Quality of Care

1349 Words3 Pages

It can be difficult to measure the quality of a care relationship. K101 suggests that there are five care principals, which together result in good quality care; “ Support people in maximising their potential, Support people in having a voice and being heard, Respect people’s beliefs and preferences, Support people’s rights to appropriate services and Respect people’s privacy and right to confidentiality” (K101, Unit 4, p.183). This essay will focus on these as a basis for measuring quality of care, along with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (K101, Unit 3, pp.131-132). It will look at three types of caring relationship, highlighting these using case studies found in block 1 of K101. Firstly, the relationship between an informal carer and the cared for individual (in this case Ann looking after her father Angus) and how this relationship is affected by the introduction of a home care professional. It will then look at more formal caring relationships between health care services and individuals. This will be highlighted by the case study of Anwar, a 54 year old migrant from Pakistan, diagnosed with diabetes. It will explore how relationships can be affected by the quality of the care given and what factors, such as cultural differences, can affect quality of care and how this impacts on the individual’s experience of receiving care. The first case study is Ann and Angus. Ann lives with Angus, her husband and daughter and cares for Angus, who has a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, in his own home. There are benefits of being cared for at home by a family member. Ann’s caring for Angus enables him to remain in his own home, and ensures his preferences are adhered to. Caring for a family member also brings with it familiarity, w... ... middle of paper ... ...and, initially had a poor quality caring relationship. He was not treated holistically and his cultural needs and preferences were not met, leading to disengagement with services and deterioration in his health that may have been avoided if the quality of the relationship had been addressed sooner. Therefore, this essay concludes that, by adhering to the five principles of care and meeting more needs, as described by Maslow, people establish a better quality caring relationship, resulting in better outcomes for the carer and the cared for individuals. Works Cited The Open University (2010) K101 An introduction to health and social care, DVD, Unit 1, Audio 1.4 “being cared for”, Milton Keynes, The Open University. The Open University (2010) K101 An introduction to health and social care, Unit 4, Developing care relationships, Milton Keynes, The Open University.

Open Document