Analyzing Support Systems for Significant Life Events in Healthcare

This report delves into the profound impact of significant life events, such as Alzheimer's disease, on individuals and their social networks. It examines the multifaceted effects of these events, encompassing physical, intellectual, emotional, and social dimensions, using a case study of a woman named Jacqui with Alzheimer's. The report analyzes the diverse responses of various social groups, including work colleagues and family members, to these life-altering circumstances. Furthermore, it investigates the effectiveness of organizational policies and procedures in providing support, highlighting the roles of counseling, maintaining dignity, and access to specialized services. The analysis extends to the crucial support provided by social networks, including healthcare professionals, self-help groups, and charitable organizations. The report concludes with recommendations for improving the support available within health and social care organizations, emphasizing the need for comprehensive and compassionate care to aid individuals in navigating the challenges posed by significant life events. The assignment is contributed by a student to be published on the website Desklib.

SUPPORTING
SIGNIFICANT LIFE
EVENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS.................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK-1 IMPACT OF SIGNIFICANT LIFE EVENTS ON INDIVIDUALS AND THEIR
SOCIAL NETWORK......................................................................................................................1
1.1 Impact of significant life event on individual........................................................................1
1.2 Analyse possible group responses to significant life events that occur to one of its
members.......................................................................................................................................2
1.3 Analyse the impact for others in health and social care when an individual experiences
significant life events...................................................................................................................2
TASK-2 SUPPORT AVAILABLE FOR INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING SIGNIFICANT
LIFE EVENTS.................................................................................................................................3
2.1 Effectiveness of organisation policies and procedures in supporting individuals and their
social networks affected by significant life events......................................................................3
2.2 Ways others in social networks may provide support to individuals experiencing
significant life events...................................................................................................................4
2.3 The suitability of external sources of support for those affected by significant life events. .5
TASK 3 RESPONSES MADE BY SOCIAL AND HEALTH CARE TO SUPPORT
INDIVIDUALS SUFFERING FROM SIGNIFICANT LIFE EVENTS........................................6
3.1 Analyzing organizational responses to the need to support individual suffering from
significant life events...................................................................................................................6
3.2 Reflecting on own personal contributions to the support of individuals experiencing
significant life events ..................................................................................................................6
3.3 Recommendations for improving the support available in health and social care
organization for people affected by significant life events..........................................................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
There are various kinds of significant life events that bring changes within a person
present circumstances which affect their whole life. Such events affect a person's like in such a
drastic manner that their life is never same again. These significant life events does not have any
category and can be anything like a life threatening disease, like long disease, someone's death or
any other incident (McKay, Skues and Williams, 2018). These significant events not only have a
huge impact on a person's life but they also have a huge impact on the person's social network as
well. But if the person is provided with support then they can overcome with such circumstances
and start their life again. This assignment will lay emphasis on significant life events impact on
individuals and their social networks, support available for individuals experiencing significant
life event, responses made by health and social care services to support individuals experiencing
significant life events. All the above tasks will be explained with the helps of a case study of a
woman named Jacqui suffering from Alzheimer (Jacqui's case study, 2019).
TASK-1 IMPACT OF SIGNIFICANT LIFE EVENTS ON INDIVIDUALS
AND THEIR SOCIAL NETWORK
1.1 Impact of significant life event on individual
Jacqui is an artist who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer disease several years ago. It
was a significant life changing event. This Alzheimer disease and dementia problem not only
impacted her life but it was also impacting her daughter's life as well. It impacted her normal day
to day life as well like forgetting to eat, take medicine, struggle to understand what's real and
what's important, struggled to look after her teenager daughter as well (Chong and Baharudin,
2017). The impact of this significant life event (Alzheimer disease with dementia syndrome) was
quite drastic on Jacqui and it impacted her physically, intellectually, emotionally and socially.
Patients suffering from dementia face lots of difficulties in executing their daily routine or
completing their daily activities. If this Alzheimer disease is not treated on time then it can
impact patient as well as their family members in many ways and can disturb their social,
psychological and physical life simultaneously. Physical impact of Alzheimer disease on Jacqui
was her dementia problem and another was her sensory processing problem. She struggled to
remember each and everything including her medicines, eating, getting dressed and many more.
She also took time to process things slowly like cooking took almost whole day as she needed to
focus on ingredients she wants to eliminate or she wants to include. Intellectual impact was her
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loss of cognitive function i.e. it becomes quite difficult for them to complete their tasks and even
simple tasks becomes quite complex. Emotional impact was her sense of helplessness i.e. she
was not able to look after her teenager daughter, complete daily tasks without anyone's help,
remember everything without someone's reminding. Social impact was her burden and
depression feeling i.e. she started feeling depressed as she was not able to carry out her daily
activities in a fluent manner and other than this she also felt burden feeling as she had to live
with her parents even when she was 50 years old.
