussion is made on principles of support in care services with an outline to protect from harm. Certain ethical dilemmas are also discussed in first task. The third part discusses my own responsibility as care worker followed with recommendations for improving self work practices.
The main function of a social and health care center is to provide the vulnerable people with the much needed support and health facilities. The principles involved in this practice ensure that the residents of these centers are provided with opportunities to improve the conditions of their health. Proper care must be provided by the workers to the residents irrespective of the differences in culture, race and color. It is very important for the workers to abide by the rules and regulations of the care home and not ill-treat the people living there. If we consider the case study of the East & West Care Home then we will see that the workers are not concerned about the health of the people.
A clear record needs to be maintained about the health worker in order to keep a track of everyone. Much more care can be given to the residents if the workers communicate with them on a regular basis. This would help the people feel less vulnerable and their needs will be known to the workers as well as the authority. Protection of the human rights of these people is necessary (Brooker and Waugh, 2013). Moreover, proper medicines, food and other services can be offered for protecting them from poor health conditions. Other than health support, the workers can also provide emotional support to the victims by being compassionate and understanding. If a victim shares anything with a worker then he or she is expected to keep it confidential. To achieve all these, proper training must be rendered to the workers involved in these health centers.
In health and social care practice, protection is provided to the staff members of the center and the residents of these homes. Firstly, both the workers and the service users must know whom to report in case of violation. When the workers join the home, they should be given adequate training for dealing with various situations. Even the staff members should know how the center functions, the rules associated with it and the steps taken in case of violation of the rules. Training will also enable the workers to use various equipments much more efficiently. Proper knowledge and practice will avoid any possible risk.
Safeguarding the service users is the primary objective of any health care home. An important factor that goes unnoticed is the general hygiene of the workers. The residents are already vulnerable, so the workers must maintain personal cleanliness to help the residents achieve better health conditions. Workers must also provide fresh food to the users for improving health conditions. The workers must know how to provide first aid to the victims in case of emergencies. Even patients who are suffering from transferable diseases must be treated separately from the others (Kaye and Dhar, 2016). Sufficient knowledge must be rendered to the workers regarding accurate dose of medicines, knowledge of medicines and the diseases they are associated with and so on. The residents must not be subjected to any kind of violence. It is noticed in East & West Care Home that bruises are noticed on the bodies of the victims and the staff members are unable to give proper reasons. A number of residents are also missing from the center. In such cases, Care quality Commission (CRC) must be informed without any delay.
Dr. Carl Rogers was a psychologist who put forward the benefits of person-centered approach. In his theory he uses psychotherapy as well counseling as means of developing person-centered approach. It has been noticed that when a worker deals his or her patient with understanding and compassion, the health of the patient is likely to improve. It has been noticed that people who are suffering from diseases for a long period of time tend to avoid the consumption of medicines. Research studies say that if the workers provide emotional support to the patients then the patients generally stick to their treatment and also take medicine on time (Person-centered care made simple, 2014).
In health centers, the patients who are accompanied by healthcare professionals in their treatment and decision making are pleased with their treatments which are also less expensive. This constant support from the staff encourages a patient to be more confident about the treatment and helps him to develop skills in order to cope up with the health condition (Brotherton and Parker, 2013). These practices generate better results as noticed in several extensive studies. Other than patients, person-centered approach has a better impact on workers too. When a staff member is closely associated with a patient, then the self-esteem of the worker increases. This in turn helps him to develop his performance. This system of working can be achieved when both the staff and the management work together for the betterment of the patients. The case study on East & West Care Home throws light on the feelings of discontentment of the patients. It becomes clear that the workers do not follow a person-centered approach and are not very concerned about the health improvements of the patients.
When a person has to choose between a few options which are mainly unpleasant in nature, then it is known as ethical dilemma. The workers have to abide by the rules and regulations of the healthcare centre. Conflicts often arise between the residents and the workers due to differences in their opinions, culture, and beliefs. These disputes can hamper the working atmosphere of the centre and also cause resentment in the minds of the patients.
