Evaluating Technologies for Supporting Independent Living: A Report

This report explores the use of technology in supporting independent living within health and social care services. It begins by explaining how various technologies can assist service users, particularly those with disabilities like Multiple Sclerosis. The analysis includes an examination of the barriers to adopting these technologies, such as cost, staff inexperience, and the challenges of managing diverse symptoms. The report then highlights the benefits for both service users, including improved outcomes and enhanced learning, and for healthcare organizations, such as improved efficiency and communication. It also addresses health and safety considerations, emphasizing the importance of legislation and worker training, and ethical considerations such as patient rights and confidentiality. Finally, it explains the impact of recent and emerging technologies on the healthcare sector, including telemedicine, remote monitoring, and assistive devices, and their combined effect of improving patient care and independence.

Supporting Independent Living

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1 ...........................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Explaining the technology can be used to support users of health and social care services.1
1.2 Analyse barriers to use the latest technologies to support service users in living
independently. ............................................................................................................................2
1.3 Explain the benefits of these technologies of health care and social care organisations .....3
TASK 2 ...........................................................................................................................................4
2.1 Explaining health and safety considerations in the use of technologies in health care and
social sector.................................................................................................................................4
2.2 Discussing ethical consideration in the use of technology in health and social care............4
2.3 explain the impact of recent and emerging technologies development on health care
sector. .........................................................................................................................................5
TASK 3 ...........................................................................................................................................6
3.1 identify specific needs of an individual requiring support to live independently. ...............6
3.2 Make recommendation for technologies support to independent living arrangements. ......7
3.3 Evaluate the usefulness of technology for users of health and social care services. ............7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES ...............................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Supporting health care services with new technologies will be more effective and
effectual for the individuals who suffer from the major disease. Independent living its
philosophy is that to make person free from all disease working for equal opportunities present
report based on supporting independent living. Besides this, it will explain the use of new
technologies in social care organisation through which individual get better health services from
the organisation. Besides, it will going to explain the implementation of new technologies in the
sector in order to make new changes and betterment services in order to remove all health issues.
Likewise, the recommendation on the technologies weather they are effective or not for the
future development.
TASK 1
1.1 Explaining the technology can be used to support users of health and social care services.
Advanced new technologies has been impact on the social care sector in very positive
manner (Baharin, Viller and Rintel, 2015). Advanced technologies get benefited people with
disabilities. This process enables people with disabilities to have access to advances services. It
gives new services and treatment process to minimise the time cost. Health care sector has been
grown in many years and move towards opportunity growth. This makes people satisfied and
happy to have alternatives for their treatment. Overcoming from the issue where social sector is
not very much satisfied with the services of health care organisation. Changes in social care and
health care sector are very much important for development; therefore, it makes new changes
and new health opportunities for the people. This makes changes in social attitudes towards the
health care sector. New development in technology and medicines gives great impact on the
people with disabilities. Sometimes, disabled person could not find out the advanced technology
and treatment for them to live life in easier (Bedaf, Gelderblom and De Witte, 2015). In adding
to that, they are not enough capable to purchase highly paid services or treatment of high
advanced technologies. For example, there is one technology which assists the person with
disabilities for smoother movement. This also helps give learning speech therapy, it helps to
make better communication in health and social care. It summarized that high advanced
technology is very much expensive to afford. Besides this, there has been many development
series which helps to rescue and help to support services to patient. Like as per the case, Sally is
a 42 years old female suffering from Multiple Sclerosis. There are some techniques which helps
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sally to come over from his disease. Along with that technologies and their better treatment
supports people with disabilities to line life independently (Byles, and et.al, 2014).
With the help of advanced technologies now patient get treatment without admitting in
the hospital. This provides improved through effective and efficient treatments. Now, health care
organisation can easily diagnose patient with remote techniques which means to lesser visit in
hospitals, adding to that, now patient not need to waste their much time in hospitals.
1.2 Analyse barriers to use the latest technologies to support service users in living
independently.
In human needs there are various needs generated due to some kind of illness or disability
(de Witte, 2015). For every medical issue, it has some set of procedure and treatment to be
followed by the patient. In social care sector, they adopt some set of procedures and guidelines
which helps to make person comfortable and free from that particular disease. As per the case
where sally suffers from multiple Sclerosis for which they require health and social care services
with the help from technologies. As per the scenario MS disease requires health and social care
services with support from technology:
 In Multiple Sclerosis disease, it is very difficult to diagnose in early stages.
