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Health and Social Care Unit 4: Development of the Life Stages (M1,D1)

Discuss the nature-nurture debate in relation to the development of an individual.(M1)

Evaluate how nature and nurture may affect the physical, intellectual, emotional and social development of two stages of the development of an individual, (D1)

In this task I’m going to be discussing the nature nurture debate in relation my individual Mariah Carey based on two life stages and evaluating how nature and nurture can affect her development. I will also link this to her physical, intellectual, emotional and social development. The life stages that I will be discussing are Mariah’s childhood and adulthood.

Many philosophers believe in nature and argue that we are influenced genetically and biologically and we are born to be they way we are whilst other philosophers believe that social, economic and environmental influences and the way we are brought up is what makes us what determines how we’ll turn out

Childhood (4-9): 

Physical: Mariah Carey’s physical characteristics were genetically inherited from her parents. For example her eye colour, hair colour and height were all determined by genetics . This is nature based as it is to do with genetics and biological factors. It could’ve been predicted that Mariah Carey would become a good singer before she was even born as her mother was an opera singer.

Intellectual: Mariah knew how to communicate by using words to exchange in conversation. When she was four years old she went to singing lessons and this would have helped boost her vocabulary although she wouldn’t have quite understood how ideas like numbers, mass and volume worked. Those singing lessons would’ve boosted her passion for music and singing as well. This is nurture because she wasn’t born with that knowledge and developed the ability to communicate from her environment. At school she did well in subjects such as art, music and literature.

Emotional: Mariah would have used her imagination to understand the social roles people in her play and understand a self concept. Relationships with her parents and other family members would’ve had an affect on her self confidence. She said growing up biracial was really difficult because she felt she was different and she didn’t know  where she fit in. She also said she felt rejected from her maternal family. This made have a really low self esteem but music helped her overcome it. She said that at the age of four she began to sneak a radio under the covers at night to sing which helped her find peace.

Social: Mariah would have been attached to the adults that cared for her which were her mother and father until they divorced when she was three years old and her older sister moved in with him whilst her and her brother stayed with their mother. At this she was able to realise that and this could’ve also be a reason that growing up she had low self esteem issues.

Adulthood (19-65):

Intellectual: Adulthood is the stage where individuals become increasingly wise and use past experiences to resolve situations.  This is nurture as past experiences have impacted Mariah in either good or bad ways and she therefore learnt from them. She would’ve been less influenced by nature as she would be making her own decisions. In her early adulthood she was working as a waitress in many restaurants, studying cosmetology and trying to work on her music career at night.

Emotional: In her early adulthood Mariah was rejected by loads of record labels whilst at the same time working many jobs and studying which could’ve affected her emotionally. After becoming extremely successful, In 2001 she was hospitalised for extreme exhaustion and physical and emotional breakdown. This would’ve been a tough time for her she would’ve had to have taken a break from her ambitions and goals to focus on her health. Adulthood is also the stage where you learn to cope with emotional attachment to a sexual partner. So this means that you have to learn not to become to self centred, defensive or isolated emotionally. These are things you learn from experience therefore being nurture. Mariah’s first marriage was in 1993 but only lasted 4 years. She then got married in 2008 but got divorced again 8 years later.

Social: Adulthood is the stage where you form sexual partnerships and do things like start a career, married or have children. Mariah gave birth to twins in 2011.  Some people would say that this is nature because its what is expected of everyone. Others would say its nurture because not it doesn’t always apply to everyone. For example someone may not want to get married or have children. It depends on how the person was brought and what they believe is right for them.

References 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariah_Carey

http://www.pearsonschoolsandfecolleges.co.uk/AssetsLibrary/SECTORS/Trade/Sample%20pages%20(for%20Ed%20Supplier%20sites)/Newsamplecontentfor2010/BTECNationalHealthandSocialCare-SampleStudentBookMaterial.pd

https://www.biography.com/people/mariah-carey-9542177

 

 

 

 

 

Health and Social Care Unit 4: Development of the Life Stages (P5,M3)

Explain the physical and psychological changes which may be associated with ageing.(P5)

In this task I’m going to explain the physical and psychological changes that Mariah Carey will eventually go through that are associated with ageing. As an individual reaches the later adulthood stage the body go through changes physically and psychologically. Nobody’s ageing process is the same and individuals might go through the stages at different times than others and some might not go through the same stages as others.

Physical changes associated with ageing:

Skin, bones, joints and muscles: As an individual ages they are more than likely to go through some physical changes, for example,

  • Their skin becomes wrinkled, thin and less elastic than it used to be.
  • Their joints may become stiff which will be painful as the cartilage would’ve thinned out.
  • Bones are dense and more likely to fracture.
  • Their muscles also become weaker.

These changes can affect Mariah Carey as they’ll affect her mobility meaning it could be hard for her to go out and interact with people which could cause her to disengage.

