Why it is important to encourage people to be actively involved in their own care or treatment?
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To promote the dignity and improve the quality of life of all individuals receiving care, they should be fully involved in any decision that affects their care, including personal decisions such as what to eat, what to wear and what time to go to bed, as well as wider decisions about their care or support. To establish service users’ views on their satisfaction and involvement in their care, the Personal Social Services Adult Social Care Survey, England – 2020-21 asked service users questions about quality of life, the impact of care and support services and their general health and wellbeing. The survey found that 67.7% of the participating service users were very or extremely satisfied with the care and support they received, while 2.1% were very or extremely dissatisfied with the care and support they received. Over 90% of the service users (90.5%, 33,770) that reported they feel clean and are able to present themselves in the way they want, also reported they have adequate or as much control over their daily life as they want; 9.5% of these service users feel they have no control or some control but not enough. For service users that don’t feel at all clean or presentable, 80.1% (590) also reported that they have no control or some control but not enough. For these service users, 19.9% (150) feel they have adequate or as much control over their daily life as they want. Over 80% (80.5%, 29,800) report being able to spend time as they want, or they are able to do enough of the things they value or enjoy with their time. Eighteen councils with adult social services responsibilities (CASSRs) took part in the survey. In the councils taking part in the survey, 57.3% (35,695) of service users were female and 42.7% (26,640) were male. 57.9% of the service users (36,085) were aged over 65; 73.0% (45,500) of the service users receive services in the community; 20.2% (12,590) receive services in residential care; and 6.8% (4,250) receive services in nursing care. What is Active Participation?Pearson Edexcel, one of the awarding bodies that sets the specifications for the Level 2 and Level 3 Health and Social Care Diplomas, defines active participation as, “recognising an individual’s right to participate in the activities and relationships of everyday life as independently as possible; the individual is an active partner in their own care or support rather than a passive recipient.” Many people who experience health and social care, especially individuals with significant needs, can often feel side-lined, ignored and not in control of their own lives. Most other people in the general community have control and a say in how they live their lives, but for people who are in health and social care, their choices in what they do can be severely limited. Active participation is an approach that enables individuals to be included in their care and have a greater say in how they live their life in ways that matter to them. The individual is encouraged and shown ways in which they can help themselves, make their own decisions about the things that affect them, participate in social activities and build personal relationships, and be healthier or recover from illness. Service user and carer participation has become an increasingly important part of how adult social care services are developed and delivered. The process of meaningful participation represented a real change from the previous process of service delivery and helped with the Putting People First agenda. The concept of “person-centred” or “user-focused” active participation care has long since been an integral part of the way that health and social care providers, including general practice, have delivered care to service users and patients. People who use services have a right to be seen as individuals with different preferences, skills and abilities. Respecting this basic right means involving them in the way their care and support is delivered. It is the key in moving from “doing to” to “doing with”. What are the Principles of Active Participation?Active participation has two key principles underpinning care:
Active participation recognises that everyone has the right to participate in everyday life activities and relationships. It promotes the rights, independence and choice of the individual. Examples of implementing these principles in health and social care include but are not limited to:
Why is Active Participation Important?Planning and decision-making in health and social care benefits from the active involvement of, in particular, those who receive or experience the services. It empowers and enables people to:
What are the Benefits of Active Participation?Active participation is an approach that empowers individuals in the activities and relationships of everyday life leading to them living as independently as possible. The importance to the individual as an active partner in their own care or support is that it brings physical, psychological, relational and, overall, wellbeing benefits. More specifically, active participation:
All of the above improves an individual’s overall wellbeing not only mentally and psychologically by having choice, self-respect and social involvement, but also physically by providing greater activity levels. When individuals grow in self-confidence and self-esteem, they are less prone to exploitation and harm from others, making them less vulnerable to the likelihood of physical, financial, mental or psychological abuse. Because people feel empowered by active participation, people are more likely to speak up about things that they do not feel are right and will have more of an understanding of their own rights. There are also benefits of active participation for those who are providing health and care services. By involving the individual and others in the care-planning process, care providers will gain invaluable insights into what that particular individual requires to maintain a high level of wellbeing and to reach their potential. By considering an individual’s holistic needs and preferences rather than particular aspects, care providers can provide care that caters for the whole person, which in turn will improve the job satisfaction for care providers. What are the Barriers of Active Participation?However good the intentions are to implement active participation, there are a number of barriers that may need to be overcome. Some will be easier than others to conquer. These include but are not limited to:
If an individual is unable to become involved in active participation, you should try to identify the reasons why and look at ways to remove or minimise any barriers. By doing so it will help the individuals that you care for to have more independence and more control over their lives, which will positively affect their self-esteem and wellbeing. How to Encourage Active Participation?There is hardly anything more rewarding than seeing individuals actively participate in their own health and social care. To see a resident who has repeatedly declined to join in with activities, walk into the social area for a show or game or to participate in a quiz or discussion group, or to see an individual take an interest in what they will wear or take control about how they will celebrate their birthday, is very rewarding. It is not always easy to engage people to actively participate; however, here are some suggestions to help encourage active participation:
In ConclusionIt is not always going to be easy to support the active participation of all individuals. There may be many barriers to participation which you may have to overcome. But empowering people to achieve and maintain a good quality of life is very satisfying and well worth the effort. Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS)Just £20Study online and gain a full CPD certificate posted out to you the very next working day. Take a look at this course Why is it important to encourage patients individuals to be actively involved in their own care?Effectively engaging patients in their care is essential to improve health outcomes, improve satisfaction with the care experience, reduce costs, and even benefit the clinician experience.
Why is it important to involve people in their care?Given that patient participation causes improved health outcomes, enhanced quality of life, and delivery of more appropriate and cost effective services, if patients are regarded as equal partners in healthcare, they would actively participate in their own health care process, and more carefully monitor their own care.
How do you involve clients in their own care?Key strategies have included:. Providing health information in engaging and accessible formats, such as print, mobile, apps and online channels.. Eliciting and documenting individual needs, preferences and goals.. Using patient decision aids.. Encouraging and prompting patient questioning during clinical encounters.. Why it is important to promote person Centred care and support?Person-centred care is important for patients because:
The patient will trust you to do what's best for them, which makes the situation easier for you both. You will meet their emotional, social, and practical needs, which ensures they maintain a high quality of life.
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