1.2 Analyse possible group responses to significant life events that occur to one of its members
There are many groups such as work colleges, friends, family members, social network
and many others. Each group reacts differently to significant life changing events that occurs to
an individual. Some of them are quite supportive and few of them are not, even react in an
unexpected manner (Herrick and Redman-White, 2018). In Jacqui's case also there were many
groups involved and responses of all the group members was different to Jacqui's Alzheimer
disease dementia syndrome. Work colleagues: initially when Jacqui was not diagnosed with
Alzheimer but has symptoms of it. No one understood her or her symptoms. She used to pass out
on building site, was always in confusion. Her boss thought that she was on drugs didn't even
thought that she could be suffering from a disease like Alzheimer. When she used to forget her
daily tasks her colleges couldn't understand what problems she was going through. Jacqui's
family members were also in a dilemma that what was going on with her before her dementia
was diagnosed. Even her daughter and her friends were confused that what was going on with
Jacqui. After her diagnosis her daughter understood and supported her in an extremely well
condition like she used to make her make sure that her mother takes shower every day, she used
to make lunch for her mother, cook dinner in fact she used to understand her shopping expenses
and even reduced doing unnecessary expenses. Not only her daughter, even her mother and
father supported her and allowed her to live with them with her daughter as well.
1.3 Analyse the impact for others in health and social care when an individual experiences
significant life events
Impact of social and health care is quite significant when an individual experiences
significant life changing event (Kelly and et.al., 2017). Personal and professional groups
behaviour and support impacts the person in terms of health and social care who is suffering
from significant life changing event. If the attitude and behaviour of others is not positive and
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supportive towards the individual who is suffering from such drastic event then it can affect their
health in a drastic way. Health and social care support and requirement also increases for the
individual. There are various social and health care groups such as social workers, medical
practitioners support, behaviour, attitude affect affected persons' health both physically and
mentally because. Whenever a significant life changing event occurs in an individual's life it
disturbs them physically, socially and mentally which eventually affects their health. Sometimes
positive support and behaviour improves affected persons' health and sometimes negligible
support and negative attitude affects worsens affected person's health. In Jacqui's case her
support worker Liz supported her in many ways. She not only provided her support health wise
but she also supported her in her work like helping Jacqui with allotments and many more. Her
medical practitioners also supported her and when she researcher about her disease symptoms
and explained those symptoms to her doctor they did some test and agreed with the that she was
suffering from Alzheimer.
TASK-2 SUPPORT AVAILABLE FOR INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING
SIGNIFICANT LIFE EVENTS
2.1 Effectiveness of organisation policies and procedures in supporting individuals and their
social networks affected by significant life events
Organizational policies and procedure affect individuals who has been impacted from
significant life changing event and their social network linked to them. Such organization
policies and procedures makes it much easier for the individuals affected from some significant
live events (Brooker and Latham, 2015). Such policies and procedures makes their financially,
mentally, socially, physically much easier. They feel mentally, emotionally and physically much
stronger and helps them to live independently. Not only this if they have any kind of
responsibility on their shoulders then such policies and procedure helps them to fulfil their
responsibilities as well. There are various kinds of policies and procedures that support an
individual and their social network affected by significant life changing event. Policies and
procedures such as: counselling, maintaining dignity and respect, access to special services such
as CURSE, social workers supports and various others. Counselling can help such patients to
understand their current situation in a better manner and suggest them ways to overcome such
situation. Counselling can also help them to adopt such significant changes as a part of their
daily activities or routines. Counselling help persons such as Gemma to overcome from
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significant life events such as her mother's death and move forward in her life (Ouanes and et.al.,
2017). For example: bereavement councillor can help Gemma to overcome from depression after
someone's death, deal with their anxiety and cope up with new responsibilities, adopt her
condition in a positive manner and also help her in improving her current condition in a better
manner (Gemma's Story, 2019). Maintenance of dignity and respect of individuals suffering
from depression due to someone's death can helps them to improve and control their depression,
anxiety, start communicating with their family and friends. Maintenance of respect and dignity
can help Gemma to overcome from her situation of loss of her mother, adopt this fact, overcome
her depression and move forward in her life with positivity. There are various kinds of mental
health and social care services that can help dementia persons to improve their mental condition
ad helps them to understand and accept their present circumstances, communicate and mix up
with others in a better manner. Other than this there are various kinds of NGO or social services
that helps such persons to adopt their present condition and bring improvements within it so that
they can further enhance their life style. Not only this, such external services help people
connected to such patients socially like their friends, family members also because they get an
external support services like self help groups which helps them to bring changes within their
lifestyle and accept the significant life changing event occurred to them. Such groups also helps
person's like Gemma to overcome her mother's death, and move forward in her life with new
friends and family members.
