Social workers deal with a wide scope of marginalised groups with elderly as a commonly-discussed group. Elderly receive an adequate amount of care and concern in Asian countries such as Singapore largely due to the belief of filial piety. As a result, issues such as accessibility to elderly-friendly facilities and affordability of healthcare are frequently brought up and policies are reviewed and edited multiple times in order to best suit their needs. Despite the attention that is shown to the elderly, we often overlook the needs of their caregivers- who are in fact elderly themselves. These caregivers who are ageing along with their care recipients include children taking care of their parents, spouse taking care of another spouse and parents taking care of their bed-ridden children. The stressful situations that the elderly care provider faced due to their old age are rarely highlighted even though they may be complex and beyond their ability to handle. Hence, this essay aims to analyse the reason as to why social workers …show more content…
should shift their focus from other social problems to the neglected elderly caregiver in order to advocate for them and relieve their burden. I would first cover the background of the issue by addressing the nature and extent of the problem then move on to examine the existing programs in place and the improvements that can be made. Background Nature & problem: reasons why elderly provide care despite old age, how the problem exist, elderly’s own health is deteriorating, lack of rest, lack of resources Nature of Problem The reason for the increasing trend of elderly becoming caregivers boils down to a single phenomenon- Singapore’s steadily ageing population. The silver issue has brought about a multitude of complications including the surge in demand for caretakers for the elderly and infirm. Those who choose to undertake the responsibilities are usually family members who view their duty as “a natural extension of their relationship” (article 7). Caregivers themselves are usually also of old age and they might likewise be prone to elderly illnesses such as hypertension and diabetes (article 7). On top of that, it could be challenging to perform certain daily tasks such as supporting their family member who might have trouble walking from moving from place to place. This is being demonstrated when Mdm Tang expressed difficulty in lifting Mr Chin when he had a fall last June and had to render assistance from a neighbour (quoted from article 7).Sometimes, their health deteriorates as a result of providing care services 24/7. In the case of Mdm Tang, who was originally blind in one eye and partially deaf in one ear, she lost 20kg due to the stress from taking care of her husband. This means that they have to juggle between the ageing issues of both themselves and their loved ones. However, their own needs are often being neglected as they prioritise their charges over themselves. Many a times, they provide round-the-clock care to their loved ones and thus jeopardise their own health by having insufficient rest. This can be disrupting to their daily lives but they still choose to do so. Reasons for not seeking external assistance Although some families hire maids in order to lessen the load of tending to the elderly, others might be unwilling to do so as they perceive caring for their loved ones as a personal responsibility.
The lack of trust in the maids might also be present due to the absence of blood ties between the maids and the care recipient. Some might be worried that maids will not treat their loved ones as meticulously as they would. This concern is not invalid as many engage in the help of maids who are, in fact, unqualified to do so. This is reflected in article 2 which highlighted a survey which targeted 1,190 pairs of elderly persons and their caregivers. It is found that almost half of the families turn to foreign domestic workers to provide care however, more than half of them have actually not undergone any training related to providing such care services. As a result, the duty of caring for their frail family members falls back on their
shoulders.
D1: I have decided to look at a 6 year old going through bereavement. Bereavement means to lose an individual very close to you. When children go through bereavement they are most likely to feel sad and upset about the person’s death. Children at a young age may not understand when a family member dies. Children may not understand bereavement. For example a 6 year old’s father been in a car crash and has died from that incident. Death is unpredictable and children can’t be prepared for a death of a family member as no one knows when someone is going to die or not. Unfortunately every child can experience bereavement even when a pet dies. It is important that we are aware that effects on the child so we can support them in the aftermath.
2.3 Explain how the health and social care practitioner own values, beliefs and experiences can influence delivery of care.
Every single person has relied on another at some point in their life and likely will again in old age. However, the caregiver in these instances is often overlooked and not given enough respect or compensation. Eva Kittay has been and will be a dependency worker for her severely handicapped daughter, Sesha, her entire life. She knows the struggles and labor of what dependency work entails. Her experiences with this lifestyle helped her to write, “Love’s Labor,” in which she describes the role of dependency work, its importance and the way it is viewed in society. Her outlook on the subject truly clarifies the ethical issues surrounding how they are treated. After reading this book, I gained more respect for dependency workers and realized that they do not get enough recognition or opportunities.
