Unit 21: Report on Supporting Individuals Through Life Events

This report examines the multifaceted support systems available to individuals experiencing significant life events, using Gemma's story as a case study. It explores the impact of such events on individuals, including physical, psychological, and social effects, and analyzes the responses from various groups like family, friends, and support groups. The report details the roles of health and social care professionals, such as counsellors, and evaluates the effectiveness of organizational policies and procedures, specifically those of Cruse Bereavement Care. It also assesses the support provided by social networks and the suitability of external resources, providing insights into effective strategies for helping individuals navigate challenging life transitions. The report includes recommendations for improvements in supporting individuals through significant life events.

Unit 21: Supporting
Significant Life Events

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Impact of significant life events on individuals.....................................................................1
1.2 Possible group responses.......................................................................................................2
1.3 Impact for others in health and social care............................................................................3
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................3
2.1 Effectiveness of organisational policies and procedures.......................................................3
2.2 Supports provided by Others in social networks...................................................................5
2.3 Suitability of external sources................................................................................................5
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................6
3.1 Possible organisation responses.............................................................................................6
3.2 Reflection on personal contributions.....................................................................................7
3.3 Recommendations for improvements....................................................................................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES:...............................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Life events are the experiences or situations that interrupts usual activities in an
individual life that causes substantial changes along with readjustments (Hareven, 2013). Such
experiences can be expected while some are unexpected or unpredictable and they affects
personal development of any individual. Supporting significant life events describes the ways a
person faces significant life events in unexpected situations. Such events impacts to individuals
and at the same time to their social networks by leaving a life time effect in the life of a person.
The present report is prepared by considering case study of Gemma's story. The report includes
impact of significant life events on individuals and their social networks, support available for
individuals experiencing significant life events. It further includes responses made by health and
social care services to support individuals experiencing significant life events.
TASK 1
1.1 Impact of significant life events on individuals.
Different individuals faces hardships along with sufferings through tough moments or
pain in their life after losing special person or thing to whom they love the most. These
individuals are going through the situation of bereavement. It means losing someone through
death that turns the world upside down as well as changes the life forever. It impacts in negative
manner as an individual feels grief, depression as well as stress. Significant life events disturbs
routines or activities of any person through substantial losses or changes. Herein, the selected
case story is of Gemma who lost her mother because of kidney disease as well as vascular
problems. For her it was very difficult to experience such feeling. Such misfortune had left
various effects on her behaviour along with personal life as she felt like going into depression
and suffering from anxiety and consuming alcohol. When Gemma was suffering from the
situation of bereavement, various changes in her physical body. Impacts of significant life event
on Gemma who is suffering from bereavement are as follows:
Physical impact: Feeling of losing someone leaves huge impact on an individuals
physical body. In context to Gemma, such event impacted on her physical body as she was
crying all the time that impacts on her eyes as well as snugness with pains. Such event also
resulted in impacting consuming alcohol as well as suffering from anxiety. The intense pain and
absence of energy in body brings fatigue, feeling sick and other problems which resulted in
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impacting on sleeping capacity of Gemma. Such impact causes other health issues and requires
medical treatment to completely recover from such issues. Gemma took Cruse Bereavement
Care to resolve anxiety as well as stress problems.
Psychological events: The uncertain life event impacted on doubtful behaviour, demise
sentiments. Gemma after listening about her mother's death started crying all the time that
resulted in demise sentiment and aggressive behaviour ( Jeong and Kim, 2015).
Social impact: There are less social impact of such life event. No harsh impact on social
circle of Gemma was faces as she joined Cruse Bereavement Care to overcome from significant
life event. She recollected all the changes in the body as well as mind and improved with proper
support of bereavement councillor. A proper understanding and love from experienced
counsellor helped in recovering from such significant life event.
Thus, significant life event results in physical impacts, psychological impact and social
impact on an individual suffering from bereavement .
1.2 Possible group responses.
A person suffering from the problem of bereavement gets different responses from
different types of groups. These groups are named after family, friends as well as society. Family
members provides moral support by facilitating communication in clear and positive manner.
