Comprehensive Report: Specific Needs in Health and Social Care Context

This report delves into the multifaceted realm of specific needs within health and social care, focusing on the elderly population. It examines concepts related to health, disability, illness, and behavior, alongside evolving perceptions of specific needs, including the impact of stigma and discrimination. The report further analyzes the influence of legislation, social policies, society, and culture on healthcare practices, referencing key acts like the Human Rights Act 1998, the Mental Health Act 2007, and the Health and Social Care Act 2008. It explores the diverse care needs of individuals with specific requirements, such as those with communication disabilities, and outlines the current system of support, including statutory, not-for-profit, informal, and formal care models. The report also assesses the availability of healthcare and social services in a specific locality, like Hammersmith, considering educational, residential, and community resources. Overall, the report provides a comprehensive overview of the challenges and strategies involved in providing effective care for individuals with specific needs, emphasizing the importance of legislation, societal attitudes, and accessible services.

UNDERSTANDING SPECIFIC
NEEDS IN HEALTH AND SOCIAL
CARE
Table of Contents

Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
LO1..................................................................................................................................................4
1.1....................................................................................................................................................4
1.2....................................................................................................................................................5
1.3....................................................................................................................................................6
LO2..................................................................................................................................................7
2.1....................................................................................................................................................7
2.2....................................................................................................................................................8
2.3....................................................................................................................................................9
LO3................................................................................................................................................10
3.1..................................................................................................................................................10
3.2..................................................................................................................................................11
3.3..................................................................................................................................................12
LO4................................................................................................................................................13
4.1..................................................................................................................................................13
4.2..................................................................................................................................................14
4.3..................................................................................................................................................14
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................15
Reference list............................................................................................................................. 18
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Introduction
Health care service related to individuals with specific needs have gained prominence in recent
times. The changes in the perception of society and concerns raised by policy makers to bring
more legislations catering to individuals with specific needs has become a global trend. The
current study aims to focus on different approaches, interventions and strategies involved in
meeting the specific needs of aged individuals. The study further aims to elaborate legislation
and policies drafted in this field and also analysis its effectiveness. One of the primary purpose
of the study is to understand societal reaction and also evaluate government resolutions for
resolving the specific needs issues and highlight strategies involved in meeting the needs
LO1 (refer to PPT)
1.1
Concepts related to health, disability, illness and behaviour
Health is considered as state indicating a healthy well-being in relation to physical, mental and
social environment of an individual. It also entails absence of grave illness and is identifies with
a physical and mental health well-being (Livingston et al. 2017).
Health and behaviour
The maintenance of healthy behaviour includes action and activities involved in up keeping of
good health. As seen in the case of Mr Benjamin, the health behaviour adopted by him will lead
him to lead a health file.
As pointed by Mitchell et al. (2014), the action has been centred on usage proper medication and
wellness program. The proper medications intake suggests that the individual’s is a health
conscious of his healthy well-being. The health behaviour is highly dependent on imbibing good
habits that have association with maintenance of healthy diet and exercise.
Disability
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Disability refers to inability in performing certain task related to daily activities and normal
functioning undertaken by individuals and has negative long term effect on the health status of
individual (Jackson et al. 2016). Mr Benjamin appears to health conscious individual and does
not require disability care since he is capable of complying his medical needs. The disability
needs can be taken care of through physical therapies and equipment’s that essentially designed
to provide ease in carrying out work.
The Medical model and Equality Act 2010 provides equal opportunity of living and care to
disable people and ensure appropriate services (Legislation.gov.uk, 2019).
Illness
The illness states the level which is associated with disease or other related issues and hinders the
physical, emotional or social development of the individuals. As seen in the case of Mr
Benjamin that he is suffering from diabetes and is on medication. The mental illness requires
care either through medication or therapies which can help in achieving a comfortable state of
living. It is also essential to meet the spiritual needs of the individuals (Mitchell et al. 2014).
1.2
Perceptions of specific needs that changed over time
The advances in the field of medical sciences and with rising in the level of education among
people have led to significant changes in the perception of individuals regarding special needs.
