Moving between Different Care Environments - Assignment Example

THE IMPACT OF MOVING BETWEEN DIFFERENT CARE ENVIRONMENTS ON PEOPLE Inserts His/Her Inserts Grade Inserts s Name Writer Inserts Date Here (Day, Month, Year) Introduction As life progresses, individuals have to deal with transitions. The personal and social change occurs by and by, like first initiation and then continuing school, changing institutions with the progression in academic ground, getting married, seeking, acquiring and then shifting jobs etc; such anticipated and unanticipated changes move along with life. However, this study is more focused on the change one has to undergo because of health issues. Shifts in social and health care are mostly planned, anticipated and voluntary, anticipated and planned changes. However, sudden, involuntary, unexpected, unplanned transitions may also result. The later mentioned transitions are regarded as disturbing to concerned individuals and should be dealt with care. In order to fulfill the care needs, a number of people have to shift. This may happen due to disabling environment like inaccessibility to room due to the presence of stairs that restrict the movement using wheel chair or lift. However, a customized accommodation guarantees to allocate more independence. May be the shift is required due to care needs, extensive in nature, that can’t be provided at home. In care institutions, most passionate care is granted. Changing accommodation may be for the sake of getting a supportive shelter. According to Norman (1977:102), such a shift can bring as much nervous tension to persons as mourning. A great number of problems and difficulties are associated with such movements, and these are experienced more by the people seeking intense care as lodging and care are interrelated in several ways. It will be explained with the help of few case studies. The impact such movement on people requiring care can be in various ways, positive or negative. Depending on the personality of concerned individual, his attitude towards such change ultimately the individual’s illness and disability may be regarded as factors leading to the success or failure of such transition. The type of shift may also influence individuals for instance, a temporary movement like from home to a hospital for check up won’t be stressing but long term shifts from home to any other place may cause great alterations in life. Similarly, the kind of setting may also influence individuals depending upon their nature like for instance people demanding more privacy may get irritated if shifted to a crowded place. The health care professionals may be searched in such scenarios as they can mediate the transitional stage and help in resolving the concerns of individuals being shifted. One of the ways the care personnel may achieve this objective is by preparing the individuals for the change, in order to bring motivation in these individuals. Once the shift has taken place, the role of health care professionals doesn’t end as they are required to continue their supportive attitude to help them adjust themselves. As each individual is different from other, so the way one individual is affected with such a change might be extensively different from that of other. One of the individual properties that may help in anticipation of his behaviour on such a move is his ability to tackle with novel situations. However, cultural and religious background, family members, age, disability and the environment type to which an individual is shifted, also influence the individual’s response towards such change. Few of these care environments require daily attendance while others are for long term purpose. The individuals undergoing a shift between home and child minders or day care units may suffer fear, anxiety and depression due to the novelty of the place. Some of these transitions may be used to compare the way people involved were affected and posed their responses. Considering the losing home transition, it can be regarded similar to mourning as it evokes similar feelings of grief, anger and pain. Such impact results when the transition of losing home is sudden and unplanned. It also depends upon the decision maker that what sort of consequences or effects such change will lead into the lives of concerned individuals. If the decision has been taken by the one affected by it, and taken for his betterment, then the transition will not picture as discussed above while if it is imposed by the circumstances, then opposite may be anticipated. People suffering from disability to learn are often forced to leave home (Holdsworth and Morgan, 2005: 89). The impact this transitions plays in such individual’s life can be assessed examining the case of Pam Barone. Pam Barone Case- Leaving Home Pam Barone had to bear the sudden loss of her mother in a hospital. As a consequence, she loses her collaborative partner and her home. She had to lose her house and other belongings on the consent of her cousin, who instead of giving consideration to Pam’s desires, deprives her from her home and all things that are somehow related to it. The way Pam explained her feelings show that although her mother had died, she still wanted to live in the same house. The importance of that place wasn’t affected by the demise of her mother. She reflects her home to a social setting, where Pam and her mother used to interact, and where relations mattered. It was not only a mere shelter; it was