Principles of Care Flashcards
7 principles of care
Promoting effective communication and relationships
Promoting anti-discriminatory practice
Maintaining confidentiality of information
Promoting and supporting individuals’ rights to dignity, independence, empowerment, choice and safety
Acknowledging individuals’ personal beliefs and identity and respecting diversity
Protecting individuals from abuse
Providing individualised care
Promoting effective communication and relationships
Ensures quality care is provided to improve QOL by addressing a range of needs. Care workers can develop relationships with individuals.
Some individuals may: speak different languages, have hearing loss or limited vision, find it difficult to speak, have limited understanding.
May have difficulty communicating with care workers so they need to be aware of a variety of ways to communicate so clients receive the correct care and treatment.
Other communication: learn new language, lip reading, sign language, pictures, written.
Promoting anti-discriminatory practice
Discrimination victims: learning difficulties, older people, physical disabilities, mental health problems, women, minority ethnic/religious groups, gay and lesbians.
May be direct or indirect in the form of racist and sexist jokes, isolation, avoidance, ignorance and exclusion.
To promote anti-discriminatory practice: abide by Codes of Practice, develop policies, give staff training, have a complaints procedure and follow legislation.
Code of Practice
A document that outlined an agreed way of working and dealing with specified situations.
Policy
Tells care workers how they should do specific things in particular care settings.
Legislation
Legal requirements which support individuals’ rights.
Maintaining confidentiality of information
Keeping information private when it should be. Includes written records, computer records and verbal information.
Maintained by: storing all records and sensitive material in locked filing cabinets of password protected computers, carrying out consultations in a private room, not gossiping about patients outside the care setting.
Supporting legislations: The Data Protection Act 1994, Access to Personal Files Act 1987, Access to Health Care Records Act 1990.
Promoting individuals rights to dignity, independence, choice, empowerment and safety
Supporting legislations: The Human Rights Act 1998, The Children Act 1989, Health and Safety and Work Act 1973, NHS and Community Care Act 1990.
Dignity: individuals have a right to preserve their privacy with particular reference to hygiene, feeding etc.
Choice: individuals should be included in decision-making regarding their care - what food they want to eat, what treatments they wish to have.
Independence: individuals should be allowed and encouraged to do as much for themselves as possible.
Empowerment: individuals should be provided with the necessary support to be able to do things themselves.
Safety: care workers must do everything possible to protect individuals from harm.
Acknowledging individuals personal beliefs and identity and respecting diversity
Care workers should try to communicate that they accept the person for who they are and what they believe in.
Example: a vegetarian should be offered an alternative to meat at mealtimes, a smoker should be allowed to go outside to smoke, wear what their religion requires.
Protecting individuals from abuse
Physical: punching, kicking, slapping or restraining people.
Sexual: touching or other acts against the person without consent.
Psychological: humiliating or harassing an individual, bullying or shouting.
Financial: theft of money or possessions, or fraud.
Neglect: depriving someone of the care they need like food, warmth.
Risk of abuse: children, mental health, learning and physical disabilities, old people.
Prevention: raising awareness of problems, noting and recording signs of possible abuse, reporting incidents to appropriate person and training staff so they are aware of procedures to follow.
Providing individualised care
Provide care that meets each persons individual needs, finding out their particular beliefs and preferences.
In medical settings some people may require antibiotics to cure infections but a diabetic may require insulin.
