Contemporary Issues in Health and Social Care

Case Study - THE STRUGGLE TO PREVENT ELDERLY ABUSE

There have been many reported instances of abuse of the elderly: particularly in care homes. The Guardian (2011) reported the following:

"The collapse of Southern Cross, the UK's biggest care home chain, has caused understandable concern to the families of the 31,000 people who are looked after by the company. But until now it has been impossible to get a clear picture of what is happening to the 750 or so homes, or even where they all are."

Whilst the problem was publicly stated as a financial issue, the exposure of abuse hastened its demise. The BBC (2011) reported that in late in 2011, two staff at the company's Orchid View care home in Copthorne, West Sussex, were arrested on suspicion of ill-treatment and neglect of residents.

The problem, however, is not confined to care homes. Abuse has also been detected in hospitals and private homes. In this case study, you are to investigate how information about this issue reaches the public domain.

You are to explore how a range of health and social care issues are presented in the media

• Monitor the development of the prevention of elderly abuse over time

• Conduct a small local attitude survey about the issue. Ask friends and family.

• The role of different media sources, in shaping social behaviours and attitudes towards this issue. Information sources can include GP's, social media, charities, local government, websites (including Youtube) and the UK government departments.

• The balance between representation and manipulation of health and social care information i.e. the validity and reliability of that information will also needs to be evaluated.

BBC (2011), Orchid View care home staff arrested over neglect, [Online] Located at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-15182300, [Last Accessed: 25th June 2014]

The Guardian (2011), Southern Cross care homes: get the list, [Online] Located at: http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2011/aug/31/southern-cross-homes-list, [Last Accessed: 25th June 2014]

TASKS

Task 1.1 Describe how information could reach the public domain in the case study above.

ANSWER SHOULD INCLUDE: Health and social care information: recurrent themes eg finance, resourcing, political context, collaborative care, standards, disability, child abuse enquiries Dissemination of information: through the media; through informative leaflets; use of visual images; developing a portfolio of media coverage

Task 1.2 Analyse different techniques (e.g. media, leaflets, newspapers etc.) for disseminating information relating to the issue of elderly care.

ANSWER SHOULD INCLUDE: Dissemination of information: through the media; through informative leaflets; use of visual images; developing a portfolio of media coverage Perspectives in the presentation of information: moral panic; discursive perspectives on the medi

Task 1.3 Evaluate how the different ways in which information relating to elderly care is presented, which can influence the attitudes, thoughts and behaviour of people.

ANSWER SHOULD INCLUDE:

Influences on attitudes and behaviour: format of presentation; style of presentation; content People: individuals; groups; communities; professionals; pressure groups; lobbyists; marketeers, policy formers; others as appropriate Developments in health and social care: legislation; codes of practice; services; professionalism

Task 2.1 On the basis of the case study; explain ways in which the media may be used to influence the attitudes and behaviour of people in relation to health and social care issues.

ANSWER SHOULD INCLUDE: The role of the media: responding to and shaping public opinion eg stereotyping, moral panics, political bias The impact of the internet: on news media, politics and professional practice eg news as a commodity, the dominance of a small number of primary news sources, lack of critical scrutiny, ‘dumbing down' of news

Task 2.2 Evaluate how the public can assess the reliability and validity of media information about health and social care.

ANSWER SHOULD INCLUDE: Sources of information: as relevant eg newspapers (local and national), magazines, websites, television channels (both commercial and public)

Reliability of sources of information: the question of ownership; political and religious agendas; pressure groups; government sources; conflicting views of current issues eg how the ideological or political perspectives of different media sources impact on the way news is presented or ‘spun'

Task 3.1 Carry out research into different perspectives on a specific issue (identify a contemporary issue of your interest similar to the case study) relating to health and social care

ANSWER SHOULD INCLUDE: Specialist sources of current information: as relevant eg websites, news media and journals

Task 3.2 Monitor how different perspectives collected from reliable sources on a specific health and social care issue have changed over time

ANSWER SHOULD INCLUDE: Electronic sources for current information: e-journals; government websites; media websites; user group and pressure group website

Task 3.3 Assess the relevance of the findings to health and social care practice locally. This can include the local consequences of care homes closing etc.

ANSWER SHOULD INCLUDE: Key issues: outline issues eg public and private service providers, professionalism and bureaucracy, users of services and consumers, regulation and the market

Task 3.4 Analyse the factors that have influenced the development of different perspectives over a period of time.

ANSWER SHOULD INCLUDE: nfluence of cultural context: awareness of eg religious and moral beliefs, cultural perspectives on individual and communal rights, academic freedom

Presentation and emphasis of media and policy makers: ‘spin' and marketing of issues

Task 4.1 Analyse the extent to which local attitudes reflect those found at a national level with reference to how the case study would be viewed at both local and national level.

ANSWER SHOULD INCLUDE: Interrogate information collected: critically evaluate eg what is the evidence, validity, reliability, key arguments; summarise; draw conclusions

Task 4.2 Evaluate the validity of public attitudes and behaviours in relation to a specific issue. Try to evaluate whether the public attitudes and behaviours to a current issue which you have researched is reasonable and justified.

ANSWER SHOULD INCLUDE: Impact on services: possible outcomes eg privatisation, reduction of resources, changing threshold criteria, discrimination

Task4.3 Justify possible consequences of contemporary thinking for health and social care provision and services.

ANSWER SHOULD INCLUDE: Different interpretations of information: subjectivity eg selective use of data, selective use of professional and academic opinion, political and ideological bias in interpretation; genuine disagreement over the correct interpretation of information