Individuals who do not get favourable support from family members or loved ones faces various
complicated situations. Other professional roles that are played by family members includes
social care and doctors towards individual who is affected from significant life event. In context
to the case study, Gemma lost her mother and after such event she was feeling lost and needed
someone to talk as to recover from such event. Possible responses of different groups to
bereavement are as follows:
Associates (Sympathetic): Distinct individuals are involved who acts as associations in
order to help people to recover from significant life events or sad emotions. Such associates
convince affected people to involve in different activities so as to bring improvements. In
selected case study, the role of association is played by Helen who was a bereavement councillor
helped Gemma to open up about her mother and allowed for rant as well as rave and she never
judged her that helped in overcoming from such situation (Lefcourt and Martin, 2012).
Support groups: There are various support groups that are known as family as well as
friends that helps in assisting to the individuals who are suffering from face distress, misfortunes
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and so on issues. Support groups provides as well as shares information to bereaved person
related to how to cope up with loved one's death. They provide opportunity for the purpose of
releasing powerful emotions that improves participant's mood as well as decreases psychological
distress. In the case with Gemma, Cruse Bereavement Care acted as a support group and was
supported by her counsellor.
1.3 Impact for others in health and social care.
Health and social care is a term that refers to healthcare provision infrastructure in private
as well as public sector. It includes range of academic along with vocational courses to deliver
human services that helps individuals to overcome from significant life events. Such sector
encompasses elements of law, biology, ethics, sociology and nutrition. Others who are involved
in health and social care are counsellors, doctors, professionals, nurses and many more. The
counsellor who was taking care of Gemma was aware about the situation of patient. As Helen,
the counsellor was supporting her at every stage to recover from significant life event. She was
providing proper condolence and supporting Gemma to take part in other activities that was
impacted on Helen's confidence and experience as improvement in patients life bring confidence
in care takers profession (Mezirow, 2018). Helen was connecting with Gemma and was
supporting her physically, emotionally as well as mentally. At various times, Helen was also
suffering from sleep deprivation as well as anxiety that was impacting on her profession at the
time when Gemma was experiencing significant life event.
TASK 2
2.1 Effectiveness of organisational policies and procedures.
Health care organisations provides offerings to nurses, pharmacists and so on with the
purpose to deliver well being services in better manner and in lower prices as to support
individuals who are affected by life events. Various health care organisations provides support to
patients, their families as well as their social group. Each organisation has formulated their own
policies and procedures that helps in dealing with distinct nature of patients. There are various
health care organisations and Bereavement Care centres that helps individual to deal with
situation of bereavement. Such centres helps individuals to voluntarily move ahead by delivering
proper care to persons acting as bereavement. In case with Gemma, she contacted her local Cruse
service and was supported by a Cruse volunteer, Helen. The volunteer person or association is a
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health care organisation that provides directions to deal with bereavements. Following are some
of the policies of Cruse Bereavement Care:
 Strict laws: Such health care organisation has formulated strict laws in which the
individuals of the health care has banned smoking as well as alcohol at workplaces.
 Healthy meal: It is one of the policy of Cruse Bereavement to eat healthy as well as
nutritious food.
 Exercises: these associations motivates individuals who are affected by life events to
perform more exercises (Steptoe and Kivimäki, 2012).
Various procedures are set by Cruse Bereavement Care that helps individuals to deal with
bereavement situations. The procedures are as follows:
 Identification: The first step is to identify needs and desires of the individual and social
network facing significant life event.
 Effective communication: once the needs are identified, the next step is to effectively
communicate with the patient and make a relationship that helps patient to open up.
Herein, Helen effectively communicated with Gemma related to her mother and other
things with out judging her.
 Providing support: At this stage, various financial along with mental support are
provided to affected individuals as well as their social networks. Helen provided support
to Gemma at each stage of recovery.
 Coordination: here, the professional coordinates the activities with patient as to deliver
psychological as well as biomedical care.
 Development: Various personal skills are developed to reorient health services.
 Building supportive environment: The organisation along with the staff members
creates a positive as well as supportive environment that helps the patient to overcome
with any significant life event. Helen created a positive environment for Gemma by
reassuring her that everything will be normal.
The main goal of health care organisation is to provide activities that helps individuals to
overcome from life events. As per their policies, they well manage all activities to improve the
life of bereaved patients along with their social networks. Such organisations understand the
situations and in advance formulated provisions and plans to support patients. Hence,
organisational policies as well as plans work in effective manner to provide full support to
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individuals and social networks that helps in dealing with uncertain situations. Thus, the above
mentioned policies and procedures helps Gemma to overcome from situation of bereavement. By
following policies along with procedures, Cruse volunteer, Helen was successful in supporting
Gemma to deal with significant life event.
