People have different care needs according to the life stage they are in. If a person is to develop as a confident individual, then they will need to develop a self-image – a clear concept of self. They will need to think positively of themselves, in other words, they will need a sense of self-esteem.

Infancy

Newly born babies are completely dependent on parents or carers to look after them and keep them safe. They need to bond with their parents and feel secure in this. This helps them when making relationships later.  Infants also depend on parents and carers to provide contact and stimulation in order to encourage intellectual development. Intellectual stimulation will lay the foundation for the development of a child’s self-image. If a child has a chid-minder they need to be aware of these needs too.

 

Childhood

As children grow, they learn an ever-increasing range of skills like running, climbing, skipping, riding a bicycle and reading. As they gain new skills, children enjoy doing things for themselves and become more independent. Children will need

practical opportunities to learn and develop. For instance, a good education is more likely to provide better opportunities in the future. A child’s self-image will begin to develop from interactions with other people during this stage.  


Adolescence

Young people develop an increasing level of skill and understanding as they grow towards adulthood. Care needs will include good educational opportunities to develop intellectual and practical needs. Teenagers become independent and start to listen more to their friends than they do parents. This is because they are starting to grow up and are starting to realise that their parents aren’t always going to be there. They are also learning about the other influences in their life, groups of people their own age. This is the strongest stage for influencing self-esteem. Teenagers who have not had a good relationship with their parents or teachers growing up might have a low self-image and low self-esteem. They could have behaviour problems and might get a social worker to help them with their parents. In really bad situations they might get an ASBO, which could affect them in the future and result in a low self-esteem.

Join now!

Adults

Most adults are able to lead independent lives and rely on the support of friends and family when needed. However, many adults do receive practical help and assistance because they cannot live completely independent lives. Adults with learning difficulties may continue to need support in order to make appropriate decisions. Adults with physical disabilities may need a range of physical and practical care, such as assisting with moving about, cooking and dressing etc.

Older adults (old age)

Many older adults need support with physical care such as getting dressed and bathing. Also, help with ...

This is a preview of the whole essay