Supporting Independent Living: The Role of Technology in Health and Social Care

SUPPORTING INDEPENDENT LIVING
Contents
INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................................1
LO1........................................................................................................................................................2
1.1 Explain how technology can be used to support users of health and social care services in living
independently...................................................................................................................................2
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
LO2........................................................................................................................................................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....................7
2.3 Explain the impact of recent and emerging technological developments on health and social
care....................................................................................................................................................8
LO3........................................................................................................................................................9
3.1 Identify the specific needs of an individual requiring support to live independently..................9
3.2 Make recommendations for how technologies might support the independent living
arrangements..................................................................................................................................10
3.3 Evaluate the usefulness of technology for users of health and social care services..................11
CONCLUSION.......................................................................................................................................14
REFERENCES........................................................................................................................................16
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INTRODUCTION
The technology has percolated various aspects of our lives making it simpler than
ever before and without it seems implausible. The assistive technologies have come
in support of people with disabilities and have enhanced their quality of life. The
support of such new age technology in various situations depending upon the needs
of an individual and the implications of the same are discussed in detail in this body
of work.
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LO1
1.1 Explain how technology can be used to support users of health and
social care services in living independently
Assistive Technology (AT) is any equipment or product that is used aid an individual
with disability or impairment in day to day activities, improving their functional skills
and enhancing the quality of life. (ATIA, 2018) These equipment are used for various
functions-
• Communication aids
• Mobility aids
• Audio-visual aids
• Health safety aids
• Drug administration aids
• Monitoring devices
• Aids for conducting daily activities (Joyce, K. and Loe, M., 2010)
In Health and social care sector AT helps to approach service providers. For
example, online services such contacting the healthcare professional can
significantly contribute to the communication needs of an individual remotely located
to a health clinic. For measuring blood pressure, blood sugar and heart rate the
portable hand held device are available and present the results with accuracy that
can be used for evaluation by the healthcare professional. Automatic drug dispenser
helps patients with compliance issues to stick to their regime. In daily life, these
devices assist in temperature control, cleaning and home keeping etc. The usage of
AT thus reduces the dependence on the carer and helps individual be self reliant. In
this case, Sally has been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). In MS, the patient
differs from physical and mental symptoms due to degeneration of myelinated
neurons. The early symptoms include visual problems, peripheral numbness,
spasms, equilibrium problems, loss f bladder control, cognitive problems and
problems with speech and ingestion, mood disorders, and overall muscle weakness.
And with the passage of time symptoms are known to worsen either in a sudden or
gradual fashion depending upon the case.( Berger, J.R., 2011) Sally already has
double vision for which she wears an eye patch that helps her for the same. Later on
the onset of weakness and numbness in the right side of the body, she is provided
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with ankle foot orthotics for the right foot and a cane that helps her stand and walk.
On the side, for work purposes she is provided with a special keyboard that has
alternative input methods that are customised to suit her needs. Every item of daily
need is customised to help Sally perform her routine functions with the help of
toothbrush handles, kitchen appliance aids, gardening tools etc. For her impaired
memory function she has been given a personal digital assistant (PDA) that reminds
her of her daily goals to be accomplished and medications.
1.2 Analyse barriers to the use of technology to support users of health and
social care services in living independently
There are a few potential barriers that Sally can face. AT services are expensive and
majority of people cannot afford it unless the government supports the endeavour.
Other financial support methods include private insurance, Medicaid; social services
care centres, and housing with AT facilities. But to be able to live independently, the
finances need to be arranged for. In addition to the devices, the AT comes with
specialist consultant and trainings. With memory impairment the necessary
maintenance of the devices becomes difficult. The passage of time leads to
decreased motivation to learn about a new device and by that time the needs could
also potentially change due to the advancement of MS. The AT needs to be updated
and maintained after regular check-ups. For the maintenance and follow up, an
engineer will come up and that it can cause a barrier due to dependency and
finances involved. Compliance is another challenge as the disease advances and
patient care is first to be affected when living independently because of the
responsibility of keeping up with the needs of the house. The AT has to be
customised to the needs of the individual otherwise it has little purpose to serve.
Accessibility of the AT service is another barrier, due to continuously changing
landscape of technological advancements it so happens that sometimes the
equipment become obsolete and are replaced with upgraded versions. This creates
a problem for the maintenance and service of older equipment. Hence, it should
have sustained availability all over UK. In Sally’s case, barriers are encountered
when a new aid is provided to her it takes a while for her body to adjust to the same.
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