 In this disease, there are fewer chances and uncertainty over the relapse, remission.
 There is less availability of full proof cure of this disease (Drummond and et.al, 2015).
 Multiple Sclerosis involves several side effects and ache of diverse symptoms.
 Inexperience available staff for this MS disease.
 This disease comes with various symptoms such as pain and depression.
 On the basis of above mention handful barriers by adopting these technologies and aiding
them for supporting this disease. Along with that, it involves some barriers such as
mention below:
 May is the use of technology individual cannot response effectively against the treatment
and make wrong perception against them.
 Since, sally disease respond differently and comes with number of diverse symtoms and
ailment (Geenen and et.al, 2015).
 It also increased the cost and affordability criteria of the technology in health and social
care sector.
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 It affects individual family, relatives, friends and social health care centres by replacing
the new technology from existing ones.
1.3 Explain the benefits of these technologies of health care and social care organisations
Technology development is the well know creativity of the nature, new creativity and
advanced services presented by the company (Heinz and et.al, 2016). New technology have
given new process and effective response and outputs there are many sectors which highly
influenced by the technology. There are some areas which develop new advanced techniques
and procedures. Such as IT and telecommunication, use of robotics in surgery, hearing aids,
disease modulating medication etc. Technology development in transplantation, technology
development in bioengineering to produce artificial; body parts and organs. These are the areas
where health care organisation has achieved goals. These advanced development helps social
and health care sector to adopt advanced system and techniques to give service users better
services. This helps to make better and safe environment. There are some benefits of the
technologies which provides by the health care sector to the service users and benefits for
organisation as well (Musumeci and Reaves, 2014).
Benefits for service users-
 Helps to get better environment and emotional outcomes
 Helps to get happy and satisfied with the treatment.
 Enhancement of development in learning capabilities.
 Enhance in confidence and getting motivation by reducing disabilities.
 It helps to make proper meditation.
 It provides peaceful environment and maintain good health issues.
Benefits for Health and social care organisation.
 Proper adoption of the latest technology.
 It helps to make proper planning and setting goals in order to achieve better individual
treatment (Ni and et.al, 2015).
 Helps to enhance the abilities of employees in order to take new technology and working
knowledge.
 It creates proper management team and staff.
 Theses technologies also get helps to maintain proper communication channel between
patient, staff and doctors (Papoutsakis and et.al, 2014).
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 Helps to make good experience of employees with the latest technologies.
 Ease of handling patient and assist to keep proper records of the patient.
 Get great support from the technologies to maintain the function in effective manner and
provide better services or treatment to the patients.
TASK 2
2.1 Explaining health and safety considerations in the use of technologies in health care and
social sector.
There are some safety consideration in use of technologies. Health and social care sector
must need to adopt proper safety and precaution needs to regulate services. Social and health
care organisations must need to adopt Health and Safety legislation 1974 to run their services
and organisation function (Townsley and et.al, 2015). Under this act laws defines the advice on
health care issues and some guidelines to be followed in order to ensure patient safety. Along
with that it is very important for the company to adopt some laws and safety precautions in order
to safe and minimize uncertain events. Otherwise, lack of legislations and proper guidance it fails
to maintain training quality of workforce. To protect the uncertain events in the organisation
there must adopt some set of skills to preserve them because it is the part of employability skills
development. Besides, care workers should adopt some usual tasks to provide services to the
service users in order top preserve them. They must adopt some guideline and proper structure in
order to identify proper safety. Every hospitals, care homes, clients and homes, schools,
mandatory to adopt some legal guidelines in order to give proper treatment. While using
technologies care workers must protect the health and safety precautions of service users. In
order to provide treatment ton sally it is the responsibility of service provider to take care of her
health and issues and give them treatment according to the prescription and guidelines providing
by the doctors. In order to adopt nay new technology, it is required to ensure beforehand its
functioning, it helps to reduce time and money cost. Service provider has duty to ensure proper
safety of patient and give them the best treatment. It helps to minimize the uncertain risk factor
and give ease in functioning (Bedaf, Gelderblom and De Witte, 2015).
2.2 Discussing ethical consideration in the use of technology in health and social care.
In health and social care sector, it is mandatory for the organisation to adopt ethical
environment in order to provide safe and secure treatment to service users. Ethical dilemmas are
the main issues which arise many challenges and risk which cannot be controlled. In this
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situation, organisation cannot take any alternatives to get come over. It is better to adopt fair and
safe environment to avoid risk and uncertain events (de Witte, 2015). Use fair technologies and
needed treatment which is good for the service users. Like As the sally disease Multiple Sclerosis
has many confusing paths to choose from them. May it create some ethical issues and challenges.
