An agency care worker had been looking after a paralysed older woman. The care worker had been taking her own washing in and using the older woman's washing machine. The care worker also took her own computer in and put her internet use on the lady's phone bill. She would purchase items in her name and address, and also ran up large credit card bills in the older woman's name.
Neglect
Neglect can be said to take place when there is a failure to provide proper care and attention. In children, there is usually clear evidence of a failure to thrive and grow. Some client does not have regular meals or clean clothes which lead to poor personal hygiene.
For vulnerable adults, neglect may be self- imposed because of mental health problems. The client may be suffering from depression and be unable to motivate themselves to prepare and eat food. Neglect has taken place in care homes and hospitals where clients, who have not been able to feed themselves, have not been fed by care workers. The client meal will then be taken away without the client eating it and care worker will assume that the client is not hungry.
Others needs can be neglected as can be:
Physical- Developing bedsore because of a lack of medical care and not being turned in bed often enough
- Not providing the basic standards of care, such as meeting basic human needs, warmth, food, drink, and safety
- Not responding to a person’s care health needs, such as their physical, emotional, social, cultural, intellectual, and spiritual needs or preventing others from doing so
- Not undertaking appropriate risk assessments and allowing the person to self –harm or harm others
- Not intervening when behaviour is dangerous to the person or to others
- Withholding care, including medication or access to medical or care staff and services.
Neglect can include failure to provide food, water, clothing, medications, and assistance with the activities of daily living or help with personal hygiene. If the caregiver has responsibility for paying bills for the older person, neglect also can include failure to pay the bills or to manage the elder person’s money responsibly.
A care worker was hired to provide 24-hour care for an older man. A concerned neighbour called on the man and found him thin and dirty and without any food in the house. He told the neighbour that the care worker had a full-time job elsewhere. Social Services were contacted and a full Adult Protection investigation was undertaken.
Discriminatory abuse
Discriminatory abuse: this exists when the values, beliefs or culture within society or an organisation result in the abuse of power so that individuals who are different, or perceived as different, are denied the same opportunities as others in society. Discrimination may be on the basis of ethnicity, gender, age, disability, sexuality, health status or religion.
Discriminatory abuse tends t overlap with other forms of abuse but it relates to people who are discriminated against because of their:
- Gender
- Ethnicity
- Age
- Disability
- Sexuality
- Health status
- Religion
Discriminatory abuse also includes:
- Excluding a person from opportunities in society
- Explaining a person’s opinions and behaviour in relation to their age or disability
- Treating a person in an inappropriate way for their age or cultural background
- Verbal abuse and inappropriate use of language
- Harassment.
As a result of such discrimination, people may well be physical abuse. Such abuse is not only a criminal assaults but is illegal under the Race Relations Act 1976 (extended in 2000).
Institutional abuse
Institutional abuse: this is the mistreatment or abuse by a regime or the people within an institution. Everyone has a right to feel safe, be treated with respect and majesty. In situation of institutional abuse, the routines, systems and accepted behaviour, for example how things are done around here; within the organisation are for the benefit and convenience of the staff and organisation and not for the individuals being supported.
Institutional elder abuse is an unconscionable act that is perpetrated upon older individuals who are unable to protect themselves against physical, emotional, sexual, or financial abuse. What makes institutional elder abuse so egregious is that the nursing home resident, guardian, or their family has paid money to the very people or facility that is abusing their loved one. In this section, we will outline what you should look for as signs that abuse in a nursing home is occurring.
This form of abuse may even been accepted as common practice across an organisation. New members of staff can be introduced to poor, and potentially abusive, care practices by staff telling them ‘this is the way we do things here.’ These include:
- Repeated acts of poor professional practice
- The existence f controlling relationships between staff and individuals in their care
- Using restraint inappropriately
- Lack of privacy or dignity including failing to provide access to appropriate privacy
- Denying a person access to visitors or phone calls
- Restricting access to toilet, bathing facilities or a comfortable place to rest
- Leaving toilet doors pen so service users can be checked on
- Having some residents as their ‘favourites’ and ignoring the quieter ones
- Making fun of people’s bodies when bathing them
- Spooning food into people’s mouths before they have finished their previous mouthful, to hurry them up.
Self harm
Self- harm: an individual who has experienced harm or abuse may have such low self-esteem and motivation that they self-neglect or self-harm. They may feel that if there are less attractive, the abuse (especially sexual abuse) may stop. Sometime the act of self- harming, such as cutting their arms, release them from the mental pain they are experiencing. If they have experienced abuse, this often results in feelings of self-loathing or worthlessness.
