Health and Social Care: Technology's Impact on Independent Living

This report explores the application of technology in supporting independent living within the health and social care sector, with a specific focus on the NHS. It begins by explaining the various ways technology, including assistive devices, is utilized to aid individuals with disabilities, particularly those with dementia, in maintaining their independence. The report then analyzes the barriers to the adoption of such technologies, such as perceptions, cost, and complexity, and suggests solutions to overcome these challenges. Furthermore, it outlines the benefits of technology for both health and social care organizations and their users, emphasizing improved patient care, efficient resource management, and enhanced quality of life. The report also addresses crucial health and safety considerations, as well as the ethical implications of integrating technology into health and social care practices. Finally, the report includes a case study, providing recommendations on how technology can support the independent living of an elderly couple, and evaluates the overall utilization of technology in this context. The report concludes with a comprehensive overview of the impact of technological developments on the future of health and social care.

SUPPORTING
INDEPENDENT LIVING
IN HEALTH AND SOCIAL
CARE

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................3
a) Explaining how technology is used for supporting users of health and social care services.3
b) Analysing barriers to use technology for supporting health and social care users................4
c) Explaining benefits of technologies to health and social care organisation and their users...6
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................7
a) Explaining health and safety considerations in use of technologies in health and social care
.....................................................................................................................................................7
b) Ethical considerations in use of technologies in health and social care.................................8
c) Explaining impact of recent and emerging technological developments on health and social
care..............................................................................................................................................9
TASK 3..........................................................................................................................................10
a) Identifying specific needs of Mr. and Mrs. J requiring support to live independently.........10
b) Recommendations for how technologies may support independent living of the couple...11
c) Evaluation of utilisation of technology for the old couple....................................................12
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................13
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................14

INTRODUCTION
Independent living is all about rights of human beings. People with disability share these
rights also but most of the times their rights are not given due attention and care. What does an
individual eats, where he lives, a human life is all about making decisions. The individual should
have freedom to do whatever he wants to do, how, when and where he desire to do so. All these
things are taken for granted by the normal human beings (Bacsu and et. al., 2012). But the
individual with any disability does not have the right to control his own life. Independent living
for disabled individuals is the same independence, choice, control and self-respect just like a
normal human being who live in his home, office and in the society. It is not only about
disabled individual, it considers each and everything of an individual life (Cameron and et. al.,
2014). This consists of environment, transport, personal assistance and services, social, public
and economic life. The present study is intended to highlight uses of technology in supporting
health and social care users to live independently for which NHS is taken into consideration. It
also stresses on ethical considerations in using technologies in the health and social care services.
TASK 1
a) Explaining how technology is used for supporting users of health and social care services
Independent living is working and enjoying like any normal human being does and
having chances for making decisions which impacts their life. It also states that they are able to
perform activities with their own choice.
Example: Technology plays an important role in every person's life who is suffering from any
pain or disease. For person who is suffering from dementia needs special care and attention.
Technology plays a vital role in their life (Goodwin and et. al., 2012). They are very necessary
for them which makes their life easy.
Technological advancements and developments from the past few decades are advantageous for
the individual who is suffering from dementia. They are helpful in the following ways:
 Safety: For the purpose of enabling him to handle with disabilities NHS is required to
provide him for access advanced technologies and medicines. It will bring an emerging
change in his social behaviour and attitudes towards equivalent medical facility for the
individual with disabilities. Therefore, to overcome the obstacles regarding access is very
essential.

