Another benefit of diversity is diet. Diet is a great reason to enjoy a multi cultural society. In a recent survey Chinese and Indian foods came out on top. A lot of people still haven’t tried eating ethnic food. Differences in diet have brought diversity to the wider British society.
Being able to speak another language can be a very useful thing and can be extremely beneficial when working in a health profession. It can give you the chance to take your career one step further and travel abroad to learn new things. People who speak other languages are highly sought after because many who use the health services don’t speak English.
Health and social care services have now realised that patients come from a very wide range of backgrounds which are diverse. This is important to many organisations because their workers have to reflect on this.
The arts are a good way to bring diversity to a whole audience. Films which are filmed in different countries cans how cultural differences from around the world. Theatrical performances can bring experiences of world culture while museums and exhibitions can give understandings of different cultures from around the world.
Task 2
Most care environments are busy and diverse places. Do a PowerPoint presentation of not more than 6 slides explaining to new staff how to work with colleagues and patients/service users from a diverse range of backgrounds. (Cover issues of interdependence, acceptance of difference, positive attitudes, not stereotyping, avoiding all forms of discrimination, sexism and homophobia.
See PowerPoint.
Task 3
Using examples from a care home, a hospital ward and day care, explain how practitioners can implement the care value base by: putting the service user at the centre of their own care; empowering clients; keeping confidentiality and sharing information; enabling choice; and implementing anti-discriminatory practice.
Practitioners can implement the Care Base Value by putting the service user at the centre of their own care. Patient’s personal information such as address and date of birth should be kept confidential in a secure place. This must not be shared with others, because it is personal to each individual. You should ensure that the service user’s rights and choices are being respected by promoting anti-discriminatory practice.
The seven principles;
- The promotion of anti-discriminatory practice
- The promotion and support of dignity, independence and safety
- Respect for, and acknowledgement of, personal beliefs and an individual’s identity
- The maintenance of confidentiality
- Protection from abuse and harm
- The promotion of effective communication and relationships
- The provision of personalised (individual) care.
These seven principles can be broken down into key concepts; inclusivity; access; trust; confidentiality; choice; participation, honesty and openness; respect and safety.
If the above principles of care values are used in your everyday work then you will be promoting the rights and choices of individuals. This has been proven to have a positive impact on the patient’s well- being, feelings and sense of control over their own individual’s lives. Whatever health care setting you work in every service user has the right to own decisions and choices.
A residential care home is a secure environment where a person is cared for when they leave their home if they cannot live on their own and maintain their own health – this does not necessarily need nursing care. Residential care settings cater for the patients social care needs. These needs may include; personal care; ensuring that medicine is taken at the correct time and the correct dosage is taken; arranging appointments such as hospital, doctors and health visits. Although a carer takes care of the patients needs they also try to encourage independence. The client/patient may be old, disabled, have learning difficulties or doesn’t have any relatives or family to care for them. Patients would stay in a care home if they are unable to meet their own needs and are unable to look after themselves. Alternatively a day care home is very different when being compared to a residential care home. Patients that are in a residential care home benefit from 24/7 care whereas people who have day care would have a professional carer come and visit them on a daily basis. The patient still lives in their own home but still have the day care that they need and require to sustain their health. This could involve; the patient having physiotherapy and occupational therapy service come to their house. Also, the patient may need carers to come in throughout the day to help bath them, wash them, going shopping for them and prepare their food if they struggle or can’t do any of the above tasks.
Nursing care is where the patient or service user needs more nursing care compared to a patient in a residential care home. Nursing care covers a wide range of treatment for people of all ages. There are specialised nurses for different parts of a hospital. A few examples could be; practice nurses; health visitors; ward nurses; occupational health nurses, school nurses; mental health nurses and paediatric nurses. Every different kind of nurse works in different settings with different groups of patient.
Confidentiality must be maintained. Information should only be shared if the service user gives permission and if it is open and honest information. If the practitioner or carer hasn’t respected the rights of the client/service user this means that the Data Protection Act 1998 has been broken. There is an exception when confidential information can be shared. This is only if the service user is putting others around them and their own life at risk.
Task 4
Find a true story from pre-1978 care that illustrates the way people were treated in institutionalised care such as mental hospitals or those for ‘mentally handicapped’. What are the differences between this and the modern care system?
Identify the key rights you would expect to see in modern care and explain in detail why two of these are at the heart of a good practice.
Bibliography
Health and Social Care – Level 3 – BTEC National – Book 1 – Beryl Stretch and Mary Whitehouse.
