Health and Social Care: Using Technology to Support Independent Living

This essay examines the use of technology to support independent living for users of health and social care services. It analyzes the benefits and barriers to technology adoption, including health and safety and ethical considerations. The essay further discusses the impact of recent technological developments on healthcare organizations and care workers. It uses a case study to illustrate specific requirements for independent living and evaluates the technology that can be used by both patients and healthcare experts, concluding with the importance of technology in improving the quality of life for individuals with disabilities and chronic conditions. Desklib is a platform where you can find similar solved assignments and study tools.

Running Head: Health and Social Care
Health and Social Care

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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

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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

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free life, technology plays crucial role. In addition to love independently and freely, these
devices also help the patients to live at their homes and it also supports them to perform daily
routine exercises such as cooking, driving, etc. (Burton, 2010).
There are such conditions under which technology cannot be used as a curing method; hence,
users face following barriers while using technologies:
 In scenarios where the severity of disease is bit high, technology will not create much
impact on improving the patient's conditions.
 Apart from the above scenarios, patients suffering from depression, challenging
behaviour, etc. will not be able to use technological advancements in an appropriate
manner.
 Multiple Sclerosis leads to various symptoms and ailments and in these cases, consultant
is unable to provide appropriate advice to the patients for using technology for each and
every issue to get resolved.
 The general environment of the patient and perceptions regarding using assistive
technology also become a huge barrier sometimes.
 Huge prices of technological advancements also become barrier sometimes for people
who are not able to afford them (Carpenter, et. al., 2017).
1.3 Explain the benefits of these technologies to health and social care organisations and
their users.
There are a lot of benefits available in relation to using assistive technology and devices for users
as well as for the health and care organizations. Advancements in the technologies and
interventions play crucial role in order to deal especially with multiple sclerosis. Due to several

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diverse symptoms of multiple sclerosis, patients suffer from various disabilities, hence, they get
admitted to health and social care centers. For serving in an effective manner, health and social
care organizations have adopted the strategy of using assistive technology devices which are
result of technological advancement.
Following are certain technological improvements and several technologies which play crucial
role in dealing with multiple sclerosis:
 Improves decision support system (DSS) along with improving IT and
Telecommunication.
 Robotics usage in surgery
 Developments in super specialised surgeries
 Mobility assistive technology
 Personal digital assistants
 Disease modulating medication
Benefits of these technologies for health and care organizations as well as for users are as
follows:
For organization:
 Appropriate and effective frameworks are designed and implemented
 Increases efficiency of professionals through which they could be able to communicate
with patients appropriately (Coughlan & Cronin, 2016).
 Organization could easily deal with patients suffering from multiple sclerosis
For users:

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 Improves users’ behaviour
 It increases users' ability to interact and communicate with the external world in an
appropriate manner.
 Increases learning capabilities
 Improves lifestyle of patients
 Helps to perform daily routine tasks in an effective manner
1.4

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Task 2
2.1 Explain health and safety considerations in the use of technologies in health and social
care.
When people do not find themselves normal or not feeling well, they generally move towards
hospitals in order to get back to the normal stage of life. Health and social care organizations
should be capable enough to serve all types of patients in an adequate manner. Thus, in order to
serve the patients in appropriate manner, it is required to adopt certain measures related to safety
considerations by these centers. Along with these considerations, it is required to adopt certain
effective training and development programs which could be able to improve staff’s efficiency.
This will help the organization to serve patients in more effective and efficient manner (Dahlgren
& Whitehead, 2017).
Following are certain safety considerations which should be followed while using technologies
in health and social care centers:
 It is required to provide all information and training to the employees of the health and
social care center in order to utilise the technology in an appropriate manner.
 Quality standards and other measures should also be adopted in relation to using assistive
technologies in an appropriate manner
 Legislative requirements should also be covered with regards to implementing these
technologies (Glasby, 2017).

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 Appropriate training and development programs should also be adopted so that
professionals could utilise the technology to a limited extent as well as in an appropriate
manner.
 It is required to implement certain limitations of using technologies in order to decrease
the chances of miss-utilisation of the technologies (Heslop, et. al., 2014).
 Every technology has a negative impact and it should be recognised and appropriate
measures should be implemented through which those negative impacts could be reduced
appropriately.
Apart from this, organization must consider all crucial points in relation to using assistive
devices and other technologies. This will help the organization to improve its functionalities as
well as positive perception amongst the patients will be developed which will help the
organization to acquire positive outcomes (Hughes & Ferrett, 2011).
2.2 Discuss ethical considerations in the use of technologies in health and social care.
There are certain ethical considerations which need to be considered while using health and
social care technologies, which are as follows:
 Right to self-determination: It is the basic right of an individual under which he has the
right to choose most appropriate option in relation with the services of health and social
care centers (Munn-Giddings & Winter, 2013).
 Confidentiality: Patient’s personal details, his disease details, etc. should not be leaked
out until it is necessary. For the purpose of promotion, first health and social care
organizations are required to take permission from the patients in relevance with their

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achievements. This will help the organization to build positive image amongst its
patients.
 Apart from the above considerations, people with specific needs should be treated
priority basis. They should also be consulted in relation to using assistive techniques on
the basis of their specific needs (Jones, et. al., 2016).
 Appropriate attention and care should be provided to the patients in relation to
installation, obtaining consent and other beneficial effects of the technology.
 It is also necessary to inform the patients that the advanced devices and technologies will
be used to improve their condition. Their free consent must be taken in order to avoid
other critical issues (Lee, Mahendra & Alvarez, 2010).
 Apart from these considerations, it is required to adopt certain measures through which
organization could be able to develop a positive image amongst the patients in relation
with quality as well as the effectiveness of the services (Mensah & Julien, 2011).
2.3 Explain the impact of recent and emerging technological developments on health and
social care services, organisations and care workers.
It is necessary to change as per the changing conditions and this rule applies to every field. In
relation to health and social care, it has been observed that new and unique severe diseases and
disabilities are emerging rapidly. In order to deal with those diseases, various innovations have
been done. Innovation and invention are the reason for change and this helps to move towards
development and advancement. Technological advancement in the health and social care field is
a part of innovation and invention. Assistive techniques and devices are crucial part of