Exploring the Impact of Significant Life Events

Introduction

The significant life events are referred to the events which lead to substantial change in the lives of the individuals and have enhanced formative effect with different implication in their life course and well-being. The significant life events can be expected and unexpected events which create lifetime impact on the person’s life. In this assignment, the impact of significant life events on individuals and their social networks are to be discussed. The role executed by external agencies in supporting people through significant life events are to be reviewed. The way policies and procedures of organisations help individuals and social networks affected by significant life events are to be discussed. Thereafter, a reflective account of the management of significant life events in the work placement is to be discussed.

Activity 1:

LO1 Assess the impact of significant life events on individuals and their social networks

P1

The impact of expected life events can be both positive or negative on individuals at different stages and ages. The expected life event leads the individual to remain prepared and self-conscious of the event to occur due to which impacts them to show increased compassion and self-control ability in dealing with the event (Bosze et al., 2020). However, the expected life event may negatively impact the person to develop the worrisome attitude and increased anxiety along with depression with the thought of occurrence of the incident as they could not accept the expected event to occur in their life (Denissen et al., 2019). For example, one of the expected events is giving birth which would impact the individual in acceptance of the situation remain happy and calm to meet the new-born (Rozen et al., 2018). However, giving birth by single mothers, even though they are aware of the event is seen to impact them develop anxiety and depression regarding the way they are to manage the newborn without their partner’s assistance (Huizink et al., 2017). The expected event of birth in the early age of individual impact them to be anxious regarding the way to cope and manage the situation but giving birth in the late-stage or age of life makes the individual have contained emotion in the situation as they understand the way to tackle the situation (Rozen et al., 2018).

P2

The impact of unexpected life events such as the death of relative, sudden disability, sudden intense health issues and others have negative emotional effect on the life of the individual due to the event. The events impact them to feel anxiety, depression, sadness, fatigue and disappointment in life. It also impacts the individuals to develop uncertainty in life and disturbed thoughts in their mind due to lack of stable mental condition out of the unexpected issues (Monnelly and Becher, 2020). The unexpected event such as death of a family member or parent impact the individuals in an early age to lack of bereaved behaviour out of lack of effective understanding of the event and show impairment in enhanced functioning in everyday life out of lack pf support (McCaughan et al., 2021).

The impact of expected significant life event on the family is that they develop a calm mind and develop understanding regarding the way to support the individual suffering from the situation (Assari, 2019). For example, giving birth by the mother impacts the family member to develop positive emotion and feeling of responsibility in assisting the mother to take care of the new-born in an enhanced way so that the individual feels effective part of the family (Luehrmann, 2019). The expected events occurring to individuals impact the extended social network and friends to show responsibility in supporting the individual to cope with the situation in a positive way (Assari, 2019). However, the unexpected events impact the family members of the individuals to develop strong mental condition and attitude so that they can assist the person to overcome the negative emotion caused by the event. The unexpected events make the friends and social network show wider support and desire to assist the individual (Samios and Khatri, 2019). However, few negative emotions such as frustration, loneliness and others are expressed by the family and friends as they feel burden of care to be offered to the individual who are experiencing unexpected event (Samios and Khatri, 2019).

M1, D1

The relationship between the significant life event impact on the individual and the impact on the family members and others is that both are equally affected to show negative or positive emotion in any situation. This is because the individuals with whom the events are occurs are directly related with the family who love them unconditionally and show equal responsibility to assist the individual to overcome shortcomings so that a healthy social environment is developed (Burns et al., 2017). The family and individual help each other emotionally and physically to survive as a whole and the relationship of the impact of significant life event between them is that the event causes the individual and the family to take responsibility in inspiring one another in coping with the condition so that a healthy social environment can be sustained (Colizzi et al., 2020).

