subject: Ageing and Happy Ending: Policy and Practice of Social Work [print this page] Argueably, good social work practice and policy frameworks facilitates a great opportunity for planning to get the right care support in place as to alleviate care breakdowns, poor working relationships between the family caregivers and social workers. The vision would connect decision making between the key stakeholders and focus attention on areas of importance while addressing specific issues and priorities of care delivery.
Policy and practice would strengthen the commitment for the initial four to six weeks and subsequent annual reviews of care packages. This would potentially help to identify issues of concern earlier and deal with it before it is escalated to major problems such as abuse or related incidence "No Secret Act" (DoH 2000) (physically, finance, deprivation). Continuous reviews advances the opportunity to re-examine the adequacy of care packages, which might lead to either a decrease or increase in support for the cared for person.
Additionally, it provides the opportunity for holistic support to both the user and their family caregiver as and when necessary. These possibilities could reduce the increased burdens, stress, care breakdown and the reliance on family caregivers during continuing care to older relatives. Thus, effective reviews and monitoring of care packages would give assurance to family caregivers and as a result, they can concentrate in their caring roles, knowing that help could be sought from social services as and when appropriate. Similarly, adherence to policy and legislative frameworks such as Fair Access to Care (DoH 2002e) would help to lessen dependency culture because, assessment and care would be commissioned in line with guardians and this could reduce complaints within the system.
Ageing and Happy Ending: Policy and Practice of Social Work
