Abstract A great deal of research has been done into the way the younger generation addresses the elderly. This paper looks into the range of tactics used as well as how the way that a carer communicates with their elderly patient says a great deal about their own personal views and opinions. In particular, it examines how Coupland, N et al (1991) investigate this issue through presenting the theories of Ryan et al.
From the Paper "The first of Ryan et al's (cited in Coupland, N et al 1991) strategies which is often chosen by younger people is overaccomodation due to physical or sensory handicaps (Coupland, Coupland and Giles 1991). In this instance the speaker adapts their speech beyond the optimal level, thus showing that they assume the receiver is handicapped in some way. A common example of this is where people speak especially loud to an elderly person. This shows how a majority of the elderly are perceived as having impaired hearing. The main aim of such a strategy is to ensure an effective, interpretable form of communication, however from another perspective such an approach may be seen as patronising and unnecessary."
Abstract This paper provides an in-depth look at the provision of adult social care in the UK. The study uses secondary sources, Department of Health publications and documents, peer journals, and articles to ascertain the problems that adult social care faces. The author also looks at the future prospects of social care and the need to review and remould various programs according to the shifting circumstances of demand. The conclusion that emerges from this study is the need to match demand and maintain the relevance of social care to the community. A glossary of terms is provided at the end of the document.
Outline:
Introduction
Study Aims and Methodology
Characteristics of CCA
Eligibility Criteria
National Eligibility Framework
Local Financial Constraints
Reassessment of Need
Referrals, Assessments and Packages of Care Project
Community Care
Caring for Someone
Carer Carer's Allowance (CA)
Who Qualifies for Carer's Allowance
How is the CA Paid
Beneficiary Friendly
Impact of Carers in the UK
Quality of Service Assessed by Recipients
Future Funding of Care
Long Term Future of Adult Care
From the Paper "When the conservative government of Margaret Thatcher passed the NHS and Community Care Act of 1990 (CCA), which was eventually implemented in 1993, it brought in some of the biggest changes to the welfare state since the Second World War.
"Even though community care, as a concept, has a long history, the Act finally acted upon the two-fold ideal that social care needs, firstly, to be delivered within local communities and, secondly, that care needs to be provided in a way that would respect the dignity and independence of those receiving it.
"Previously, social care was either ineffectively administered or decided on centrally. Following the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970, the emphasis shifted from central to local government but, as the continued incarceration of mentally-handicapped people in government-run institutions illustrates, the move towards the local was neither complete nor respectful of individual rights. Only later, in 1980, were institutions for housing the mentally ill eventually abolished. Some six years later, as a result of the passing of the Disabled Persons Act, moves strengthened towards placing more emphasis on local authorities in the provision of services."
Abstract This paper addresses the roles and responsibilities of the psychiatric and mental health (PMH) nurse. It discusses the necessity of a team approach within this nursing field and describes the consumer and carer perspective. The paper also looks at the PMH nurse and society's general attitudes to mental illness and how this may affect the PMH nurse's role and responsibilities.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Qualities, Roles, and Responsibilities of the PMH Nurse
PMH Nurse and Society's Attitudes to Mental Illness
Need for Team Approach
Significance of the Consumer/Carer Perspective
Conclusion
From the Paper "The significance of the consumer/carer perspective is most especially observed in cases of stigma when the person has been stigmatized by the health care system. In these cases, there are invariably abuses of human rights. Such abuses lead to inadequate care, as well as intolerable stress, exacerbation of physical illness, and in some cases mortality (Crisp, 2004). As a consequence, the psychosocial needs for such individuals are not understood or addressed. Many users of mental health services are beginning to reject traditional psychiatric ideas of mental illness and instead have chosen the concept of mental distress (Rogers & Pilgrim, 2005). The PMH nurse while acting as advocate may wish to point out to these consumers that the concept of mental distress is not adequate since it does not portray the experience or suffering involved in mental illness. The PMH nurse, when working with advocacy or consumer groups, makes use of a collaborative approach and must demonstrate expertise with the use of collaborative strategies (CNA, 2002). The nurse also participates in learning and teaching opportunities with consumer groups."