Abuse through overuse of drugs, alcohol and prescribe medication can be another form of self-harm to used to deaden psychological and emotional pain, as well-being. This applies to all age group and care situations. These from of abuse used to detract from, and replace, the psychological and emotional pain being felt by the individual. An example of this could be when a service user is being sexually abused by a member of staff in a care home and feels unable to complain or move.
Those who are most likely to harm themselves badly:
- use a dangerous or violent method;
- self-harm regularly;
- Self-inflicted injuries, for example, to the arms or abdomen
- Misuse of alcohol
- Misuse of drug prescribed and illegal
- Inappropriate behaviour which increases their vulnerability, such as sexually precocious behaviour, taking undue risks with their safety
- Overeating or starving themselves, for example, bulimia or anorexia
Domestic violence or abuse
What is violence - or abuse? It is about power, and this can be about controlling a partner by either physical or emotional abuse. It is rarely a one-off event. There are also many different forms of abuse, and physical attack is only one of them. Perhaps most of us think of a black eye or broken arm, but sex can be used as a way of dominating a partner. So can ridicule. So can control of family finance. So, too, can shouting and screaming.
If there has been domestic violence within a partnership or family before an individual become a service user, it may continue even after the service user moves into support accommodation or a care home. Domestic violence covers physical, sexual and psychological abuse but other forms, such as financial abuse, may also exist.
Domestic violence has many forms, including physical violence, , , , deprivation or of violence. Violence can be criminal and includes physical assault (hitting, pushing, shoving, etc.), sexual abuse (unwanted or forced sexual activity), and stalking. Although emotional, psychological and financial abuses are not criminal behaviors, they are forms of abuse and can lead to criminal violence.
P3
Describe different indicators of abuse in vulnerable adults?
Indicators of Abuse
Indicators are the main signs and symptoms which suggest that some form of abuse may
have taken place, but caution is suggested against establishing adult abuse merely due to
the presence of one or more of these indicators without further detailed assessment/
investigation. The following indicators of abuse are equally applicable in care homes,
domestic homes, day centres, workplaces and other community settings.
Physical abuse indicators
- A history of unexplained falls or minor injuries especially at different stages of healing.
- Unexplained bruising in well-protected areas of body e.g. inside of thighs or upper arms etc.
- Unexplained bruising or injuries of any sort.
- Burn marks of unusual type e.g. burns caused by cigarettes and rope burns etc.
- History of frequent changing of General Practitioners or reluctance against General
Practitioner consultation or visit.
- Accumulation of medicine which has been prescribed for the client but not
administered.
- Malnutrition, ulcers, bed sores and being left in wet clothing.
Sexual abuse indicators
- Unexplained changes in the demeanour and behaviour of the adult.
- Tendency to withdraw and spend time in isolation.
- Expression of explicit sexual behaviour and/or language by the vulnerable adult which
- Irregular and disturbed sleep pattern.
- Bruising or bleeding in the rectal or genital areas.
- Torn or stained underclothing especially with blood or semen.
- Sexually transmitted disease or pregnancy where individual cannot give consent to
Sexual acts.
|en May 2005
Adult prtection guidance Psychological abuse indicators
- Inability to sleep or tendency to spend long periods in bed.
- Loss of appetite or overeating at inappropriate times.
- Anxiety, confusion or general resignation.
- Tendency towards social withdrawal and isolation.
- Vulnerable adult appearing fearful and showing signs of loss of self esteem.
- The vulnerable adult uncharacteristically becoming manipulative, unco-operative and
aggressive.
Financial abuse indicators
- Unexplained inability to pay for household shopping or bills etc.
- Withdrawal of large sums of money which cannot be explained.
- Personal possessions go missing from home.
- Living conditions substandard and unsatisfactory in contrast to adult’s apparent financial
position.
- Unusual and extraordinary interest and involvement by the family, carer, friend,
stranger or door to door salesperson in vulnerable adult’s assets.
Indicators of neglect
- Inadequate heating, lighting, food or fluids.
- Poor physical condition of the vulnerable person e.g. ulcers, bed sores.
- Person’s clothing and person appears to be unkempt.
- Failure to give prescribed medication or obtains appropriate medical care.
- Apparently unexplained weight loss.
- Failure to provide appropriate privacy and dignity.