LO2 Review the roles of external agencies that provide support for individuals and their social networks going through significant life events

P3

The voluntary organisation acts in a fundamental and personal way to support individuals in coping with their negative significant life events (Southby and Gamsu, 2018). However, the statutory organisation express duties and powers to be assigned to officials based on the liabilities towards supporting individuals going through significant life events (gov.uk, 2018). For example, voluntary organisation such as Crisis UK and Sheltering UK are seen to act with the people at the personal level in helping them overcome sudden joblessness or homelessness. The Crisis UK execution to analyse the qualities of the individuals who have lost jobs or otherwise to help them provide applications and get jobs (crisis.org.uk, 2021). Moreover, Shelter UK acts as a charity for individuals who are suffering homelessness to achieve staying places for free to overcome the condition (shelter.org.uk, 2021). However, the statutory organisation which is the UK government is seen to appoint authorities in identifying the cause of the situation of increased homelessness and unemployment in the lives of the people of UK to determine the authoritative actions to be taken to supporting them. They intend to arrange funds and work with the voluntary organisations to resolve the negative action caused by the significant events in the life of the individuals (gov.uk, 2018).

P4

The healthcare assistant as a part of the support services to offer support to people undergoing negative or unexpected significant life events plays the role of communicating with the individuals or patients with compassion to make them feel comfortable with the situation. They also play the role of monitoring and evaluating the life condition of the individuals going through significant life events to determine their health and social care needs that are to be strategically fulfilled in helping the individual overcome the event (Brooks et al., 2018). The healthcare assistants also play the role of providing as well as feeling meals to individuals and making beds who due to significant life events are unable to feed and care for themselves (Shields and Slavich, 2017).

M2, D2

The barrier towards making partnership approaches for families and individuals affected by significant life events is lack of availability of services that are flexible to the families and individual’s needs and demands in respect to the event. It leads to development of conflict and dispute in partnership to delivery unified care to the individual and families (Boland et al., 2019). The other barrier is ineffective support and coordination between the members involved in making partnership approach for the families and individuals undergoing significant events. This leads to hindered management of responsibilities causing inability to making enhanced partnership approaches (Nguyen et al., 2020).

LO3 Explain how organisational policies and procedures support individuals and their social networks affected by significant life events

P5

The relationship between the organisational policies and practical support to individuals in healthcare experiencing significant life events (SLE) is that the policies set guidance and information of resources required in providing practical support to individual suffering from SLE (Rudolph et al., 2021). For example, the NHS policy for the patients suffering from cancer is that they are to be provided opportunity of care in need or rise of any side-effects, regularly monitored through surveillance and allow quicker as well as easier access to care (NHS, 2019). This is related with the practical support for cancer patients ensuring keeping continuous health check-up and availability of immediate care in need. The organisational policies also affect providing practical support to individuals suffering SLE in an ethical way and limit the occurrence of error. This is because the policies and procedures of the organisation to be followed in delivering practical support are set by considering the ethical and legal aspects to be followed in care (NHS, 2019).

M3, D2

My setting is related to providing care to the elderly in the acute medication wards. The effectiveness of NHS policy in providing care to the elderly in my own setting is that it acts as a guidance regarding the way care is to be provided and monitored for the patient to ensure them steady health. The Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults policy in the UK mentions that each of the elderly people who have vulnerable health condition re to be ensured pf their right to life free from neglect, fear or abuse in care environment (gov.uk, 2018). The effectiveness of this policy in my own care settings is that enhance care monitoring and evaluation process are developed along with feedback from the patients are taken to ensure the care provided to them in their vulnerable condition are free of abuse and neglect as well as they do not fear their carers due to any form of care delivery. The failure to abide by the policy would led my care environment to be questioned of the methods of care and face legal charges for not being able to maintain safe care for the SLE patients.

Activity 2:

Conclusion

The impact of significant life event on the social network of the patients is that the condition makes them less available to be acting socially out of health issue or responsibility due to the events. The role of external agencies in significant life event is that they arrange resources and provide support to require individuals in ensuring their good condition. The policies help in maintaining ethical and legal obligations at work related to significant life events in patients.

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References

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