Social determinants of health has been a large topic for many years and can have a positive and negative effect on individuals, families and communities. (World Health Organisation, 2009) The social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age, including the health system. These circumstances are shaped by the distribution of money, power and resources at global, national and local levels, which are themselves influenced by policy choices. Social determinants have many factors and in this essay education will be the main social determinant of health discussed and how this could have an impact on the physical and mental sides of health.
Disparities in cancer are caused by the complex interaction of low economic status, culture, and social injustice, with poverty playing the dominant role (Freeman, 2004). So I ask the question: Does socioeconomics impact a man’s prostate health?
The theory used for this case study was effective, because it was able to get P to recognise that change need to occur so the support that she received would be effective. Reflecting on action the outcome of the assessment and intervention that was applied to P’s case I used supervision and to discuss concerns I had regarding this family with my PS. Supervision helped me establish my concerns and areas I required further support in application to theory in evidence based practice ‘blind self’.
Over the years, the social determinants of health (SDOH) have been receiving more attention due to its importance in determining peoples’ health access, health quality and health outcome. The social determinants of health have been described by various scholars as the situation or environmental condition in which people are born, or where they grow, live and work; unfortunately these conditions have continued to affect and determine people’s ability to access proper care.1-5 In other words, the SDOH continues to consciously and unconsciously influence people’s access to most opportunities in life including access to healthcare services both in developed and developing countries.2 This issues have continue to deteriorate in most developing countries increasing people’s susceptibility to multi-morbidity among different age groups, with a slight increase among the elderly.6
With advanced technologies in health care, the average lifespan of humans is around eighty-eight years, and these numbers are growing rapidly. Most elderly outnumber the younger within our population now, and with more of the baby boomer generation reaching the gold years, this number will rise exponentially. The cost of healthcare rising and the amount of Medicare funds decreasing makes caring for that loved one challenging. Statistics by Dr. Feng presented, “Individuals are living much longer; family structures are changing; women have entered the workforce. With no national health insurance program like Medicare and with the one-child policy that places elder care responsibilities on fewer shoulders” (Dr Feng). To some, the question of placing an elderly family member in long-term care facilities is a difficult one to consider. All too many times the elderly abandoned are not seeing families until visitation funeral ceremonies.
What does it mean when we say that social problems may arise out of objective or subjective concerns? What are the differences between these two distinctions in how they explain problems?
Access to health care refers to the ease with which an individual can obtain needed medical services. Many Americans face barriers that make it difficult to obtain basic health care services. These barriers to services include lack of availability, high cost, and lack of insurance coverage. "Limited access to health care impacts people's ability to reach their full potential, negatively affecting their quality of life." (Access to Health Services, 2014) Access to health services encompasses four components that include coverage, services, timeliness, and workforce
I believe the most significant moment in the history of British welfare was the birth of National Health Service. The purpose of this essay is to outline the history of the National Health Service and why it was introduced into the everyday lives of the British people. As the National Health Service is a major factor of the welfare given to the people of Britain, we must look at the early years of the Welfare laws and acts passed down through the centuries, which eventually lead to the creation of the NHS. In addition to explore how social policy had an impact on the NHS, the essay will tread the discussion in the context of some of the economic, political and social concepts that influences the development of social policy in the NHS. It also
...ue to numerous medical errors. With the amount of medical errors that currently do occur which is a current health care issue it cost the health care billions of dollar each year to fix the mistakes that were made.
..., professionals’ can still call on family member to make the social life of the elderly in
Health care has always been an interesting topic all over the world. Voltaire once said, “The art of medicine consists of amusing the patient while nature cures the disease.” It may seem like health care that nothing gets accomplished in different health care systems, but ultimately many trying to cures diseases and improve health care systems.
There are numerous public health problems that can be addressed in my Southside of Chicago community. Among the several public health problems facing my Southside of Chicago community there are two that are more urgent. Health education or one might say lack thereof is a problem that needs to be addressed. My community is plagued with many of the residents suffering from high blood pressure, diabetes, and the killer virus known as HIV. In most cases these conditions can be prevented with healthier lifestyles and access to nutritious organic foods. In addition, environmental health is another urgent problem my community is facing. Access to clean, safe water and air is supposed to be a fundamental human right aimed at a healthy environment. Yet, my community consists a waste contaminated beach, numerous deteriorated building that are still occupied, and a countless number of restaurant and stores supplying our residents with services that are endangering their health.