- Carers reluctant to accept contact from health or social care professionals.
- Refusal to arrange access to visitors.
- Inappropriate or inadequate clothing or being kept in night clothes during the day.
- Sensory deprivation, not allowed having access to glasses, hearing aids etc.
- Vulnerable adult has no method of calling for assistance.
May 2005lt protection guidance 23
Discriminatory abuse indicators
- Tendency to withdrawal and isolation.
- Fearfulness and anxiety.
- Being refused access to services or being excluded inappropriately.
- Loss of self esteem.
- Resistance or refusal to access services that are required to meet need.
- Expressions of anger and frustration.
Institutional abuse indicators
-
Lack of recording on client files: not recording certain information on patient’s files due to error or mistake e.g. giving an individual and overdose of morphine, this resulted in their death.
-
Denial of visitors or phone calls: when a person in a care home is being refused visitors and phone calls, because some nurses or care workers might say it’s the rules, you either call from your bed side or you don’t call at all.
-
Failure to ensure appropriate privacy or personal dignity: not respecting the privacy of an individual and perhaps treating elderly people like children e.g. leaving the toilet doors open when they are in the toilet.
-
Lack of flexibility and choice: all individuals have varied diets and so therefore what one person can eat another can’t so it is important that people get choices, but in hospital and care homes people usually don’t. They are given food to eat and if they don’t eat it due to various reasons then they are not offered a different option.
-
Lack of response to complaints: in some hospitals or care homes when a patient makes a complaint regarding choice of food, a ward, a certain nurse or doctor etc... They are not usually taken seriously. An investigation is not carried out and therefore the complaint is not resolved.
P4
Describe the potential for abuse in health and social care contexts?
Contexts: the context of something is the set of circumstances which surround or lead to it, including the setting and the people involved. There are a number of different settings in which health and social care workers may be working and supporting individuals.
Residential care
Residential care has the potential of abuse on various leves. In addition to abuse by carers and attack of privacy, there is the possibility of abuse by other service users and by the institution. Bulling among new residents can lead to long established residents will not be common, leading to emotion or psychological abuse and distress.
Residential setting provides the potential for abuse to occur for a number of reasons. Firstly, the fact that a number of individuals share the same living space can lead to tensions and conflict. If the living environment is not managed effectively this can lead to tensions rising to the point where there is a loss of control, patience and tolerance of others and abuse occurs.
Trying to balance the needs and wishes of a diverse group of individuals who have generally not chosen to share their living space with one another is one of the difficult but important aspects of providing residential care.
Service users who live with their family may be subject to abuse by one or tow people in the family members. When service user’s leaves in an isolated situation, they may be subject to a lack of financial abuse and privacy, for example their letters might be opened and their allowance and benefits may be taking way from them. Service users may be suffering from psychological abuse from family been blamed for everything that goes wrong and also calling- names like blockheaded. In these situations, vulnerability is increased because the abuse takes place within the family it will be very difficult to identify and resolve.
Communication difficulties
Service user may find it too hard to communicate due to their speech problems, motivations to communicate with others, hearing problem, listening and attention, understanding of language.
▪ Some service users are unable to express themselves clearly, verbally or non-verbally
▪ clients may be at risk of all types of abuse because abusers feel safe in the knowledge that their victim cannot tell anyone (but they may still threaten them to make sure they do not try to tell)
Dependency
Some service users are fully dependent and have to rely on others to meet their basic care needs. A lot of disabled and older people usually depend on their carers to look after.
▪ Some people are fully dependent and have to rely on others to meet their basic care needs (e.g. people in a coma, or those who are paralysed or on life support machines)
▪ Some may be at risk of neglect or physical abuse through rough handling, or staff may be short-handed, rushed and may miss attending to routine needs.
Health problems
Health –related injuries may be used to hide physical abuse, weight loss may be increased through neglect, slowness makes them easy target to bully.
▪ Some health problems cause easy bruising, broken bones, loss of weight or inability to move fast
▪ Health-related injuries may be used to hide physical abuse, weight loss may be increased through neglect, and slowness makes for an easy target to bully.
Learning difficulties
Service user who have learning difficulties is lack of self-confidence, and esteem, so therefore is very vulnerable with regards to abuse.
▪ The service user may be unable to understand what is happening especially in relation to financial and sexual abuse
▪ There may also be a communication and/or a behaviour problem
▪ Abusers may give the impression that the abuse is normal practice or a response to service users' undesirable behaviour.