Besides in order to mitigate those risk there should some ethical consideration must adopted by
the legislation, adopt law making procedures and laws, government laws and regulations. There
are some ethical consideration mention below in order to ensure safe and secure environment.
Right to self determination: it is a cardinal principle in international law. In this process
patient has full rights to choose their own preferable treatment out of many. It is the legal right of
the patient in order to start the treatment and this ethic should adopted by the health and social
care organisations in order to obey the laws (Geenen and et.al, 2015).
Confidentiality: it is the second ethical concern which has to be followed, no one
organisation can share the information of patient with any other person without the permission of
the concern authority. This is totally illegal in the eye of law. It makes environment unethical.
Practitioners- it is the another ethical dilemma which arise ethical issue in case of any
negligence. It defines client relationship with service providers, staff and doctors. This process
is based on emotional bonding and behaviour with person to person. Along with that it also helps
to make strong bonding in order to get full satisfaction of service users (Drummond and et.al,
2015).
2.3 explain the impact of recent and emerging technologies development on health care sector.
Technology factor is the most important and necessary element which gives heavy impact
on social and health care sector. Health care is significantly affected by advanced technologies.
It converts the system and shape of health care sector. With the help of information technology,
computer science, information technology and health care sector becomes advanced and more
effective. Technology bridges the gap between technology and healthcare practises. Besides,
nowadays technology solved the query of service user in minutes (Heinz and et.al, 2016). It gives
perfect diagnose level of the person and give them the best treatment without admitting in the
hospital. It provides great opportunity and growth in health care sector. Overall it makes good
changes and mitigate the problem of the person with disabilities. Without any doubt, that medical
technology is indispensable to people and give them quality of medical treatment with the latest
technologies. Over the past few years with the help of technology medical sector has been
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increased there are several technologies are present now which helps to resolve many issues and
problems of patient. This impact on the people are very good and effective. Overall this
technology help to reduce overall medical issues of people. Now there are many devises through
doctor give best treatment services to the service users (Geenen and et.al, 2015).
TASK 3
3.1 identify specific needs of an individual requiring support to live independently.
As per the case where it was a lady whose name is Elly she suffers from sworn disease. It
requires specific needs for the person. In order to accept the issue or case there have been some
legal legislation has given to adopt certain procedure and steps. In order to full-fill patient
specific needs. There are many institutions, service homes, education and learning facilities
which helps service users in order to full-fill those needs.
Service users with specific needs helps service provider to run smooth treatment and
procedures. It is known as standard operating procedures, in order to full-fill specific needs and
support to live independently some as follows:
 Needs arising due to heavy disease symptoms.
 Depression and anxiety agitation
 It may arise trouble while eating or swallowing.
 Mental illness (Bedaf, Gelderblom and De Witte, 2015).
 Short tempered
Due to these above symptoms, Elly faces many problems and issues. For that they
need to make protection and keep safe environment in order to ensure safe and keep
environment. These all needs to be supported by the health and social care services. Such as
they forget to turn off the lights or knobs etc. she has a problem of eyesights, hearing or in
speaking. To overcome from his problem they require care needs for Elly independence for that
there has mention some guidelines and precautions:
 Need of proper planning and care framework which implement in effective manner.
 Capabilities and proper effective modules should be adoptive.
 There should be some proper guidelines and care services for service users.
 Public and social manner and effect full manner ( Musumeci and Reaves, 2014).
 Capability and enhancement module should be adopted.
 Provides friendly and better communication environment.'
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3.2 Make recommendation for technologies support to independent living arrangements.
In order to support Elly inefficiency level there are some appropriate assistive
technologies which helps Elly top resolve the issues. These following techniques and methods
may help Elly to come over from these issues.
Reminders messages: with the help of electronic reminders with some basic voice
functions. They will get message from relatives, friends, so they remind things and give quick
response to them.
Locator Devices: locator devices is the small device which helps to remind things which
provides help to Elly to enhance their Memory aid service (Bedaf, Gelderblom and De Witte,
2015).
Tele Care: this device helps Elly to get alerts about any crises or emergency situation.
This situation helps to remind things and get help to stay information in mind in long term.
Overall, it provides, these small technologies may give large cure to Elly.
Medication Aids: keep one small box and in which small aid items should be kept
properly. It is easy process for Elly to remind things.