Abstract This paper overviews rehabilitation centers and the experts in an effort to quantify which competencies and skills are necessary for caring for substance abusers. The paper quotes a number of educators, certifiers, and those in the field of addiction counseling who have agreed that a nationally derived and accepted set of standards is required of those who call themselves addictions counselors.
From the Paper "Edwards, Yankey, and Altpeter (1998) also stress technical competencies ranging from budgeting and fiscal controls, to scheduling procedures, personnel administration systems, clinical counseling, reporting systems, and evaluation and quality control measures. In essence, it can be concluded that the skills which render an administrator competent in the context of substance abuse rehabilitation are the same skills needed for effective and managerial performance in any and all kinds of organizations. These skills may make the difference between organizational success and failure."
Abstract In this paper, the author considers the role of a nurse from a perspective based on a six week student placement in nursing practice. This involved; two weeks with the primary care and community nurses (otherwise known as District Nurses); a week with a health visitor; two weeks of two units of mental health, one in a mental health rehabilitation unit and another in community mental health and a week in an acute elderly rehabilitation ward in a hospital.
Outline
As an Assessor of Care: Conducting Assessments
As an Advocate: Representing the Interests of the Client
As a Primary Carer: Providing Frontline Care
As a Manager of Care: Coordinating all the Care Required
As a Counsellor: Providing Talking and Listening Therapies
As an Educator: Promoting Health Through Educating Clients
As a Researcher: Providing Evidence Based Practice
From the Paper "The role of the 21st century nurse in the United Kingdom is a highly varied, dynamic and multidimensional one. This is more important perhaps, due to the changes that have come about in the last two decades of the last century. There are demographic, epidemiological, political, economic and technological changes that have forcibly caused the NHS to undergo great organisational changes in the 1980s and 1990s. And now recently the government continues to outline further changes in the health care system which puts an emphasis on partnership and continuity of care between hospitals and the community. All this has seen nurses continuously readapt themselves in the role they play in the delivery of health care (Melia 2004)."
Abstract The focus of this paper is children with disabilities, their parents and careers. It endeavors to explain and analyze the manner in which children and families actively participate and collaborate within processes which directly affect them and the benefits they can obtain from these processes. It attempts to explain the drivers behind this ethos and analyzes the extent to which it works. It also examines the importance of inter-collaborative practice and endeavors to analyze the potential benefits and challenges of collaborative practice. Theories are analyzed in order to clarify collaborative practice and its relevance to service users and practitioners.
Outline:
Political, Legislative, Economic and Social Drivers For Change
Theoretical Frameworks which Assist and Enable the Analysis of Collaborative Practice
Systems Theory
Social Exchange Theory
Factors Which Facilitate and Hinder Collaborative Working
Changes in the Policy and Organizational Landscapes on the Involvement of Service Users and Carers Reflect on the Implications of Collaboration, Cooperation and Partnership Working
From the Paper "The Common Assessment Framework (CAF) is an example of a system within social care. Its implementation viewed as a tool that promotes service integration and co-ordination across the whole spectrum of children's services. Due to the nature of a Common Assessment any professional working within a children's service can complete it. Such an approach is envisaged to identify required needs earlier and initiate appropriate services. It is also felt to encourage multi-agency working and information sharing which is an essential element within the process. It addresses the needs and strengths of a child, within three domains, parenting capacity, developmental needs and family and environmental factors (Every Child Matters:2006b). "
Abstract This research proposal discusses the care system in the United Kingdom and presents it as an example of foster parenting that has been found to be flawed. It describes the lack in its delivery of care services with respect to the children's educational needs and focuses particularly in the gap seen between children of black and white ethnicity. The paper discusses the reasons for this gap and for the flaws in the educational system for foster children as a whole.