Home
More individuals are supported within their home environment by a range of health and social care services than ever before. Home is where most people would choose to remain when they have health or social carte needs that require support from others. Individuals may be supported at home by family or friend as well as health and social care service provider, such as domiciliary care or district nursing services. The home environment does, however, present a number of potential opportunities for abuse not only of the individual being supported but also of those providing that support.
If an individual is living alone and receiving service to support their needs, they have a level of vulnerability. Individuals at home are more at risk from abuse by strangers than if they were living in supported accommodation. They are at from people calling at the door and gaining access through force or intimidation, who either steal from them or charge very expensive rate for minor repairs.
They are also at risk from physical and sexual abuse as there is no one there to stop the perpetrator (person who commits the abuse).
If the individual lives alone and has health and social care needs, in particular physical or mental needs, they are also at risk from self-neglect or neglect by others, including services if insufficient or inappropriate support is provided to adequately support them and monitor their well-being. Home may be the individual’s choice. However, it may not be the carer’s choice especially if they also have support needs.
P5 Describe strategies and working practices used to minimize abuse
In health and social care adults can be vulnerable, a number of strategies have been put into place to minimize abuse. One of these strategies involves checking records to assess the suitability of people who wish to work as careers with vulnerable adults.
Protection of Vulnerable Adults Scheme (POVA)
Protection of vulnerable adult’s scheme: unfortunately someone who abuses a vulnerable individual is likely to do so many times before they are caught, especially if they leave their employment before the abuse is discovered or they are dismissed. Since July 2004, it has been a statutory requirement for employers and the Commissions for Social Care Inspection to report people considered unsuitable to work with vulnerable adults (people over 18 years of age) for inclusions on the POVA list. The POVA system is run by the Department of Health and covers England and Wales. People are included on the POVA list if they have abused or harmed a vulnerable adult in their care or placed that individual at risk of harm.
POVA applies to:
- registered service providers of care homes
- domiciliary care agencies
- adult placement schemes
- employment agencies or businesses that supply care workers to the above providers
This also identifies careers that have harmed service users and are banned from working with clients. Care worker may have intended to harm or caused harmed through poor practice. This requirement was set out in the care Standards Acts 2004 but dose not cover care settings such as hospitals.
Care Home Regulation
It is a set of requirement that providers and managers of care homes must in order to be registered as fits or suitable for the job. It also sets our how care should be carried out within care homes. CRB are used to check as a required for staff to assess their suitability to work with adults who are vulnerable. It helps to indicate staffs that are criminally un-sound to work with adult who are vulnerable. For example, for a minor traffic offence) would not normally preclude an individual from being employed but theft, or offences involving violence against a client, would preclude them.
The Care Standards Act (2000) introduced the National Minimum Standards for the delivery of care in a number of settings. Registered care homes for older people, younger adults and adult placements and domiciliary care services are all required to meet NMS, which describe the quality of care considered to be the minimum that individuals should be receiving within these settings.
The standards relate to all aspects of daily life and include protection form abuse. The standards relating to protection of the individual from harm and abuse are Standard 18 for older people, Standard 23 for younger adults and adult placements and Standard 14 domiciliary cares. All state the expectations and responsibilities within this area of care provision. This includes the requirement for providers to have robust policies and procedures in place that are underpinned by effective working practices that protect vulnerable adults.
National Service Framework
As well as protecting users through the vetting of care worker, the government has:
- Established performance measures or ways of measuring achievement of the standards.
- Introduced programmers that will support the introduction of such and ways of working as a local level.
- Setting a national standard and defined services models, or ways of delivering service, to certain groups of people(example, those with asthma)
This performance measure is known as the National Service Frame work (HSF) and applies to health, social service and other organization. If care worker implies good practies and high standards, the risk of abuse have to mininmised.
The government introduced National Service Framework standards in April 1998 as a rolling programmer of long-term strategies with the aim of improving specific areas of care. Each standard has a set of measurable goals and timescales within which these are to be achieved. There are NSF standards for older people, children and people with mental health issues as well as for specific diseases, such as coronary heart disease, cancer, long-term conditions, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and diabetes.
For older people, Standard 1, rooting out age discrimination and Standard 2, person-centre care, both emphasise the treatment of people with dignity and respect and as individuals. Both of these standards relate to protecting the individual from abuse. The NSF standards are described as outcomes, or expectations of service provision quality, and so these can be used to measure and regulate service provision thereby acting as a protection for the users of those services.