(MAT) Movement Assistive Technology: this technology device Helps Elly in her
movement. This advanced technology helps patient for in movement through which they get feel
comfort and ease.
Daily Activity Overseer: this process helps to keep the records of daily activities of Elly.
This technology helps to mitigate the risk of her leaving the home. It also helps her in avoiding
the things and less emotional behaviour (Geenen and et.al, 2015).
All the technologies has given above are the most effective and helpful for Elly to
overcome from her issues. Overall it also helps to make new safe and secure environment from
Elly, these technologies has power to rescue the unwanted things and situations.
3.3 Evaluate the usefulness of technology for users of health and social care services.
There has been many series and technology has come to rescue and mitigate the people
health issues and give support to them like Elly (Drummond and et.al, 2015). There are several
benefits has provided to the people by the health care service organisation in order to protect the
service user safety. Like Patient get quality of life and effective treatment from the social and
health care organisation. Besides, organisation get fast assess on the services and provide fast
services to the service users. Technology provides advanced services to both service users and
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service provider as well. Remote testing treatment of diagnose is also possible now. Technology
reduces the time of treatment through which service user can easily end the medicines and get
healthy and fit. Clinicians are now enabled to treat people in more effective way. Advanced
technology has give support and best service to the service user. Along with that it makes new
advanced technologies which gives new services to health and social care sector. This makes
changes in social attitude and give support to them. Medical improvement is very much essential
in order to reduce public illness and deficiency issues. Besides, disabled people are generally not
aware about the medical technologies and cure so that it helps them to live more meaningful
lives. This high advanced technology helps to enhance management abilities of staff to take
patient services more effectively (de Witte, 2015).
CONCLUSION
From the above discussion. It summarized the overall technological use in health and
social care sector, this explained the different use of technology in support of independent living
for users. It provided some effectiveness of technologies through which medical sector has been
increased. It gives more easiness and effectiveness environment to the service users. Along with
that it discussed the implications of technological development in use of health and social care in
order to enhance social care services. Besides, it talked about the issues of Sally and Elly which
faces some major disease. Overall it makes scene and enhanced the level of technology
development. Adding to that, it also summarized the recommendation part in which it was
discussed some more needed services may required by the social and health care organisations
for the betterment of service users. It makes environment healthy and safe. Person with
disabilities require specific needs and treatments for that they need to consult with health care
centres where they get preferable treatment. Besides, there should be regular adoption of
technology to make people diseases free and healthy.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Baharin, H., Viller, S. and Rintel, S., 2015. SonicAIR: Supporting independent living
with reciprocal ambient audio awareness. ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction
(TOCHI). 22(4). p.18.
Bedaf, S., Gelderblom, G. J. and De Witte, L., 2015. Overview and categorization of
robots supporting independent living of elderly people: what activities do they support and how
far have they developed. Assistive Technology. 27(2). pp.88-100.
Byles, J. E., and et.al, 2014. Supporting housing and neighbourhoods for healthy ageing:
Findings from the Housing and Independent Living Study (HAIL). Australasian journal on
ageing. 33(1). pp.29-35.
de Witte, L., 2015, December. Technology supporting independent living elderly persons:
from walking cane to robot companion. In INTERNATIONAL PSYCHOGERIATRICS (Vol. 27,
pp. S178-S178). 32 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS, NEW YORK, NY 10013-2473 USA:
CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS.
Drummond, M. F., and et.al, 2015. Methods for the economic evaluation of health care
programmes. Oxford university press.
Geenen, S., and et.al, 2015. Better Futures: A randomized field test of a model for
supporting young people in foster care with mental health challenges to participate in higher
education. The journal of behavioral health services & research. 42(2). pp.150-171.
Heinz, M., and et.al, 2016. The Potential of Three Computer-Based Communication
Activities for Supporting Older Adult Independent Living. Information. 7(2). p.26.
Musumeci, M. B. and Reaves, E., 2014. Medicaid beneficiaries who need home and
community-based services: Supporting independent living and community integration. Kaiser
Family Foundation.
Ni, Q., and et.al, 2015. The elderly’s independent living in smart homes: A
characterization of activities and sensing infrastructure survey to facilitate services
development. Sensors, 15(5), pp.11312-11362.
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Papoutsakis, K., and et.al, 2014. Hobbit, a care robot supporting independent living at
home: First prototype and lessons learned. Robot. Auton. Syst.
Townsley, R., and et.al, 2015. The implementation of policies supporting independent
living for disabled people in Europe.
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