Successful home care and assisted living for older people is depended upon on a holistic assessment framework carried out by assessors who are able to identify risks and draw up strategic risk management plans to overcome the risks within the environment. The Social Work Task Force Board identified among other things: the need for more emphasis on risk assessment frameworks; risk analysis and joint working with other professionals such as the occupational therapists. On refection, Telecare systems are changing the face of home care for older people within the wider welfare services. Telecare by definition is electronic tools (sensor mat, medication alert system, task alert reminder) designed and capable to assisted living in the community. These devices are now helping many older people to achieve their aspirations to be cared for in their own home. Most local authorities prefer to maintain, as many older people as possible in the community rather than in residential care, settings and telecare have been instrumental to achieve this policy framework. Telecare also provide assurance to some family members that their older relatives are safe in their own home and potential risks are reduced. Thus, to greater extent, telecare has enhanced home life environment, older people are no longer compelled to move into residential setting because of risks within their environment.
Institutional care is an environment where, despite good intentions, there is a great imbalance of power between the residents and those providing care or support them. This power imbalance can also arise when older people receive a lot of support at home. From practice based observation, the author argued that low self-esteem amongst older people living in different kinds of supported accommodation (residential care home' sheltered accommodation) is a huge and multifaceted issue. Low expectations of a fulfilling life are issues of concern and as a result older people prefer to remain and receive care in their own home for as long as possible.
According to Raynes et al (2001, 2005), older people rejected institutional care in favour of home care because there is a clear lack of strong and unifying vision of good life for older people with high support needs. Increasing choice for older people and their carers/families has been one of the cornerstones of government policy, both Conservative and New Labour. The NHS and Community Care Act (DoH 1990), and more recently the Royal Commission on Long-Term Care for Older People (1999), aimed to ensure that older people have increased opportunities to stay at home rather than enter residential care. Jospeh Rowntree (2009) noted that this was the choice of older people and their carers/families, and that more resources should be put into enabling them to satisfy that choice.
The author emphasise the need for telecare systems to form a significant part of home care package for older people.Telecare is a wake up call for social workers to advocate for their clients psychosocial wellbeing and their safe environment. For detail reading, refer to "http://www.articlesbase.com/authors/dr-felix-ugwumadu/550700
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