2.2 Ways others in social networks may provide support to individuals experiencing significant
life events
Person suffering from depression due to someone's death need external support of all the
people involved in their social network like friends, family, social media, colleagues, partners,
social and health care users, support groups, care workers, self-help group (Lafortune and et.al.,
2016). Such external or social network sources provide external support to the individuals
affected from significant life changing event. If this external support is provided to person such
as Gemma then it can help her to overcome her situation and move forward in her life. External
social network support include support from health and social care specialist, self help groups
(both online and offline), charitable trust like Marie Curie, social workers and many more.
Health and social care specialist can provide support to persons like Gemma by providing her
with bereavement councillor who can help her to overcome her mother's death as well as
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overcome from depression that she is suffering from. Health and social care specialist like
bereavement councillor can help Gemma with the counselling which required by her which will
help her in overcoming her mother's death, live independently, fulfil her responsibilities in a
better manner. There are various kinds of self help groups that provide support both online and
offline. Such self help group provide support to the individuals so that they can cope up with
their current situation either by sharing their experiences or emotions with them so that they can
cope up with the significant life event in a better manner. These self help groups are available
both online and offline. Charitable trust supports such individuals to live independently and if
they require any kind of financial support they it is also provided to them or they also help them
to work independently so that they can take and fulfil their as well as their families
responsibilities in a better manner. Other than this social media is another source of social
network that can provide support to person's like Gemma who are affected by any kind of
significant life changing event. It has been observed that social media helps people suffering
from depression to remain in contact with their friends and family members so that they can
contact them, share their person feeling with others and overcome from depression, anxiety and
any other feeling that they are suffering from.
2.3 The suitability of external sources of support for those affected by significant life events
It has been observed that it is not compulsory that all the external sources of supports for
those who are affected by significant life changing event are suitable for them. Some of them are
suitable and some of them are not at all suitable. For individuals suffering from anxiety or
depression due to someone's loss, can have access to different external source of support have
different suitability. External sources like counselling helps them to overcome their situation,
social workers can provide money related financial advices that can help them to adopt
significant changes, job related advice. Bereavement Counselling is one of those sources which
is quite suitable for individuals suffering from depression or anxiety as these counsellors help
them to adopt the changes and move on with the life as well as help them to open up and
communicate with other and control their depression of anxiety state. Health and social care
sources are suitable for them as they help in improving their mental state and bring improvement
within themselves and their lifestyle psychologically, emotionally, socially, intellectually. Health
and social care sources will help the individual Such as Gemma to understand the ways through
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which they will be able to overcome her mother's loss, control her emotions and move forward in
her life.
TASK 3 RESPONSES MADE BY SOCIAL AND HEALTH CARE TO
SUPPORT INDIVIDUALS SUFFERING FROM SIGNIFICANT LIFE
EVENTS
3.1 Analyzing organizational responses to the need to support individual suffering from
significant life events
People suffering from significant life event like in this case, Jacqui suffering from
Alzheimer needs a solid support from family, friends and social and health care providers.
Different organization dealing in health and social care have their own set of responses towards
the individual who are confronting the difficult phase of their lives (Worden, 2018). These
organizations firstly includes government agencies and health and social care support service
providers for the Alzheimer patients. They offer various services such as guidance, counselling
and treatment. Organization policies and strategies are created by NHS in United Kingdom for
the purpose of offering the needed support to the individuals in a planned way. Such policies and
strategies created by these organizations are used as guidelines by the health and social care
service providers regarding the quality of support that has to be offered to the people. Moreover,
these organizational responses also could also assist in facilitating the much required facts and
figures (Cahill, 2019). Moreover, it can resolve grievances which the individuals suffering from
Alzheimer and its family members perhaps have with the social and heath care service providers.
Another type of response is reactive response which is concerned with faster assessment
of the condition, in accordance to which an individual suffering from significant life event is
guided in the right care centre. Such a practise is undertaken by hospitals, clinics, medical
practitioners, people who diagnose the disease. These quick responses from the doctors' comes
after a thorough diagnosis of the patient after which the individual is recommended with proper
medicinal treatment and guidance. Such a support is required to be given to the people who are
facing such significant life events for ensuring that patients are comfortable and are pain free as
much as possible (Garrod and et.al., 2019).
