Empowerment Flashcards
What is Empowerment?
Empowerment is the process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one’s life and claiming one’s rights. In health and social care, empowerment is defined as a process through which people gain greater control over the decisions and actions that affect their lives. Empowerment is important for everyone involved in care, including the service users, their families, loved ones and care workers.
How can you empower someone?
To empower those in your care, you should assess what resources and information they need to reach decisions confidently. This should be provided in a straightforward, jargon-free form that suits their communication needs. It is also important to note that empowerment is vital in health and social care settings as it is the first principle of care in the Care Act 2014.
Why is it important in a health and social care environment?
Empowerment is important in health and social care as it gives service users a greater understanding of how to navigate the healthcare system. When empowered, individuals can confidently ask for the information they need, along with developing their self-awareness and becoming an equal partner in their own care.
Not only do individuals become more involved in their care when empowered, but they also gain a vital understanding of how to make informed decisions. This means that the individual is on the same page as the care workers and improves communication, as well as the overall carer-patient relationship.
What are obstacles to empowerment?
With that being said, there are many obstacles that stand in the way of healthcare professionals providing the level of care that they want to. These obstacles vary and can include budget restraints, appointment delays and staff shortages. As a result, many service users are unhappy with the quality of care they receive. These obstacles also affect how much time healthcare professionals can spend with service users explaining their health or condition.
Give three examples of empowerment
Shared decision making, meaning that service users are equal decision makers with the doctors and other professionals involved in their care.
Enabling choice, including all aspects of their care and support.
Personalised care and support planning, including access for the service user to view and edit their own care plan.
Social prescribing and community-based support.
Supported self-management, including increasing the knowledge, skills and confidence that service users have in managing their own health and care.
Personal health budgets and integrated personal budgets.
What is community empowerment?
Community empowerment refers to the process of enabling communities to increase control over their lives. “Communities” are groups of people that may or may not be spatially connected, but who share common interests, concerns or identities. These communities could be local, national or international, with specific or broad interests. ‘Empowerment’ refers to the process by which people gain control over the factors and decisions that shape their lives.
