People needing care and their living environment
Anyone can need care: a baby, an adult after an accident, a person with a long illness, a person with a disability or an older person. Needing care does not make someone less of a person.
Daily life depends on three things: the body and mind, the living environment (home, stairs, bathroom, lights, transport) and the people and services around the person. The same person may manage well in a well-planned home and struggle in a home full of barriers. So care looks at the whole situation, not only at illness.
Life and care of older people
Ageing is normal. Common changes are weaker eyesight and hearing, less muscle strength, slower balance, thinner bones, slower memory for new things and more time needed for tasks. Some older people also have long-term illnesses or dementia.
Good care for older people: keeps them active, helps them stay in their own home and community, prevents falls (clear floors, good light, handrails), supports nutrition and medicine routines, and protects company and purpose (family, friends, hobbies). It treats them as adults with a life history, not as children.
Life and care of people with disabilities
A disability is a long-lasting difference in body, senses, mind or learning that, together with barriers in the world, can limit taking part in daily life. Examples: difficulty walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, learning or managing emotions.
The social view says many limits come from barriers: steps, small print, no sign language, unfriendly attitudes. Care removes barriers (ramps, aids, accessible information), builds skills, and supports choices in school, work and community life. People with disabilities decide about their own lives; helpers support, they do not decide for them.
Overview of care welfare services
Care services are usually of three kinds:
- Home visits: a helper comes to the home for washing, meals, cleaning or shopping.
- Day services: the person goes to a centre in the day for activities, meals, exercise and company, and goes home in the evening. This also gives the family a break.
- Live-in (residential) care: the person lives in a care home or facility where help is available all day and night.
There are also short stays, assistive devices, therapy and advice services. A needs assessment decides which services suit the person. The best choice is usually the one that keeps the person in a familiar place for as long as safely possible.
Try it
At home: walk around your house as if you used a wheelchair or could not see well. Where are steps, narrow doors, dim light or slippery floors? Draw one change that would help.
In the 3D: before moving the slider, guess which service fits level 2. Then check.
Key formulas and definitions
- Daily life = body and mind + environment + people and services
- Barrier removed (ramp) โ more independence
- Services: home visits โ day service โ live-in care
- Level of need โ โ more support
Worked examples
1. A wheelchair user cannot enter her home because of a 0.5 m step. Name two fixes.
Fit a ramp (long enough for a gentle slope) or a small lift. The barrier is in the building, so change the building.
2. An older man living alone can cook but cannot shop or clean. Which service level fits?
Home visits (level 1): a helper comes to shop and clean while he keeps cooking, so he stays independent at home.
3. A woman with early dementia is safe at home at night but gets lost and lonely in the day. What service helps?
A day service (with home visits if needed): activities and company in the day, and she sleeps at home.
4. Why is "falls prevention" in the home important for older people?
Weaker balance and bones mean a fall can cause serious injury. Clear floors, good light and handrails prevent injury and keep confidence.
Common mistakes
- Thinking only older people need care.
- Treating older people like children.
- Blaming the person for limits that come from barriers.
- Choosing live-in care first when home or day services would be enough.