The NFS that set standard in the care of vulnerable adults are those covering mental health, older people and long- term conditions. The aims that the NFS provide for mental health are:
- Supportive service that work with the patients, service user, families and careers for healthier communities.
- Sound service that provide access to a full range of different service.
- Safe service that protect and care for clients and service users.
Multi-agency working
Multi-agency working- the care planning process and single assessment process has encouraged greater inter-agency working together, with the client’s needs being central to the process. Rather than working separately, and each agency providing their own service without reference to the others, joint working encourages a sharing of approach and less replication of services.
Working in partnership with service users
This encourages greater trust and empowerment of clients. In turn, they are likely to feel more confident in talking about their fears, and worries and possible abuse.
Health and Social care agencies working together is only a part of the overall strategy to protect vulnerable adults from abuse. Enabling service users to recognise abuse and knowing how to alert others to this is another strategy. It also ensures an agreed approach that all involved are aware of and can monitor. Protection is protection is provided by the clarity of the situation.
It is important that health and care social workers act as good role models in terms of worker-user relationships as this helps the service user to recognise when the relationship is abusive. In addition, it is important for personnel to enable service users to know how to protect themselves, such as building positive self-esteem through knowing their rights and knowing how to complain.
Close working between professionals and within organisations
Inter-agency working is also important, especially when the service user is accessing a number of different services. Effective communication between professionals and organisations is vital to ensure the service user is protected. Communicating information about changes, significant events and actions ensures that all those involved with supporting the service user are monitoring their well-being. For, example, a day care provider should be made aware of any behavior strategies and contract that have been agreed between the service user and residential care provider so there is continuity of practice. A lack of communication can lead to irregularity as well as misinformation and allegation, none of which are in the service user’s best interest. In situations where the service user is identified as vulnerable, there should be interagency agreements regarding monitoring and review as well as what action to take if the situation changes or escalates.
A log enables staff coming on shit to be aware of what has happened since they were last on duty. It could be a couple of weeks ago if care worker have been on holiday or off sick.
Organisational policies and training
Clear guidelines about expected behaviour from professionals are important from professional are important, not only to guide the professional, but also so that clients known what is acceptable and what is not. Complaints procedures need to be clearly understood and accessible to service users, together with independent support when making a complaint. This could take form of an advocate from outside the organization.
Care worker needs to provide training when new procedures and policies are put into place so that everyone understands what is required. New care worker need inducation period during which all polices and procedures are explained. Abuse can occur when there is a poor practice and a lack of understanding about the consequences of certain actions. When it comes to health and social care field training is very important counter to this.
P6 identify the legislation, policies and procedures that protect adults receiving health and social care services.
In the case study on (page108). The legislations, policies and procedures that will protect the individuals in the health care services. The following laws may be applied to the setting.
In the case study on (page108). The legislations, policies and procedures that will protect the individuals in the health care services. The following laws may be applied to the setting.
M1 explain how supportive relationships can enhance the life experiences of individuals receiving health and social care services.
Developing supportive relationships can help enhance the life experiences of individual’s receiving health and social care services. By using the 3 case studies on page (89), I am able to further explain my answer with confidence to my (P1)
Krin has a physical disability who has got poor mobility where shes not able to move as much as she would like to move I assume, she is also Muslim and because of her religion she is required to pray at least 5 times a day. . as it is Ramadan season and she needs to break her fast as the sun sets s, an because it is summer, daylight sets an hour before she reaches the centre,where she will be able to break her fast. When krin attends the day center she is able to make friends who may have the same things in common with her this way shes ablt to form supportive relationship. She is also able to understand how to manage and maintai physical disabilities through seeing what other kids do. She can also try analyses her situation with others , and she can communicate with them how find out how they cope with there disability through that way she will be able to communicate with them and may develop confidence in herself just through speaking to other people and will develop trust with them and will end up having a supportive relationship with them.
The other thing Krin could try doing is to eat before her fasting begins and in the centre she probably will find people who share the same religion like her if that’s the case the will be able to do the prayers together. This would really improve her life –experiences where she will have self confidence and will be able to accept the person that she is and won’t want to be like another person. Going to the center will be very helpful because this way she knows that she not alone who is in the situation that she is in.