2.2 Supports provided by Others in social networks.
Various types of supports are provided by social networks that provides a satisfaction to
individuals mind in reference to deal with life events (Whitbeck, 2017). They adopts cooperative
ways in order to deliver solutions for resolving problems. Following are some of the supporting
ways:
Physical support: Social networks identifies distinct strategies that results in benefiting
individuals facing bereavement situations. They provides proper care along with significant
approaches related with needs of affected people. In reference to case study, Gemma was in
depression after her mother's death and she visited counsellor for the purpose of getting physical
support. The councilperson provided physical support that resulted in attaining of Gemma's
needs for her Distress.
Social support: Social networks coordinates with various systems to help the individual
who is facing significant life event to provide better care. They coordinates all major as well as
minor improvements by preparing reports and apply such improvements on bereavement to
support individuals through experts.
Psychological support: With the help of such support, Gemma took counselling sessions
that helped in recovering from stress as well as stress. The counsellor studies a brief about
Gemma's situation and according provided psychological support by delivering counselling
sessions.
Thus, all the mentioned support from others in social networking shows excellent results.
In reference to Gemma's story, all these supports helped her to recover from anxiety and stress
due significant life event.
2.3 Suitability of external sources.
External sources are those sources that uses all adequate information to hep people facing
significant life events by providing consoling activities in various other techniques. They
perform activities with the objective to care all patients those who are suffering from distinct
diseases or unexpected situations. Medical experts or professions provides treatments to cure or
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overcome from unexpected situations. In order to deal with bereavement situations apart from
friend as well as family, an individual needs external support also.
Treatments: This is considered as best external support as doctors or consulting
professionals provides treatments and they know which disease will be cured by which
treatment. There are various treatments that helps in diminishing manifestations and at the same
time improves energy level of affected individuals through certain therapies or counsellings.
Patients trust their doctors that provides quick benefits but in some situations it results in terrible
conditions. In context to selected case study, the in-depth trust of Gemma on counsellor was the
only reason of overcoming from significant life event (Kumar and Singh, 2015).
Meditation and dream: Such source provides support to bereaved patients by restricting
manifestations. Helen counselled Gemma as she was facing problems of stress and anxiety that
were resisting her capacities to think and work. With the help of meditation and dream, Gemma
builds the level of trust when she experienced that she was concentrating more on capacity of
body. Such type of external source impacts on anxiety by reducing it to great level. Dream is
another source that helps in increasing awareness by developing self image. Gemma took
counselling sessions along with mediation activities and recovered from bereavement situations.
Thus, external sources are suitable to support affected individuals to overcome from
significant life events.
TASK 3
3.1 Possible organisation responses.
There are various health and social care organisation who are having different responses
to the individuals who are dealing with significant life events and it is based upon the actions
which are taken by them at the event. Gemma was also dealing with a life event as her mother
was died. In order to overcome it she came in to contact with Cruse Bereavement Care which a
health and social care organisation helps individuals to deal with life challenges and come out of
trauma. Such entities response to their situation in order to support them by conducting
counselling sessions so that they can share their feelings with others and deal with the issues. It is
the best suitable response for Gemma because she is required to interact with other people in
order to came out the shock of her mother's death (Figley and Kiser, 2013).
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Another type of response could be, assessing the condition of patients and seriousness of
it and then guide them to visit the right health and care centre such as hospitals, clinics etc. where
they can overcome the situation. All these centres can take care of patient in appropriate manner
assist them to ignore same events in future. This option could also be adopted by Gemma in
order to overcome the trauma of her mother's death by taking proper care from a care centre.
3.2 Reflection on personal contributions.
According to me, my personal contribution to support people who are experiencing
situations of uncertain life events are in developmental phase. As till yet, I have gained basic
knowledge to provide support to affected individuals as well as their family members. Till yet I
have understand the importance to not only provide sympathy but to provide a genuine concern
to support the actions. To support individuals requires effective communication skills and my
communication skills are not effective that can connect with individuals who are experiencing
unreal life events. At some extent only I can connect and provide support to individuals as it
requires too much courage to understand the feeling of losing someone and providing measures
to individuals to overcome from bereavement condition. In relevance to a person suffering from
bereavement situation, I feel it is very important to understand the scenario they are going
through and providing them full support as well as spending time with them so that they should
feel loved and overcome from such significant life events.