As pointed by Bestmann et al. (2015), the onus lies with professional caretakers and family
members to undertake initiatives to understand needs required by individual and provide them
adequate care services and support.
● Stigma
The stigma attached to specific needs can deter the individuals from undertaking care needs that
will help them to improve their life. Stigma has a negative connotation that impacts the identity
of the Individuals. As seen in the case of Mr Benjamin who has been diagnosed with mental
illness which led to creating stigma among people related mental illness.
● Discrimination
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Discrimination and socially excluded attitude can have an intense impact on the individuals
requiring specific needs. This also dents the confidence of individuals with specific needs and
creates extra mental pressure on them.
Changes in Attitudes over time
● Social and political developments
As mentioned by Sallis et al. (2015), the rise in the level of education and creation of general
awareness has brought about significant changes in the perception related to mental illness.
There have persistent efforts from political front to draft legislation to protect the rights of
individual with specific needs and also provide them equal opportunities. This has greatly
improvised the condition of individuals with specific needs. It has boosted their confidence to
approach care needs to help them achieve a better life.
● Advancement in Medical and technology
There has been gamut of changes in the field of medical advancement and technological changes
which helped in providing better and advance care to individuals. The advances in the medical
equipment’s and discovery of newer therapies have helped in changing the perception of society
towards mental illness. The technology also plays an important role in generating awareness and
creating an empathetic attitude among people towards individual with specific needs (Gardner et
al. 2016).
1.3
Impact of legislation, social policy, society and culture
The policies and legislation have immense impact on the working of healthcare facilities. The
proper usage of regulations help in providing safe practices to be carried out and makes the
society and cultural practices regulated in accordance to the law protecting the individuals rights
to fair and equitable treatment.
● Human Rights Act 1998
As mentioned in the Human Rights Act 1998 (c. 42), the health and care services must be
affordable and free of any bias practices that is being provided from the healthcare facilities.
The Rosemary community has to abide by the legislation and is open to governmental scrutiny
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for ensuring that law are being followed in dispersing care services (legislation.gov.uk, 2019).
The health service users are entitled to quality healthcare and without any discriminatory
practices against them while delivering of health care to them. According to Brett et al. (2014),
the health care organisations keep themselves updated regarding the changes in the act and
legislation and bring about these changes in their working as well.
● The Mental Health Act 2007
In accordance with Mental Health Act 2007 (c.12), the health care facilities see instructed to look
after special needs required for individuals with mental illness (legislation.gov.uk, 2019).
It is essential that effective treatment see provided to individuals with mental illness as seen in
the case of Mr Benjamin and the Rosemary community must prove the needs in order to abide
by the norms of the legislation. It is required that safety and well-being is provided to individuals
with specific needs by the health care for maintenance of safe and regulated environment of the
healthcare organisation (Iezzoni et al. 2015).
● The Health and Social Care Act 2008
The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (c. 14), ensures that individuals are not discriminated on
any grounds for effective delivery of the treatment and regulations (legislation.gov.uk, 2019).
The legislation specifically mentions maintenance of safety and providing of high quality care to
the health service user. According to Livingston et al. (2017), the legislation and legal
regularising helps in developing a responsible attitude among people in the society and also
ensures maintenance of standard practices to be followed by health care organisation.
LO2
2.1
Care needs by an individual with specific needs
The individuals with specific needs require special care and treatment for building their
confidence and also helping them to be socially active. As seen in the case of Mrs Kamanda
who faces communication difficulties as she is partially deaf, registered blind and also is not
fluently with English since she is well conversant in Polish, hence her care needs are largely
focused on providing effective ways through which effective communication can be established.
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● Social
It is essential that care needs for individuals with communication disability are provided with
support and care by family, friends and relatives. As stated by Mitchell et al. (2014), the
support extended by caregivers to individuals help in catering their social needs specifically
dealing with communication. Caregivers must arrange for assistance that can help individuals
overcoming communication barrier like arrange for English classes for Mrs Kamanda to make
her fluent in English. It is essential to build confidence in the individual in order to achieve
attributes that can assist in socialisation (Jackson et al. 2016).