Secondly, Joshua is 70 years old. He lives in a care home due to him having stroke which has made him have a disability. Hes stroke has affected him in a way hes unabale to meet hes everyday needs so there for will need some sort of assistance . Joshua who is also a vegetarian and hasn’t got good hearing , due to the long term of working in a steel industry. He also aint got a family as there have all moved to where the originate from which is in the west indies.. He has been left friendless, neglected and alone by his family.
The few visits that he gets each week will help improve his life –experiences, because at he’s age, it is very significant that he’s got people around him who will be able to support him in the things that he’s unable to do.. am sure Joshua feels better when he gets visit as he feels that he isn’t actually alone but has got people that support him and through the visits he gets he will be able to improve he’s communication skills and will feel less distressed, he can also tell the people that visit him how he feels and confide in them this way he’s forming a supportive relationship with the visitors and he probably able to trust them.
Due to the age and way of life of Annie; she has been living in a hostel in order to reinstate herself in conditions of her recent drug use, she is therefore not capable to form friends and expand proper relationships with teenagers of her age. By talking to her hostel key worker (Ian) every evening, she is capable to build up self-confidence and getting more mature, which will advance her life for the better e.g. she would not feel so left out , because she will be able to talk about her health and other concerns with her key worker. Talking to her key worker will help her develop effective communicating skills.
M2 analyse the potential for abuse in four health and social care contexts.
I will now further analyse the potential for abuse in these 4 health care settings. The potential of abuse usually happens to service users who show immature and vulnerable, basically clients who are low in self esteem and hope e.g. service users who are more vulnerable to abuse or the potential of it occurring, whatever the reasons e.g. illness, disease or disability. These service users be likely to become lonely and therefore limit their circle of group be it with family or friends.
Residential care:
That’s why most people being abused are usually so dependant on tier abuser because, they provide them with social influences and help with looking after themselves. Most people being abused also usually know their abusers. Abusers take advantage of this because; they know that individuals that are very vulnerable often don’t retaliate to their abuses. They end up just blaming themselves and possibly think that deserved it. Seeing this only makes the abuser more dominant over the victim.
In residential care settings usually there are a number of people share the same living the living environment is not managed is not managed effectively which results into tensions and eventually leads to loss of control and tolerance. Balancing the needs and wishes of a diverse group of people living together is one of the difficult as well as it’s an important aspect of providing residential care. In residential care homes individuals can be isolated by others who may notice changes in their behaviour which then increases the individual’s vulnerability. The potential for abuse can lie in the contact of the clients. A client might need help with personal care, this increases the risk for abuse and sometimes it can be difficult to be exactly sure that abuse has taken place as it’s a personal relationship that takes place behind closed doors which is usually difficult to observe.
Home:
There is a enormous number of service users who choose or prefer to be home cared, therefore this way they have a range of health and social care services which are provided in there own homes to suit there needs. Service users who leave in there own homes may get support from their families and friends and other health and social care service providers in there area this could be a care worker who goes to the service users and gives them the same care the could get if there were been looked after in a residential home. A care worker can even escort the service user to a day centre if the attend one and also transport is arranged by there local council.. there is also much possiblilty for service users to be abused in there own homes as there is only the service users and the abuser so it can be a disadvange as well.
The potential for abuse in this setting includes sexual abuse/harassment and possibly physical abuse and neglect. The potential abuser may be a friend /family or health care assistant. In this situation people that are being abused term to make up excuses for their abusers as they don’t want to get them in trouble. E.g. if an health care giver force feeds and inappropriately grabs a patient and they bruise, if the effects of the abuse is noticed by someone else , the patient may lie that they fell down the stairs or hurt their hand o the door etc... , So as to protect them.
Community:
Service users are vulnerable when they are in the community when they look or behave differently to the accepted norms of society, they are basically vulnerable to all forms of abuse and are targeted by groups of individuals in the community. Service users are targeted by individuals because the people committing the crime believe that service users may not be considered reliable witnesses if a crime is committed against them due to their vulnerability.
It is knows that we live in a multi-cultural society meaning lots of different people living in one society. Living in the community means that we can potentially be at risk from abuse by others. The forms of abuse that can take place include verbal for example swearing or using discriminatory language.
. Other forms of abuse may include physical abuse such as being physically attacked as well as also service user can experience psychological abuse e.g. being shamed. Financial abuse can also take place in communities for example being robbed. People in the community usually think that when some one gets abused such as financially abused e.g. robbed it is done by a stranger, however they don’t realise that majority of the abuse is committed by people known to the individual. Therefore this means that service users need to be aware of the behaviour of others and try avoiding themselves from danger.