3.3 Recommendations for improvements.
Some of the recommendations to improve support available in health and social care
organisations for individuals and their networks when affected by significant life events are as
follows:
 Standard operating procedures: Such organisations should adopt standard operating
procedures at the time dealing with patients of certain age group. They should formulate
different approaches for distinct age group people. Family members along with social
circle should be informed regarding the conditions a swell as improvements of individual
who are facing situations of significant life events (Casey, 2017).
 Training and development practices: Proper training as well as development
programmes should be conducted for employees as to engage with patients to provide
regular sessions that will help in intervention to the patient. Employees should be
provided monetary rewards that will motivate them to indulge with cases in more
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effective manner in order to support the individuals and network to overcome from
unexpected life event.
 Family centric approach: The employees that are providing care to affected individuals
should provide a family centric approach in which family members should be involved as
care giving teams. Such approach will help in informing about things that will cheer
patients to overcome from significant life events.
Thus, if health and social care organisations will follow such recommendations then it
will reduce burden on employees providing care services as well as will bring better results in
less time period (Conti and Giordano, 2014).
CONCLUSION
From the above report it can be concluded that life events disrupts the ongoing life of an
individual and overcoming from such events is very important. Emotions related with sadness,
stress, anxiety are natural when a person loses someone. Physical impact. Psychological events
and social impacts on great aspect in significant life events on individual. Possible group
responses are support groups a swell as associates on the other hand various organisational
policies are strict laws, healthy meal and exercises that supports individuals along with networks
who are affected by uncertain life events. Some of the supports are physical support,
psychological support and social support which are provided by others to affected individuals.
External sources includes treatments as well as mediations and dream that provides support to
affected individuals at large extent. Health and social care organisations should adopt Standard
operating procedures, Training and development practices and Family centric approach that will
improve supports for such organisations towards individuals as well as their networks which are
going through significant life events.
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REFERENCES:
Books and Journals:
Hareven, T.K. ed., 2013. Transitions: The family and the life course in historical perspective.
Elsevier.
Jeong, W. C. and Kim, J. Y., 2015. Effects of Perceived Stigma and Depression of College
Student with Disabilities on Adaptation of Campus Life: Verification of Moderating
Effect of Social Supports. The Journal of the Korea Contents Association. 15(8).
pp.345-355.
Lefcourt, H. M. and Martin, R. A., 2012. Humor and life stress: Antidote to adversity. Springer
Science & Business Media.
Mezirow, J., 2018. Transformative learning theory. In Contemporary Theories of Learning (pp.
114-128). Routledge.
Steptoe, A. and Kivimäki, M., 2012. Stress and cardiovascular disease. Nature Reviews
Cardiology. 9(6). p.360.
Whitbeck, L. B., 2017. Nowhere to grow: Homeless and runaway adolescents and their families.
Routledge.
Kumar, A. and Singh, A., 2015. A review on Alzheimer's disease pathophysiology and its
management: an update. Pharmacological reports. 67(2). pp.195-203.
Figley, C. R. and Kiser, L. J., 2013. Helping traumatized families. Routledge.
Casey, K., 2017. I answer with my life: Life histories of women teachers working for social
change. Routledge.
Conti, M. and Giordano, S., 2014. Mobile ad hoc networking: milestones, challenges, and new
research directions. IEEE Communications Magazine. 52(1). pp.85-96.
Pedersen, P., 2013. Multiculturalism as a fourth force. Routledge.
Mellor, A. K., 2012. Mary Shelley: her life, her fiction, her monsters. Routledge.
Hancock, N. T., Black, N. D. and Cath, T. Y., 2012. A comparative life cycle assessment of
hybrid osmotic dilution desalination and established seawater desalination and
wastewater reclamation processes. Water research. 46(4). pp.1145-1154.
Suits, B., 2014.The Grasshopper-: Games, Life and Utopia. Broadview Press.
Online:
Gemma's Story. 2018. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.cruse.org.uk/about-cruse/bereavement-stories/gemmas-story>
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