● Intellectual
The health service users must be rendered with care services in order to cut down negative
feeling and reduce the chance of depression or isolation. Hence care must be aimed to help in
developing individuals both intellectually and spiritually. It is essential for the care providers to
understand the level of care required and arrange of providing care accordingly (Sallis et al.
2015). It is also required to identify the activities health users enjoy like Mrs Kamanda feels
happy when she can converse in Polish with visitors.
● Emotional
Emotional support is prerequisite for providing care to individuals with specific needs. It helps
them to fight isolation and depression and provides them with confidence to move to live life
with dignity (Dixon-Woods et al. 2014). The therapies and emotional support helps to provide
encouragement to live life and overcoming physical obstacles.
2.2
Current system in supporting individual
There are number of agencies and organisations that are engaged in providing care to individuals
with specific needs.
● Statutory
There are statutory and small organisations that works towards providing effective services to be
provided to be provided to the care users. Organisations such as Respite nursing are responsible
to provide the individuals with interim care and help in establishing effective communication in
order to cater to their needs. It is also helpful. In understanding the needs of care users and
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providing them with care and edge time services to help them communicate and fight isolation
and depression (Gardner et al. 2016).
● Not-for-profit
There see number of Non-governmental organisations and not for profit institutions that provide
care services to heat service users with the motive of making profit. These agencies see funded
by charities and governmental grants and are concerned with providing satisfactory services to
the health service users. The presence of the theses agencies in UK is numerous and helps in
making proper structure in providing services to care users and build a conducive environment
for their living (Bauer et al. 2014).
● Informal care
Informal care is extended to the health device users with help. of their family, drinks and well-
wishers. It is important to motivate care users and provide them with family support to build
their confidence.
● Formal care
Formal care is dispersed through organisation and agencies who are engaged in providing
effective care services as described by laws and norms of the country. They provide advanced
medical care and also incorporate technology in delivering different therapies. One of the
primary aims of formal care is to provide holistic development to individuals providing them
with an all-round support (Lattanzio et al. 2014).
2.3
Availability of services in the locality
The availability of healthcare and social services in every locality is necessary to meet the
demands of the locals and individuals with specific needs. In the Hammersmith area there is
number of organisation working for providing health services and social care.
● Education
The educational institutions are present in Hammersmith which helps in providing quality
education and effective training to care uses in order to meet the care needs of individual specific
needs. The presence of educational institutions helps in accessing proper knowledge regarding
providing care and updating the institutions related to health care services regarding changes and
amendments in the laws prevailing the field of health and social care sector. Institutions are
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successful in providing communication trainings that computer be quite beneficial in order to
Converse with individuals and establishment good relationship with them (Cesari et al. 2016).
● Residential
The residential facilities in Hammersmith provides a decent neighbourhood and ten residents
have an empathizing attitude towards people with specific needs. The citizens are engagement
building a good relationship and helping the individuals with specific needs by paying weekly
visits to health and social Care Centres.
● Transport
In Hammersmith, transportation services are well developed in order to provide effective care
two individuals with specific needs. The term planning has engaged construction of bylanes that
provide easy access to disabled people on wheelchair. More we transportation services such as
buses and metro see made disable friendly. The technologies are well incorporated in the
transportation system.
D1
The other professionals who can be engaged in case of Mrs. Kamanda are the English tutor
which will help her communicate in English fluently. The braille instructor can be appointed
since she is a registered blind to help her learn English.
LO3
3.1
Intervention and approaches available
The introduction of interventions and approaches in the field of health and social care services
helps in improving effectiveness and efficiency of the services. This is specifically required in
the cases where multiple issues have been diagnosed such sad the case of Mrs Kamanda who is
registered blind and is partial deaf.
● Technological
The organisations must align the care services with the latest technological advancements that
has emerged in the growing market medical equipment. There has been a continuously research
activities taking place in order to bring about new interventions and approaches with help of
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green technology to provide comfort and help individuals with specific needs. (Livingston et al.
2017). The progress made by the scientific community in the field of equipment related to
blindness and hearing aids which have grown immensely to provide effective support to
individuals to live life independently and the dignity.