3.2 Reflecting on own personal contributions to the support of individuals experiencing
significant life events
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In my opinion, my personal contribution towards supporting the people suffering from
significant life events is in developmental stage. I have learned some of the basic things through
which I could offer some support to the patients and their families. I have also came to realize
that merely showing a gesture of concern and empathizing with the individuals is also one of the
way through which needed support and a feeling of warmth,comfortableness could be given to
them (Thomas and Milligan, 2018). I think my skills of communicating with others are good
which allows to connect and interact with the suffering individuals and their families easily. This
might be because I have seen in my family what it feels to lose a loved one in your life.
I think that I need to still learn about the in-depth technical aspects of the disease and
handling of emergency situation. For this, I have planned to learn by seeking guidance through
my senior care service providers.
3.3 Recommendations for improving the support available in health and social care organization
for people affected by significant life events
Following are the recommendations through which improvement in the support services
provided by the health and social care organizations could be made:
 Staff of these organization must be facilitated with regular training and development
sessions through which they can interact with the patient easily , can understand the state of
mind of patient and can get effectively involved in the treatment process.
 Treatment and therapy procedures must be made in a standard form that distinguishes
between the treatment procedure according to the age, background of the patients. Further,
the families and friends must also be involved in the treatment process and guide them
regarding how they should behave with affected individual (Connell and Page, 2019). The
families should also guided towards the matter that they should not over-protect the patient
as it could unnecessarily frustrate the individual which in turn could slow down the pace of
recovery of patient.
 A friendly approach must be adopted by the care providers. Also, involvement of family
members would help the care givers in providing the better and quick results. This is
because family members are the ones with whom the patient is most comfortable and
involving them in the support process would really fasten up the recovery process.
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CONCLUSION
From the above project report, it can be concluded that a person might come across a significant
life event which could entirely change its life. In such a phase of life, that individual requires the
much needed support from friends, family and most importantly the doctors. The report
concluded about the significant life event of Jacqui who was diagnosed with dementia. This hit
her hard and affected her life in the most unexpected way. It was seen in the report that social
and health care impacts the affected individuals in a great way. The much needed medicinal
support is derived from such providers which makes its easier for the patient to make fast
recoveries. For example, in the present case, Jacqui’s medical practitioners supported her and
when she researched about her disease symptoms and explained those symptoms to her doctor
they did some test and agreed with the that she was suffering from Alzheimer.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Brooker, D. and Latham, I., 2015. Person-centred dementia care: Making services better with
the VIPS framework. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Cahill, S., 2019. WHO's global action plan on the public health response to dementia: some
challenges and opportunities.
Chong, S.L. and Baharudin, R., 2017. Supports From Parents, Optimism, and Life Satisfaction in
Early Adolescents. Sains Humanika, 9(3-2).
Connell, J. and Page, S.J., 2019. An exploratory study of creating dementia-friendly businesses
in the visitor economy: evidence from the UK. Heliyon, 5(4), p.e01471.
Garrod, L and et.al., 2019. Evaluating dementia training for healthcare staff. The Journal of
Mental Health Training, Education and Practice.
Herrick, E. and Redman-White, B., 2018. Supporting Children and Young People with Anxiety:
A Practical Guide. Routledge.
Kelly, R., and et.al., 2017, February. Demanding by design: Supporting effortful communication
practices in close personal relationships. In Proceedings of the 2017 ACM Conference
on Computer Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing (pp. 70-83). ACM.
Lafortune, L., and et.al., 2016. Behavioural risk factors in mid-life associated with successful
ageing, disability, dementia and frailty in later life: a rapid systematic review. PLoS
One, 11(2), p.e0144405.
McKay, S., Skues, J.L. and Williams, B.J., 2018. With risk may come reward: sensation seeking
supports resilience through effective coping. Personality and Individual
Differences. 121. pp.100-105.
Ouanes, S., and et.al., 2017. Life events, salivary cortisol, and cognitive performance in
nondemented subjects: a population-based study. Neurobiology of aging. 51. pp.1-8
Thomas, C. and Milligan, C., 2018. Dementia, disability rights and disablism: understanding the
social position of people living with dementia. Disability & Society, 33(1), pp.115-131.
Worden, J.W., 2018. Grief counseling and grief therapy: A handbook for the mental health
practitioner. Springer Publishing Company.
Online
Gemma's Story. 2019. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.cruse.org.uk/about-cruse/bereavement-stories/gemmas-story>
Jacqui's case study. 2019. [Online]. Available through :
<https://www.youngdementiauk.org/jacquis-story>.
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