 Everyday living:Additionally, changes and transformations in medical practices and
behaviour are vital to develop in the medical field and technology for having maximum
influences on the disable people (Care Quality Commission, 2012). This is to be noted
that the social and cultural movements are driving development and accessibility for
making advancement in medical field .
 Monitoring:Individual suffering with dementia may not know about the medical and
technological advancements which take place as this can be helpful for him to live a
better life. Additionally, he might be incapable in buying equipments, prefer surgeries or
affording to take use of advancements in pharmaceutical sector.
 Communication: Assistive technology is used by NHS for assisting the patients suffering
from dementia, training and learning, therapies and improved communication in health
and social care with the outer world etc. are specifically high-technologies and they are
very costly. It is majorly contributing for funds, competition and the non-progressive
education (Glasby, 2017). Technological advancements in medical sector are termed as
the combination of techniques, equipments, processes and drugs used by the health care
professionals to promote health and systems which they deliver to their patients and
person who need special attention and care. Up-gradations in technologies provides
benefits to the specific care of the individual having dementia and results of treatments by
making improvement in understanding mechanisms of disease and capability for
improving diagnostic and therapeutic success.
 Prompts and reminders: All the technological changes and modifications are helping in
making the efficient therapeutic strategies available along with providing treatment for
reducing the life expectancy or quality of life. Several developments have been occurred
in technological field that are helpful in supporting services for specific needs of such
patients. There are numerous benefits of new technological advancement such as the
quality of life is improving due to more efficient and effective treatments. Patients are
able to remain in their houses instead of admitting in hospitals (Marmot and et. al., 2012).
b) Analysing barriers to use technology for supporting health and social care users
Assistive technology: Assistive technology is any kind of device or system which permits
a person to do tasks which they would otherwise incapable to perform, or increase comfort and
security with which tasks can be done.

In health and social care organisation such as NHS , individual have to follow appropriate
process for becoming fit and fine. There is a need for guidelines or frameworks which directs
each stakeholder in these situations. The assistance and help from technology play a vital role in
making the patients to live an independent life (Stein, 2012). It makes their life more better with
freedom and full support system. It is helpful in taking charge of their own problems and be self-
reliant. It enable them to perform their day-to-day chores in their lives such as cooking, working,
cleaning, driving, typing etc. But despite of the above stated benefits of technologies, there lies
some hurdles in their adoption and application in cited health and social care organisation. These
obstacles are described below:
 The perceptions are natural view or thinking expectation of a person or group of person
opposing for an event, individual, activities, status, procedures etc. they may become a
hurdle for the organisation.
 Perception regarding health of a person, sickness or utilisation of aids and interventions.
Technologies have become old within time relying on emotional, social, cultural and
value oriented in most of geographies around the globe. This is one of the major obstacle
in their application (Aveyard, 2014).
 Psychological disorders are increasing during the initial stages of disease like depression,
changing behaviour, emotional suffering etc. is it very tough for the health and social care
professionals of the stated organisation to give suggestions and use technological
interventions by the patients for every problem.
 Increasing cost and affordability of the new technological advancement which are
available for aiding health and social care users. This is a major problem in the execution
of new technological developments.
 The basic idea, or perception among family members, relatives, peers and in health and
social care sector in substituting care and existence through technological advancement
and developments and allowing patients to become independent and self-self-directed
(England and et. al., 2012).
 Thinking of the general environment of patient regarding use and assistance of
technology to him, transformed guidelines of the workplace, facility management in
offices or changed work culture and accommodating particular requirements of employee
with special requirements.

For overcoming these barriers the below mentioned suggestions can be considered:
 Sometimes there are very complicated technologies which the old people are not able to
use properly. So, they should be more simplified so that they reap more benefits for
dementia sufferers (Corrigan Druss and Perlick, 2014).
 When the designs of machines and equipments are complex, there are chances of failures.
Therefore, they should be improved.
 Some devices and machines operates through batteries. Although they are durable, there
should be some mechanisms for them so that they are more effective.
 Many machines and equipments are very expensive. They cannot be afforded by many
people. So it is suggested that they should be more affordable and cost effective.
c) Explaining benefits of technologies to health and social care organisation and their users
There are some key areas in which technological development and interventions have
taken place such as use of robotic for doing surgeries, hearing aids, eye gears and patches,
operations for depression, spasticity etc., further improvements in transplantation and much more
(Bloom and et. al., 2012). These technologies have given numerous benefits to the health and
social care organisation like NHS which are listed below:
 Appropriate care planning procedures and models are created and executed.
 Proper self-management tools for improving communication for patients, doctors and
employees.
 Proper management team to do care.
 They make improvement in the patient's experience (Howlin and et. al., 2013).
 To handle the patients with some specific needs is more easy and they can be managed in
an effective manner.
 Technological advancements provide immense support and help in dealing with patients
or delivering several physically challenging guidance all the time to the patient without
engaging directly.
 They save the resources and cost and therefore they enable to handle large numbers of
patients which empower health and social care users (Reinhard Levine and Samis, 2012).
There are several benefits of technological development for the users also which are discussed
here:

