Social Health Dimensions: Policies and Theories for Elderly Care

This essay delves into the multifaceted dimensions of social health among elderly individuals, examining the impact of various policies, theories, and governmental initiatives. The paper begins by defining social health and its significance, emphasizing the ability to build purposeful relationships and navigate social interactions positively. It then addresses the decline in functional capacity and the increase in illnesses and disabilities associated with aging. The essay discusses the key social issues affecting the elderly, such as financial abuse and neglect, and how they affect the health of old age persons. The essay further explores several policies introduced to improve the social health of older people, including the National Service Framework for older persons and the 'Putting People First' agenda. It also highlights the role of the government in mediating knowledge and concerns about health and social care. The essay then provides a comprehensive overview of the theories related to the social health of the elderly, including physiological, psychosocial, disengagement, sociological, dependency, and third-age theories. Finally, the essay analyzes the influence of politics on social health, particularly the impact of the Third Way of the Labour Government and the 'Putting People First' initiative, and the importance of the Care Act of 2014 and the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act of 2006. In conclusion, the essay emphasizes the importance of improving the social health of the elderly for both individual well-being and national health and financial stability.

RUNNING HEAD: DIMENSIONS OF SOCIAL HEALTH
Dimensions of Social Health of Old People

DIMENSIONS OF SOCIAL HEALTH
Social health is described as an individual’s potential to build purposeful relationship with other
people and to deal with them in affinity and positive ways (Mirowsky, 2017). Social detriments
represent the cultural variable and environmental physical circumstances in which individuals
are born, learn, practice, operate and age. With ageing, every person’s capacity to perform
regular tasks (functional capacity) decreases to some extent. In addition, old age people tend to
have more illness and disabilities on average than younger individuals do. However, the
modifications that go hand in hand with aging are more than just health modifications. Social
issues for e.g. day-to-day activities, affect the danger and experience of disease of an elderly
person. This paper gives a brief description of issues, which are faced by the old age people to
improve their social health. In order to overcome these issues the government introduced various
legislations. This essay will describe about how these policies will help an Old age people to
achieve social health. The purpose of this topic is to provide an understanding of dimensions of
social heath to the audience. The purpose of this essay is to evaluate the health dimension and it
will also address how health determinants of social health can affect the health of an old age
persons. This essay will also address its theories, present policies, health issues faced by these
people and the role of state and other organizations in the mediation of information, and
fundamental issues about the nature of health and social care.
Various policies for the improvement of elderly have been introduced. Multiple strategies for
individuals such as National Service Framework for elder person, putting people first-
personalization, and patient involvement were introduced. In March, 2001 The National
Service Framework was published which was a major initiative to make better services for old
age patients. In this hospital care, professional care, ageism etc. were addressed (Dewar &
Nolan, 2013). The other policy for the betterment of old age people was putting people first-
personalization, The government of UK described its vision of improving adult social care by
implementing a personalization agenda in its 2007 document “Putting People First”. The concept
behind personalization is to allow people to live separately and to have full choice and control
over the facilities they use in their daily lives (Hamelmann, 2017).
Adult safeguarding is a concept that was introduced in UK. It refers to gathering of methods that
makes sure that groups such as young people and old age people are protected from abuse,
neglect in community and harm. The main issue is financial abuse, which means illegal or
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DIMENSIONS OF SOCIAL HEALTH
inappropriate use of funds, or other assets of old age people. Provisions are made in The Care
Act(2014) for those who may be affected by concerns that need an adult safeguarding response.
In UK between 1 and 2 percent of people aged 65 years or above are suffering from financial
abuse since turning 65 (Braye et al., 2011). To overcome with this problems Safeguarding Adult
Board was constituted that help and protect adults who are in need, wants support, and are at risk
of abuse in its area. The another issue is neglect abuse among old age people that includes
physical, emotional loss inflicted upon them by the people who are actually responsible for their
protection and care. By educating and training people on elder abuse, health care professionals
can better support victims of elder abuse (Battilana, 2011). There are various theories relating to
social health of elderly, which helps us to understand causes, which affect the social health of
such people.
Theories of social health, it includes Physiological Theory: this theory is used to provide for
representing human thoughts, feelings, and conduct. This theory is based on thesis, which is
supported by evidence. The main purpose of this theory is to provide a basic understanding of
human conduct and feelings. It has two main components that are, it must state behavior, and it
needs to predict future behavior. Physiological Theory describes about the attachment theory and
behaviorism of an individual. By applying, this theory of social health, the main cause or issue
can be identified which affect the social health of an old age person. The other theory of Social