her world where she had a status and a role to play. So the emotional attachment to the place eventually results in psychological effects. Unluckily, the experience of Pam is a common practice involving people suffering from disabilities of learning. They are forced to lose more than just a relation. They are made oblige to lose their routines, home, their social connections neighbours etc. All these are replaced by novel people, routines and places .These multiple losses people suffering from learning disability are not exceptional. Such incidents may happen to children with separated parents (Logemann et al, 2001). The attachment Pam expressed to her home was the mere source of sadness and this notion of attachment can be considered essential in the social and health care. The loss of home in Pam case also involved the loss of her belongings; her associations. All these were a source of expression of her attachment to her home. Changing places Now considering the changing places transition, when people leave their home, they start forming new associations, new attachments. This also happens in the social and health care settings, daily used by people either for short term or for long term purpose. This addresses the transitions that occur in care. The way these social and health care settings are utilized people may be as a common care pattern like residing within the same house but attending various other social and health care settings. It can be used on occasional basis, for short term or for long term (Grenier, 2010). Alice Jones Case These transitions occurring in a daily basis can be examined through the case of Alice Jones who suffers from Autism (Zarkowska and Clements, 2000:211). Alice has to visit her special school on daily basis and this transition is a source of comfort for her family. Alice has to face a change of role on daily basis from being a part of the family to being a part of a class with diverse educational needs. However, she is protected from the transition on long term basis from which she feels threatened. Managing Transitions People suffering from disabilities often require associating and living in a specialized setting. This develops a sense of community within that specialized setting, while leads to a different behavioural pattern from wider community (The Open University). This happens as these specialized units are perceived as transitional spaces. Disabled individuals are forced to face extra transitions while shifting places, as well as during the passage of different stages of life (Rosier and McDonald, 2011:12). Some of these transitions can be predicted and thus require pre planned approach. This planning process should involve not only families but also the individual going through the transition. The specialized care units for the disabled community must have a supportive environment that may impact positively on the psychology of the individuals. Conclusion Transitions arc regarded as turning points in the lives of individuals going through them. These transitions play a great role in the psychology of the individuals, especially in case of disabled people. In order to be effective in managing such transitions, the health care professionals need to focus on the change management of these individuals (Johnson and Souza, 2008:56).. In case the transitions are anticipated, they should be planned and individuals should be prepared to mange themselves during the course of transition by letting them know the benefits and the necessity of transition (Mozley, 2004:211). The specialized settings arranged to cater the health care requirements of the disabled population should ensure healthy environment for the disabled people, so that it may be easy for them to cope with the change of leaving home or changing places transitions. Moreover, the professionals employed should treat the individuals in a cooperative and friendly manner (Dellasega and Nolan, 1997: 446). References Dellasega, C. & Nolan, M. (1997). Admission to care: facilitating role transition amongst family carers. Journal of Clinical Nursing. 6(6). pp. 443-451. Grenier, J. (2010). Transition issues in the early years: changing places. [Online] Available at http://juliangrenier.blogspot.com/2010/05/changing-places.html [Accessed 24 July 2012] Holdsworth, D. & Morgan, C. (2005). Transitions in Context: Leaving Home, Independence and Adulthood. Open University Press. Johnson, J. & Souza, C. D. (2008). Understanding Health and Social Care: An Introductory Reader. SAGE Publications Ltd. Logemann, J.A., Baum, H.M. & Robbins, J. (2001). Conducting clinical trials in a constantly changing health care environment. J Ambul Care Manage. 24(2). Mozley, C. (2004). Towards Quality Care: Outcomes for Older People in Care Homes. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. Norman, A. (1977). Transport and the elderly: problems and possible action. National Corp. for the Care of Old People. Rosier, K. & McDonald, M. (2011). Promoting positive education and care transitions for children. Australian Institute of Family Studies. p. 13. The Open University. (n.d.). Ageing and disability: Transitions into residential care. [Online] Available at http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=398080§ion=1 [Accessed 23 July 2012] Zarkowska, E. & Clements, J. (2000). Behavioural concerns and autistic spectrum disorders: explanations and strategies for change. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Read More