Safeguarding in Health and Social Care
Safeguarding in Health and Social Care
Under the Health and Social Care Act (2008), abuse is defined as:
“Single or repeated act or lack of appropriate action occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust which causes harm or distress including physical, emotional, verbal, financial, sexual, racial abuse, neglect and abuse through misapplication of drugs.”
Abuse can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time. However, it is so alarming that more and more elderly people suffer from abuse everyday. Many elderly adults are being abused in their homes and even in care facilities such as nursing homes responsible for their care. How can elderly groups be vulnerable to abuse and/or harm to self and others? And how do nursing homes which are supposed to deliver utmost care and support become one of the major contributing factors of abuse?
1.1As people gets old, many physical changes takes place on the process. They become weaker and fragile, thus unable to stand up and fight back if bullying occurs. Their eyesight and hearing become less sensitive, thus, they are prone to more wicked people taking advantage of them. Physical and mental disorders that elderly people may have may be the factor of abuse in the home or at the residential home. This could also lead to any forms of abuse. People with dementia, for example are very much susceptible to abuse because of the conditions (loss of memory, mood changes and communication difficulties) that they suffer (The RCN Learning Zone, 2011). People around them such as care providers who are aware of their condition can take advantage of that because they think that the service user is powerless or have no knowledge of the medical consequence and might not be able to defend themselves when they are being abused or might not be able to identify the type and kind of abuse. This could also be related to “Power” and or “authority” which affects the existence of abuse between the care provider and
Under the Health and Social Care Act (2008), abuse is defined as:
“Single or repeated act or lack of appropriate action occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust which causes harm or distress including physical, emotional, verbal, financial, sexual, racial abuse, neglect and abuse through misapplication of drugs.”
Abuse can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time. However, it is so alarming that more and more elderly people suffer from abuse everyday. Many elderly adults are being abused in their homes and even in care facilities such as nursing homes responsible for their care. How can elderly groups be vulnerable to abuse and/or harm to self and others? And how do nursing homes which are supposed to deliver utmost care and support become one of the major contributing factors of abuse?
1.1As people gets old, many physical changes takes place on the process. They become weaker and fragile, thus unable to stand up and fight back if bullying occurs. Their eyesight and hearing become less sensitive, thus, they are prone to more wicked people taking advantage of them. Physical and mental disorders that elderly people may have may be the factor of abuse in the home or at the residential home. This could also lead to any forms of abuse. People with dementia, for example are very much susceptible to abuse because of the conditions (loss of memory, mood changes and communication difficulties) that they suffer (The RCN Learning Zone, 2011). People around them such as care providers who are aware of their condition can take advantage of that because they think that the service user is powerless or have no knowledge of the medical consequence and might not be able to defend themselves when they are being abused or might not be able to identify the type and kind of abuse. This could also be related to “Power” and or “authority” which affects the existence of abuse between the care provider and