 They make changes in their behaviour and attitude.
 Develops happiness and satisfactory attitude in them.
 They enhances capability and learning abilities of service users (Pecora, 2012).
 They promote independent life style and more self-management.
 They make their day-to-day chores such as cooking, driving, typing etc. easy and
comfortable.
 It promotes confidence and motivation in the patients because of movement and averting
disabilities.
 They make friendly relations which sometimes stay for long life.
 They coordinate and facilitate the supporting employees.
TASK 2
a) Explaining health and safety considerations in use of technologies in health and social care
Technological developments can offer several benefits for the patients and the cited
organisation NHS. But the disadvantages of the technologies cannot be ignored. Many
technological devices are very new in some complex cases and they do not yield expected
outcomes for the patients (Boudiny, 2013). While, many assistive technologies reap short terms
benefits, there are very few of them which provide long term advantages. There are numerous
health and safety considerations which the cited organisation has to tale into account:
1. Long term influences on health: The assistive technologies are for helping the patients for
their routine daily tasks. They are supposed to aid them to have a independent living with
their everyday chores. But, in case of any illness, it it very essential to take note of the
long term impacts of those machines or devices on the health of the patient.
2. Disturbing process of recovery: When a individual faces any type of accident of physical
injuries, the assistive technologies are useful for the recovery of that person. But it must
be noted that it is essential to introduce these machines in an arranged manner so that
they are more effective in the process of recovery rather than making interruptions in it
(Pialoux Goyard and Lesourd, 2012). Many times it happens that these devices causes the
lack of interest and will in the individual who is suffering from any type of illness or
trauma. Therefore, these assistive technologies can significantly influence the procedure
of recovery and can make the process more lengthy.

3. Safety check: For an individual suffering from any disease the measures of safety must be
highly standardised.
b) Ethical considerations in use of technologies in health and social care
The introduction of new and upgraded technologies and other high technology products
for individual such as Mrs. J has been a little problematic. There are people who can do some
unethical with the old couple by misusing the machines and devices which are used by the old
couple. This can be more complicated in the case of Mrs. J. who is suffering from a very painful
disease Arthritis. The assistive technologies are helpful to a great extent, but it is possible for
some individual to misuse them for gaining some unethical benefits (Manderson and et. al.,
2012). Even there is a possibility to that both the impacts occur art the same time. There are
chances that the machines and devices help Mrs. J to make improvement in her conditions, but it
can lead to vulnerable conditions sometimes. Below are some ethical considerations which
should be focused for supporting Mr and Mrs. J for making them live an independent life:
 The technological devices are taken in use for the motive of supervising the condition of
diseased person. They may provide quick assistance in emergency situations, but hurdles
the privacy of the person (Prince and et. al., 2015). For instance, the personal
information of the old couple can go in wrong hands which is very unethical.
 The assistive technologies are useful for making lives of diseased people independent and
free. They are taken in use so that the sick person does not require to take assistance from
anybody. But there is a fear that these technologies are supportive in the cut back process
in the society. They may encourage less human contact and relations in the society.
 Many people take use of these technologies even they are capable to do their daily tasks
on their own. This gives birth to an unethical practice as the needy people is not able to
get its benefits (Sosa-Ortiz Acosta-Castillo and Prince, 2012).
 These devices are complex and permits the individuals to go above their abilities of their
own.
 The old aged couple will use the technological devices on a regular basis thinking about
their problems and pains rather than focusing on their strengths they still have. These
technologies are not very good to help them in boosting their morale as they constantly
reminds them of their pains and sufferings.

