Health and Social Care

Running Head: Health and Social Care
Health and Social Care

Health and Social Care 1
Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Task 1...............................................................................................................................................3
1.1 Explain how technology can be used to support users of health and social care services
in living independently.................................................................................................................3
1.2 Analyse barriers to the use of technology to support users of health and social care
services in living independently...................................................................................................3
1.3 Explain the benefits of these technologies to health and social care organisations and
their users.....................................................................................................................................4
Task 2...............................................................................................................................................6
2.1 Explain health and safety considerations in the use of technologies in health and social
care...............................................................................................................................................6
2.2 Discuss ethical considerations in the use of technologies in health and social care..............6
2.3 Explain the impact of recent and emerging technological developments on health and
social care services, organisations and care workers...................................................................7
Task 3...............................................................................................................................................8
3.1 Identification of Jane’s specific requirements that support her in living independently.......8
3.2 Use of technology in making appropriate living arrangements of Jane.................................9
3.3 Evaluation of technology that can be used by Jane and health and social care experts.......10
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................11

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References......................................................................................................................................12

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Introduction
Living independently is a big opportunity especially for diseased and disabled. This essay will
cover the requirements of the disabled and diseased person in relation to supporting them for
living independently and freely. This essay has been divided into three tasks under which first
task relates to the usage of technology to support independent living. The second task relates to
the implications of development in technologies for use in health and social care organizations.
The last task of the essay relates to the recommendations relevant with the independent living for
the users of health and social care services.

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Task 1
1.1 Explain how technology can be used to support users of health and social care services
in living independently.
Technological factors and advancement in the medicines are two crucial factors through which
people could easily face disabilities. With the help of technological advances, health and social
care services have been improved. In relation to living independently, technological
advancement plays crucial role. It has the ability to increase patient's ability to deal with various
circumstances in an effective manner. Disabilities make a person insufficient to complete its
daily tasks and technological advancements help those people to remove the barriers and to
perform various activities on their own. Medical practice and individual’s attitude also plays
crucial role in the development of medicine and technology. This helps the disabled people to
deal with their disabilities in an appropriate manner (Aveyard, 2014).
In relation to technological improvements and advancements, disabled persons are not generally
informed about it and lack of funds and other resources also plays crucial role in terms of non-
reachability to the technology and medicine advances. According to the case study, Sally, a 42-
year-old woman is suffering from various disabilities such as double vision, tingling, and
numbness in left feet. She is consulting with a neurologist in relation with diagnosis of multiple
sclerosis. In this scenario, Sally could use assistive technology which is an advanced method for
dealing with several disabilities. Assistive technology is being used to assist patients who are
suffering from disabilities. Assistive technology also plays crucial role in providing smoother
movement to the patients in relation to deal with various diseases and disabilities. Apart from

Health and Social Care 5
this, this technology improves the learning capacity of patients which helps them to remember
and perform basic activities such as taking medicines on time, etc. Communication ability of
patient also improves with the help of assistive technology which helps them to interact with the
external world in an appropriate manner (Bennett, 2010). Some of the benefits of technological
advancement to the patients like Sally are:
 Effective and efficient treatment has helped the patients to improve their quality of life.
 With the help of these devices, patients like Sally could easily move from each place to
another and can also seat back at their homes rather getting admitted in the hospitals.
1.2 Analyse barriers to the use of technology to support users of health and social care
services in living independently.
Specific needs of an ill person differs from a normal person as in case of illness, patient requires
proper attention and care so that they could be able to recover and get back to the normal stage of
life as soon as possible. In health and social care centers, appropriate methods and processes are
implemented so that disabled person could be able to live freely and independently.
As per the case study, Sally is suffering from multiple sclerosis, thus, she needs certain effective
health and care services along with the support of technology-
 It is bit difficult to diagnose multiple sclerosis at early stages;
 Yet, there is not appropriate measure to cure these types of diseases;
 In relation to multiple sclerosis, several symptoms are associated;
With the help of assistive technology and other technological improvements, people suffering
from these diseases and disabilities could easily be cured. In order to live an independent and