● Therapies
The discovery of benefits of therapies has also increased the employment of them in providing
care to service users. The therapies can be successfully employed in case of Mrs Kamanda to
help her cope with the partial deafness. The care users can employ effective therapies to recover
from the current stage of illness (Bestmann et al. 2015). The therapies that can be involved are
music therapy, validation therapy, and so on.
● Risk management
The risk management are very important in health and social care system. Application of risk
management process helps in reducing the errors in providing care and also bring about
effective delivery of services (Jackson et al. 2016). Structure of organisation helps in providing
effective services in order to reduce risk and help in enhancing care services specifically in the
case of dual diagnosis.
● Therapeutic products
The medical discoveries and scientific progress has helped in bringing forward advantages of
products that can help in engaging the health service users by performing different task to
enhance their capabilities. In case of Mrs Kamanda products that can help in bringing efficiency
of hearing can be engaged and meditation can be involved to improve concentration of the care
users (Dixon-Woods et al. 2014).
3.2
Effectiveness of intervention strategy
It is essential to evaluate effectiveness of intervention strategies and approaches in order to
understand how successful these strategies have been in order to satisfy the needs of Healthcare
users.
● Technological
The advance technologies has enhanced services that are being provided to the health service
users and improve the future prospects of carrying forward research in this areas. Use of
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Technology has helped in easy diagnosis of illness and elements and also has provides for proper
and appropriate services related to the diagnosis. Technology has helped in bringing about
reduction in errors and has help in providing relief to individuals.
● Therapies
The therapies have proved its effectiveness in helping to provide for appropriate support to
individuals who are blind and deaf. This helps in increasing the concentration power and also
makes use of effective tools that can be employed for carrying out daily activities and lives an
independent life (Bauer et al. 2014).
● Risk management
The process of Risk management has happened effectively controlling the risk involved in
providing of care to the service users. As suggested by Lattanzio et al. (2014), management of
risk has brought about efficiency of organisational structure and help in satisfying the care users
increasing trust in the Healthcare organisations.
● Therapeutic products
The emphasis on using natural and herbal products along with its benefit of yoga and meditation
has been continuously employed in the Healthcare organisations for providing comfort to the
health service users. It also helps them to engage their senses and feel relaxed.
3.3
Potential impact of emerging development
● Medical and technological advances
The health care organisation are sensitizing the needs of individuals with specific needs and
incorporating technological and medical advances in providing care to the service users. This
trend has gained momentum in order to encourage health service organisation to satisfy the needs
of Health Service users and make use of scientific discoveries and advancement of Technology
(Gardner et al. 2016).
● Changes to legislation and policy
It is a universally accepted fact that to bring about changes and effectiveness in the interventions
and approaches related to health services legislations are important for regularisation of such
services. In UK policymakers are continuously working upon the legislation and laws in order to
provide equal opportunities and equal access to Healthcare services by all its citizens. The
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legislations and policies are reviewed and rework in order to incorporate changing needs of
individuals and working out technological and legal advancements in the Healthcare sector.
New provisions provide equitable opportunities for Healthcare service users and providing
appropriate facilities at low cost to all without any discriminatory practices.
● Choice and preferences
The choice and preferences must be provided to the users in order to make appropriate selections
in accordance to the comfort and cultural norms of the individual. It is important to respect the
individual’s choice and customs while conducting care services (Livingston et al. 2017).
LO4
4.1
Different concepts of challenging behaviour
As suggested by Tarrier and Johnson (2015) the challenging behaviour refers to behaviour that
may pose risk to safety of other individuals and may also lead to causing disruption in the life of
health service users as well as others. It puts pressure on health care organisations to deal with
challenging behaviour and being about effective changes
Medical
Challenging behaviour can result from various causes which includes brain injury, medical
problems such as chest or urine infection as in the case of Mr Joseph, taking drugs, consumption
of alcohol, mental illness, physical disability for learning disabilities. These symptoms can
trigger changes in the behaviour of Health Service users and may lead to wallet for producer’s
behaviour in the health service users. It can also turn the health service aggressive and agitated
which may raise concern related to safety and security of other inmates in healthcare centres.
Social construct
The perception of the society and norms can also be impacted by the challenging behaviour of
individual. As seen in the case of Mr Joseph, the misdiagnosis of his ailments brought
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