Potential for abuse includes psychological abuse and perhaps neglect. The potential abuser may be a family member, friend or care worker. The event of the psychological abuse taking place would include name calling e.g. useless-hegoat, stupid, idiot, dam-brain etc.... and neglect may occur if maybe the service user can’t feed themselves, then the abuser may use this as an advantage and possibly starve them by not cooking and in the event that they do it may be too cold to eat. Excuses used by the abuser if anyone should notice the effect of the abuse would be that ‘‘he/ she said they didn’t want’’; just to cover their own tracks.
Institutional abuse
In care setting, there are various potentials for abuse to occur. One was institutional abuse and the other discriminatory abuse. Both these forms of abuse could take place because the patients could easily be taken advantage of due to their (dementia). The possible abuser may be a care worker. The individuals/patients may be discriminated against because of their age. And because a lot of people in the society today very judgmental, the may relate their confusion (dementia) to age, as they may think that only older individuals get ‘‘confused’’.
It may be institutional abuse e.g. in the event that the service user become too demanding and its maybe is time to tidy up and go to bed, the care worker may stat to clean around the patients , therefore initiating and suggesting that they go to bed. Also leaving bathroom doors open due to thinking that because the service user is suffer from (dementia) they may do something stupid. Therefore, not giving them the privacy that they are allowed to. These are all done for the benefit of the institution and not the service users’.
M3 explain how legislation, policies and procedures contribute to the protection of vulnerable adults.
I am going to explain to how the policies, procedures and legislation contribute to the protection of the people living in the care home.
Legislation
Mental health act 1983 is a legislation about mentally disabled people suffering from mental disabilities, which aims to protect the society as well as other service user in care homes from the mentally disabled people behaving seriously. This mental health act aims to help individuals to recover and control them from behaving seriously.
This legislation protects everyone including care workers and service users, because when a mentally ill person behaves very dangerously and causes harm to a care worker and the clients in the care home, the individual causes harm to itself. Therefore the mental; health act suggests that for these reasons the service user can be “detained in the care home against their wishes if they are considered to be ill”.
This legislation contributes to the protection of vulnerable adults by providing the mental health review Tribunal Rules. These set out the procedures for reviewing cases of service users who had been against their will detained.
This legislation protects everyone also by providing extra care workers in the mentally disabled sector.
The legislation contributes to the protection of service user living in the care home because it balances the rights of service user against the need to protect them. Also the treatment that they receive and the controlled freedom are under regular review to ensure it is appropriate and is in the service user’s best wellbeing.
Procedures for protection:
Organisational policies and procedures
The procedures for protection contribute to the protection of vulnerable adults by providing Advocacy services that could support service users. Advocates from external body such as age concerns are available in order to support service users about any complaint or concerns that they may make.
It is used to protect personal details about patients and therefore kept secure and confidential. This may be applied before the opening because, patients will feel more confident and at ease that whatever is said or written down remains confidential, and this confidentiality may not be broken for any reason except of course if the service user is at risk or maybe putting others at risk. These laws exist because it is able to protect all service user especially the vulnerable ones in terms of legislations’ that particularly apply to them.
This legislation protects everyone including care workers and service users, because when a mentally ill person behaves very dangerously and causes harm to a care worker and the clients in the care home, the individual causes harm to itself. Therefore the mental; health act suggests that for these reasons the service user can be “detained in the care home against their wishes if they are considered to be ill”. This legislation protects everyone also by providing extra care workers in the mentally disabled sector.
Service user do not need to tell staff or other members of the care home about the complaint they are making if the don’t wish to and therefore this means that this should be a confidential process.
Policies and procedures: the criminal records bureau
The criminal records bureau contributes to the protection of vulnerable adults by providing a police check under the police act 1997. The CRB check protects service user by reducing the risks of abuse. This means that any care worker who comes in the care home will have to go through a CRB check. Vulnerable adults will be protected because of the CRB test; this is helps any staff with a recent of theft, fraud or serious bodily harm will not be employed as a career in the care home. Therefore this means that service users are less likely to get abused.
All organisations need to have policies and procedures that will help protect service users and investigate allegations in the event of an abuse occurring. All patients and staff need to know to report any concerns to e.g. regarding poor practices or abuse. These are some of the examples of proper working practices that may need o be applied this care setting prior to its opening in order to minimise the risk of abuse.