health is Erikson’s psychosocial theory: Erikson theory has been determined in eight stages from
infant to adulthood. It depicts the psychological needs of an individual, which conflicts the
society. The main purpose of this theory is to provide a framework with which development of
social health of an old age person can be considered. The theory of aging disengagement states
that aging is unavoidable, disengagement or mutual withdrawal, leading in reduced
communication between the old age individual and others in the social structure to which he
belongs (Moorhead et al., 2013).
The theory of disengagement have been put forth to describe social networks among old age
people. The theory argues that withdrawal from community is natural and acceptable for older
adults. This theory helps to understand that disengagement from social life in old age is not an
issue it is natural process. The other theory is sociological theory, it defines about the statements
that why and how specific facts are related to social world (McDonell et al., 2009). They range
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DIMENSIONS OF SOCIAL HEALTH
from concise description of a single social method to paradigms for evolution and interpretation.
Sociological theory’s significance lies in how it gives us a way to talk, describe, and interpret
different behavior. This theory gives a basic outline that how to deal with old age people.
Dependency is yet another theory; this theory of dependency concerns how developing nations
are dependent on developed countries. This theory helps us to deal with inequalities and to
achieve goal of increased equality among older person. The last theory of social health is third
age theory; this theory was propounded by Peter Laslett (1915-2001). In this of Laslett an
individual’s life consists of four ages, and the high point is in the third age. In his theory of third
age he states that, with the exception of specific cases, in general the third age was period after
retirement with positive approach and health (Carr & Komp, 2011). Although ageing is an
unavoidable process but this theory enable us to understand that how an individual is able to
positively influence aspects that maintain wellness of a person ageing and how to deal with
conditions associated with ageing. All these theories of social health are related to the social
health of an old age person.
Influence of politics on social health of old age person. It will further analyze influence of this
age group and its two aspects that is Third way of the Labour Government, 1997 and Putting
People First. The new Labour’s policies for old age person, families and work may have been
central to their national plan and can be seen either as part of the modernization project or as part
of the third way. In 1980’s there was decade in UK that threatened out of control the price of
residential care for elderly individuals. The new conservative government tried to decrease the
quantity of discretion in the social security in 1979 (Giddens, 2013). The old age people were
allowed to receive monetary support and to enter residential care without evaluation of their need
for the same. An act named NHS and Community Care was passed in 1990, with an object to
provide social care to the old age people for example to provide cost effective residential care
etc. Another legislation which was passed for the benefit of old age person, which was Putting
People First-Labour Government 2007, in this agenda of government was delivery of social care
services and its transformation, the agenda referred to lobbying by organization with disabilities
to increase the options and control of disabled and old age citizens etc. (Biggs, 2012). The Care
Act 2014 was also passed with an aim to safeguard the interest of old age person and to protect
them from various abuses. This act sets out a framework that how local agencies should protect
old age people who are at risk of abuse or neglect.
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DIMENSIONS OF SOCIAL HEALTH
The government of UK and local authorities played major role in mediating knowledge and
underlying concerns about the nature of health and social care. Various initiatives were taken by
the Government of UK for improving the social health of old age people, for example initiative
were taken for improving recruitment and retention of old age workforce, to help old age people
to get online, by encouraging other people to celebrate Older People day with such persons etc.
(Shanas et al., 2017).
percentage of population of 65+ dealing with
abuse
1st Qtr
2nd Qtr
percentage of population aged
65+ dealing with abuse
There are two main legislation dealing in this area these are; The Care Act and The Safeguarding
Vulnerable Groups Act, 2006. These laws protect the old age people from various abuse for
example care home for elderly. Elderly relatives are sometimes exploited later in life when it
comes to their finances. Staff must be vigilant and be able to report if they think that this sort of
violence is taking place. By following certain steps by caregiver one can prevent elder abuse or
neglect i.e. To take immediate steps to relieve stress, can seek help from friends and family or
local agencies to find adult daycare program or learn techniques that how to deal with elder
abuse (Dening & Thomas, 2013).
After analyzing the above essay, it can be concluded that Social health means an individual’s
ability to build social relations with others. If the social health of an elderly is improved then it
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DIMENSIONS OF SOCIAL HEALTH
will increase the standard of living, life expectancy, health status, it will help them to realize
their potential and that will give them the ability to fight illness. Whereas if social health of old
age people is not improved then it will directly burden the nation with huge hospital and health
care expenses as well as it will increase number of dependents in the country. It will also affect
the standard of living of an old age person. Thus, it is necessary for both i.e. nation and
individual to help old age people to improve their social health.
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DIMENSIONS OF SOCIAL HEALTH
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