c) Explaining impact of recent and emerging technological developments on health and social
care
Assistive technologies are are improving more and more with the betterment in the
current technologies and with the support of emerging technologies. These developments in
technological field is making it more efficient and practical (Moorhead and et. al., 2014). The
affect of recent and emerging technological developments are explained with the help of below
stated points:
 Health and social care services: The technological devices and up-gradations are making
the services offered by health and social care organisation such as NHS more effective,
efficient and practical. Monitoring devices are improving day by day and it is reducing
the privacy concerns. The new technologies are now more practicals, durable and
dependable which are making the services more better and beneficiary (Goodwin and et.
al., 2012,). The services are more reliable, safe, secure and guaranteed.
 Health and social care organisations: For health and social care organisation such as NHS
there are numerous benefits of emerging and recent technologies with some
disadvantages too. The new technologies help the cited firm to make the communication
more smooth and better. They increases the safety standards in the organisation. For
instance, it can use a motion sensor technology for making the employees alert when the
patients who are suffering from severe disabilities move from their bed or chairs. This
will reduce the chances of falls and injuries (Glasby, 2017). Also when new technology
in introduced then the organisation has to provide proper training to its staff. This
increases the expenditure of the firm.
 Care workers: Taking the above mentioned example, it is evident that motion sensor
technology is not only helping the organisation but it is very supportive for the staff also.
These technologies are making their jobs easy. Otherwise, they may have to keep an eye
on each patient all the time. In absence of these technologies they have to give more time,
energy, attention and care to the patients (Stein, 2012). They also have a benefit of
learning new things in their jobs when a new technology emerges. They get to learn more
about the technological interventions which are supporting their career advancement and
development.

TASK 3
a) Identifying specific needs of Mr. and Mrs. J requiring support to live independently
Mr. J has been hospitalised when he had a mild stroke. But now he is able to do his own
daily tasks on his own and require only small amount of help. The specific needs of Mr. J are to
live an independent life in his own home are:
 One of the most important needs for a mild stroke patient like Mr. J is to provide him
with the immediate treatments and care as soon as possible.
 Regular brain scanning such as CT scan or MRI scan. These should be done on a regular
basis.
 Blood tests for checking on things such as blood sugar level and cholesterol level as high
increase can grow the risk of further strokes (Aveyard, 2014).
 He has the need for furthermore treatment such as Antiplatelet medication so that there
are less possibilities of having strokes in the future.
 With this rehabilitation is also one of the specific needs to maximise the activities and
quality of life for him.
 Also some preventive measures can also become a specific need for him. These measures
can be high blood pressure, avoiding smoking, reducing weight if he is overweight, high
cholesterol level and a proper and health diet.
 Support, love and care from the society, friends, close relatives is also very essential need
for Mr. J (Social support following stroke, 2017)
The specific needs for Mrs. J for making her to live independently are:
 She has a need for applying either heat or cold or may be both in a sequential manner.
 If she suffers from morning stiffness she can be take use of heating pad before she get up.
 She needs to do some kind of regular and gentle exercises and yoga which will help her
to reduce her stiffness.
 There are particular needs for losing weigh if she is overweight.
 Mr. J can help her to take her to a pool where she can do some exercise programs with
other people suffering with arthritis.
 Apart from these specific needs, she also requires support and care from her husband, her
loved ones, community and neighbours (Bloom and et. al., 2012). There is a need for

