CHAPTER II: INDIVIDUALISED SUPPORT

Support workers provide support and care according to the client’s individualised care

plan. Care plans provide care directions for the client’s holistic care needs. Holistic

includes physical, emotional, spiritual, cultural and social needs.

Care plans are develop with a person centred approach. A person-centred approach to

care planning focuses on the needs, strengths and goals of the individual and a plan is

developed to assist the individual to meet their individual needs. The aims of a personcentred approach
to care and planning are person empowerment and control over

their life and life goals.

Care plans are regularly reviewed and updated by relevant stakeholders (e.g. client,

family members, doctor and registered nurse) to meet changing needs to ensure the

care plan goals are being achieved. They can be reviewed as required: every three

months, six months and/or twelve months depending upon the client’s individual

needs.

All staff, including yourself, will be responsible for maintaining the care plans for

people in your care. It is part of your role and responsibility to document and report

to your supervisor any changes in the person’s condition and needs.

It is important to know where to located and understand the organisations policy and

procedures in relation to documents and the care planning process. Always ask your

supervisor for directions and clarification if you are ever unsure.

1. Ageing and disability

Ageing

With increasing number of older adults in the population and increasing associated

health costs, aged care has gained a significant national profile. There is now a clearly

recognised need for an appropriate range of choices in residential aged care, respite

care and community based care where the person can stay in their home longer. The
philosophy in providing support for our

ageing population is now seen to involve:

more consideration of the issues

affecting the older adult's ability to be

independent

a focus on social and family networks

providing increased support

increased assistance for the older

adult to remain at home, leading as

active a life as possible

increased recognition of the rights of the aged

education of the aged to pursue their rights

free access to mufti-disciplinary health assessment

use of institutional care only as a final resort

varied institutional settings allowing for high level care only when

necessary

emphasis on preventive programs

Ageing is caused by lifelong accumulation of damage, it begins early. It is important to

embrace lifelong approaches to healthy ageing. The following are some of the factors

that affect the older person requiring support:

Attitudinal barriers – These are behaviours and perceptions about

ageing and disability that cause difficulty or misunderstanding with them

and other individuals. Some attitudinal barriers include:

o Presumption that older individuals are given unfair advantages.

o Presumption that older individuals are incapable of accomplishing

tasks and not given the opportunity to display their skills.

o Because older individuals may be impaired in one or more major

life functions, some people treat them as second-class citizens.

o Some people feel sorry for older individuals, which tends to lead

to patronising attitudes.

Physical health condition

Social, emotional and mental health condition of the older person

Access to support from family, carers, financial capacity, etc.

Other factors include personal choice (how to exercise and preserve it), biological and

psychological barriers to independence, and consideration for carer’s health and

wellbeing.

When an ageing person has an informal carer, the changes they experience can affect

the degree of assistance they provide. Informal carer is broadly defined and refers to

any relative, partner, friend, or neighbour who has a significant personal relationship

with a person and provides a broad range of assistance for them. Service providers

must respect and acknowledge the needs of the carer. If these needs are not met the

carer may become distressed and depressed. This can have a negative impact not only

on them but also on the person they are caring for.

Another issue older adults can face is stereotyping. Stereotypes can be defined as

characteristics assigned to entire groups of people. Stereotypes however tend to be

biased and are often unflattering ideas about the characteristics of particular groups
of people. Stereotypes about ageing and the older adults picture all members of the

group as having the same generally undesirable characteristics. Grey hair, forgetful,

short-sightedness, deafness, wrinkles, bad temper and intolerance of the young are

common ageist attitudes of the older person.

Stereotyping tends to encourage certain attitudes and confirm undesirable

perceptions of the group it is applied to. As a result this can cause discrimination

towards older adults. This can also cause what are known as `self-fulfilling

prophecies', if older adults are stereotyped often enough they can start to believe in the

truth of the stereotype and this in turn makes them start to act in the way they are

depicted.

Discrimination against clients can be minimised or prevented if policies and

procedures about this is set in place. The Aged Care Act 1997 (the Act) makes sure

everyone who needs aged care has access to it, where it is available, regardless of their

race, culture, language, gender, economic circumstance or geographic location.

Managers and supervisors know the policies about caring for older adults and can offer

guidance on ageist attitudes. There are also brochures and books put out by the

government departments with advice on stopping ageist attitudes.

Stereotyping and Ageing

1. What are the common stereotypes or discriminating

attitudes about ageing that you know or you’ve heard of?

2. How do you think would the older people feel when they

hear about these stereotypes discriminating attitudes?