Cases are common where the patient is unwilling to continue with medication and treatment. In these situations the workers are obliged to respect the decision of the service users and cannot force them to continue with the treatment (Leathard and McLaren, 2007). But if things turn ugly and the patient dies then the worker will be held responsible for the untimely death of the patient. So, several risks and ethical issues are present in the health and social care services. To make things easier for the workers, certain guidelines are put down by the National Health Service (NHS) which the workers are expected to follow.
Get assignment help from full time dedicated experts of Locus assignments.
Call us: +44 – 7497 786 317It is very important for a person working in healthcare services to provide the service users with utmost care and friendly environment. Being a care worker I need to establish a relationship of trust between the patients and myself. My duty is to meet the expectations of the users and to provide them with all the adequate services. This can be done by improving the hygiene, food supplies and medicines for the patients. The service users need to trust me because only then I will be able to explain them the importance of medication and prevent them from abandoning it. As mentioned earlier, team work is essential for smooth functioning in social care centers. I should work in teams and cooperate with each other to provide better services to the patients. Information, knowledge and technical skills can be shared between each other for better working and even for providing an appropriate solution in a difficult situation (Bhanti, 2005). All individuals need to go by the rules and regulations put down by the organization. So, as healthcare worker I should be aware about the probable situations and the ways to deal with them.
An organization needs to lay down certain policies for its smooth functioning. The visions should be clear and the workers must be well aware of them. Even a care organization needs to implement these policies and execute them in such a way that the care workers are able to enhance their performances. As a care worker this will enable me to develop my contributing skills. I need to obey the organizational policies put down by the particular health care home and that would improve the quality of the work responsibilities given to me. However, the structure should be liberal for making necessary changes in the policies when required. Sometimes when I was unable to produce the expected results then the policies were reviewed all over again to find out the cause of such a result. If a suitable reason was found out, then that particular was changed for the benefit of the workers or I was given training or instruction by mentors for understanding the practices. All these policies were framed while keeping in mind the benefits of the service users as well as care workers like us.
It is important to identify the problems that are present in healthcare and social services. Moreover, the need to change should also be addressed and a plan needs to be made to bring about the necessary changes in my own contribution for good practice requirements as care worker. (Bate and Robert, 2007). Providing adequate knowledge and training to the workers is the foremost step for improving the social and healthcare services. I need to maintain a regular learning habit to develop extensive knowledge on the various organizational policies and care practices so that I am able to act according to the expected results. I also need to keep in mind the local as well as national policies while executing the practices. I can definitely improve my ways of working if I am able to engage in trainings and study the various practices that take place worldwide. This will help me to update myself with the contemporary issues ways of functioning. All these methods will also help me to work as a team and develop my collaborative skills.
The social and health care services involve a lot of risks for both the workers and the service users. Training and knowledge need to be imparted to the workers for the better understanding of the system and to deliver the desired results. A good communication system will also help the patients to trust the staff and follow their advices. The problems are probable solutions are addressed in this assessment.
Bate, P. and Robert, G. (2007). Bringing user experience to healthcare improvement: The concepts, methods and practices of experience-based design. Radcliffe Publishing.
Bhanti, R. (2005). Social Work Practices And Services: A Compendium. Mittal Publications.
Brooker, C. and Waugh, A. (2013). Foundations of Nursing Practice: Fundamentals of Holistic Care. Mosby Elsevier.
Brotherton, G. and Parker, S. (2013). Your Foundation in Health & Social Care. SAGE Publications Ltd.
Kaye, K. and Dhar, S. (2016). Infectious Disease Clinics of North America. Elsevier Inc.
Leathard, A. and McLaren, S. (2007). Ethics: Contemporary Challenges in Health and Social Care. The Policy Press.
The Health Foundation Inspiring Improvement. (2014). Person-centred care made simple: What everyone should know about person-centred care. [Available online at]: http://www.health.org.uk/sites/health/files/PersonCentredCareMadeSimple.pdf . [Accessed on 27th September, 2016].
Details
Other Assignments
Related Solution
Other Solution