Table of Contents:
Abstract
Introduction
Context
Rationale
Aim and Objectives
Literature Review
Black Children
Neglect and Abuse
Main Issues
Social Workers' Involvement
Data Analysis, Conclusion and Recommendations
Research Proposal & Methodology
From the Paper "Concern about the poor educational experience and attainment of British children in care, either by local authorities, foster carers or traditional homes, has been increasing since the mid-1980s (Borland, 1998). The reason is that studies after studies show that while the care system succeeded in giving looked-after children access to other basic needs, many of these children miss out on education. Among these children, the dropout rate is abnormally high, only a few survive secondary education and fewer still progress to college. Moreover, those who manage to hang on to their schooling were generally found to be inferior in academic performance than children with normal family relationships, and there is a growing suspicion that the care system is failing them in this aspect."
Abstract This paper reviews and discusses the issues relating to the placement of babies and young children into daycare. The paper examines the association between aggressive behavior and daycare among children from three different perspectives. The paper also discusses Erik Erikson's stage theory of psychosocial development and the operant conditioning theory of B.F. Skinner.
Outline:
The Issue
Erik Erikson's Perspective
Skinner's Perspective
Conclusion
From the Paper "How can daycare environments be improved upon in order to decrease the stress experienced by children and further decrease the development of aggressive behavior? Dettling, Parker, Lane, Sebane, and Gunnar (2000) used patterns of cortisol production in young children to assess whether levels were influenced by situational factors involved in daycare such as size of the group, adult-to-child ratio, separation from parents, and quality of stimulation and attention from the child-care provider. The results of this study indicated that cortisol patterns among the children over the span of a day correlated significantly with the quantity of stimulation and attention provided by the child-care provider. Also, cortisol levels among children that were more emotionally negative and those with less self-control, such as aggressive children, also dramatically increased throughout the day. Overall, this study further reinforces how quality of daycare is key in determining the stress levels experienced by the children (Dettling et al., 2000)."
This paper provides a critical conceptual analysis of the referral, pre-admission and admission stages of a young person going into care within the framework of a care plan.
Abstract In this article, the writer notes that the referral, pre-admission and admission stages of a young person coming into care must be taken into account when writing a care plan for the young person. The writer points out that within the framework of a care plan all of the above stages must be taken into account in order to provide a care plan that is individual for every young person entering a residential home. This essay provides a critical conceptual analysis of the above stages within the framework of a care plan by critically analysing a range of theories, processes and practices.
From the Paper "Young people entering residential care do not only have to struggle with fitting into society as they know it, but they also have to deal with moving into a new and possibly unfamiliar environment. Young people moving into residential care may also struggle to find a role for themselves within the unit. Therefore, the psychosocial approach would have to take this into consideration when writing the care plan and look at the ways in which group care can be utilised to make this stage slightly easier for the young person to deal with. It would be important if this approach was used when writing a care plan within a group care setting to consider how the environment of the residential unit, the structure and culture, would have an affect on the individual as well as on the group as a whole. The psychosocial however approach does not take into consideration poverty, oppression, racism or gender stereotyping. This is important for workers to be aware of when writing a care plan following the psychosocial approach as young people may originate from different cultures than the workers."
"Another approach that can be used when constructing a care plan is the behaviourist approach. The Behaviourist approach focuses on the understanding that everything an individual does is the result of varying behaviours."
Abstract This paper examines why older people, especially those suffering from depression and other illnesses, give consideration to suicide. It discusses the signs that carers should look out for that indicate that an elderly person may be considering suicide. The paper also looks at what can be done to prevent these aging citizens from harming themselves.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Available Literature Reflecting Pertinent Studies
Intervention Programs
Conclusion
From the Paper "It is clear that many older people, for a variety of health and situational reasons, give serious consideration to suicide. It is also clear that when there is psychosocial intervention, those older people begin to become more positive about their lives. And beyond that, the data found while researching this paper indicates that more seniors prefer counseling over antidepressant drugs; but counseling services are not available to many older people. The answer for community-based health care service providers is to increase the number of counselors available to the elderly, decrease the number of prescriptions for antidepressant drugs, and give special attention to the low income sector of older people because they are the most often in need and most often neglected."