emotional support and attention which will help her to forget her pain and live an
ordinary life.
b) Recommendations for how technologies may support independent living of the couple
Recommended technologies for Mrs. J:
 New injection device: This newly developed device reduce the fear and pain of injecting
modern medicines at the home. Through incorporation of warming technology it quickly
and reliably heats medicines in the body of Mrs. J. The cutting edge design of this device
is very easy to use which will be transforming her experience. Several products are taken
in use to inject them with the old syringe which is very slow and painful as they are thick
and have sticky consistency (Bacsu and et. al., 2012). Also the medicines were required
to kept in refrigerators before using them. This was a very time consuming process as it
take time to warm safely according to the room temperature before injecting it in the
patient's body. Thus, this newly introduced device will be very helpful in the case of Mrs.
J.
 With these devices, a crane or crutch can also be taken in use by Mrs. J which will make
her to walk easily.
 Orthotics is also one device which help to reduce the pain in feet of arthritic patient. They
are inserts which are ready-made and worn in shoes of the patient. With this, padded
insoles or a pair of easy orthopedic shoes can also be suggested to her (Cameron and et.
al., 2014).
 To support joints and lower strain braces and splints are also beneficiary for Mrs. J
 The reachers which consists of long rods having a grip for handling at its one end and
pincers on other hand for grabbing are also one option for arthritic patient.
 Tall chairs can also be taken in use by her to get easy in getting in and out of her seat.
These chairs are generally fitted with extenders.
Recommended technologies for Mr. J: As Mr. J is able to do his daily chores on his own and
needs a little bit of support, he can prefer for single tip canes for steadying. It is a very
appropriate device for him (Adaptive Equipment, 2017 ). With this a hemi wheelchair which is a
special chair which can be adjusted can also be taken in use. Electric scooters, tub benches and
shower chairs are also good option for him.

c) Evaluation of utilisation of technology for the old couple
Assistive technologies offer numerous benefits to patient of arthritis and mild strokes.
They are very supportive for the health and social workers also. They are not capable to deal
with many patients at one time. Technology has facilitated them to do so. But they are not the
only person who are benefited from these technological advancement and up-gradations. The
health and social care organisation are also taking advantages of the new and emerging
technologies (Boudiny, 2013). In the context of Mr. J, technology has played a vital role in his
treatment and even after his treatment. When he suffered from the mild stroke he received
immediate treatment. This is possible due to the technological developments only. There is a
great support of the assistive devices and equipments in performing the routine tasks and
activities for stroke patients. These activities consists of dressing, bathing, cooking, grooming
and even taking care of his wife. They help him to communicate by taking use of computer,
operating the household machines such as washing machines, air conditioners etc. and in driving.
The new and latest technological devices such as rolling walkers with two or four wheels and
four wheeler with a seat, hemi-walkers, quad canes, single tip canes, wheelchairs, scooters,
bathroom aids such as shower chairs, tub benches, bathtubs, toilet seats, bedside commodes,
other bathing and dressing aids, kitchen aids, electric hospital beds etc. are some of the
technological devices which are very helpful for the patients of mild strokes. However. It must
be noted that these devices are expensive and cannot be afforded by every individual. But they
yield unimaginably benefits for the patients (Prince and et. al., 2015).
In the case of Mrs. J technology plays even a more vital role. This is because her husband
is capable enough to perform his own routine chores but she is not. She needs help and assistance
at every step of her life and therefore technological aids and machines are very essential part of
her life. The most influential device for her is the new injection device. It is a very effective
device which helps to inject drugs in the patient's body without any pains and suffering
(Moorhead and et. al., 2014). This newly developed device is a very useful device for Mrs. J.
Other than these devices there are many other technological devices which are very important for
treatment of Mrs. J. these are crane or crutch which are used for making her walk easily. Braces
and splints are also advantageous for supporting joints and lower strain. Along with these,
padded insoles or a pair of easy orthopedic shoes are also a very good option for arthritic patient
such as Mrs. J. So, it has been assessed that technological developments and interventions are