Degeneration of the sense organs (sight and hearing): As an individual ages they may start to loose their sight. By the age of 45 the abilities of the eye start to weaken and by the age of 65 there’ll not be that much power left in it. A problem that could affect her eyesight is cataracts. Cataracts is something that can start to form between 50-60 and causes blurred vision. Hearing can also become impaired as nerve cells in the inner ear loose sensitivity or the nerve cells are lost.

Arthritis: This is when the joints within the body become damaged as the cartilage that is meant cushion the bones have worn down and become thin and weak. Osteoporosis is a type of arthritis where the ends of the bones thicken and restrict mobility.  Osteoporosis makes it easier for an individuals bones to be fractured. If Mariah were to develop arthritis she would experience stiffness and pain in her joints including her knees and hips after being inactive after a while.

Psychological changes associated with ageing: 

Ageism: This is when older individuals are discriminated against and are stereotyped as useless and unable to cope by younger people. They get prejudice from young people as they say that they’ve ‘had there lives’ and have no use. This has an effect on the elderly mentally as this can make them less confident about themselves and develop a low self esteem.

Loss of a partner: This can cause some anxiety and depression as they may now feel alone because the person who they were probably closest to and were with all time all the time is now gone.

Retirement: When an individual retires they have more free time where they can do social and physical activities. It can also mean they are more isolated as they are away from their colleagues and now that they don’t work that could mean a loss of income and having to depend on the government. Mariah Carey isn’t very likely to be affected by this because she has made millions from touring and selling her albums.

Discuss the effects on self-esteem and self- confidence of the physical changes associated with ageing. (M3)

In this task I’m going to discuss the effects of physical changes that my individual, Mariah Carey, could face. Most psychological changes cause physical changes which then are cause things such as wrinkles and deterioration in health. As Mariah gets older she’ll face lots of physical and psychological changes which could have effects on self-esteem and self-confidence.

Physical changes such as elasticity of skin, wrinkles and grey hair can be caused by stress. As Mariah ages she will experience these changes she could be affected emotionally and psychologically for example she could develop a low self esteem and low confidence and she may feel as if she isn’t a good looking as she was when she younger. A lot of celebrities are known for using plastic surgery in order to look younger as they can afford it, therefore this may be something Mariah

Ageing can cause things such  arthritis, weak bones and stiff joints could affect an elderly individual’s self esteem and confidence because then they are seen as incapable of doing any and useless. This can cause a an individual to doubt themselves and also disengage themselves as they wouldn’t want to go out or they may not be physically able to go out with assistance or do certain tasks without assistance making them lose confidence.

Degeneration of the senses can cause an individual to loose confidence and have low self esteem. As Mariah ages she may start to lose her hearing and sight which could cause her to be less aware of things around her than others. This could cause her to not be able to participate in things and not be involved with family and friends. This could make her have low self esteem about herself as she can’t hear and see as well as everyone else around her and she could begin to feel isolated.

In conclusion I have explained the different physical and psychological changes and how they can have effect on Mariah Carey’s self esteem and confidence when she reaches that stage ageing. As you age you become less independent and start to need assistance and this can make elderly individuals feel useless and lose confidence.

Click to access BTECNationalHealthandSocialCare-SampleStudentBookMaterial.pdf

 

 

Health and Social Care Unit 4: Development of the Life Stages (P4, M2, D2)

Explain two theories of ageing. (P4)

Disengagement theory: This is a theory that suggests that when people reach later adulthood they will begin to withdraw from social activities. This theory was created by two authors named Elaine Cumming and Warren Henry. They said it is natural and acceptable to disengage from social contact as  because they expect death. The main reasons that they disengage is because of reduced physical health and lack of social opportunities. Examples of this are:

  • Poor health: mobility, vision and hearing problems can make it harder for them to communicate and interact with others.
  • Geographical mobility: when the elderly retire they usually move away to more rural quieter areas and this can usually be away from family and friends.
  • Retirement: when people retire they won’t have the same amount of social contact as they used to at work with their colleagues.
  • Poor health of family and friends: if their relative has some type of disability or illness, their social contact would be reduced.
  • Travel and technology: most elderly people don’t have access to cars, mobile phones or the internet and the limits their social contact.

In 1975 Cumming argued that as people become older they’ll experience a lack of social contact as they are becoming more individual. He also said that disengagement was a natural part ageing. Many others also had their own ideas about the disengagement theory. For example in 1974 Bromley said that ‘although some individuals fight the process all the way, disengagement of some sort is bound to come, simply because old people have neither the physical nor the mental resources they had when they were young’. Zimbardo argued that lots of elderly people remain socially involved with family and friends and that they choose to spend time with people they’re close to rather than make new friends. So it may look like they are disengaged because they choose who they want to interact with.

Activity theory: This theory says that older people must stay mentally and socially active so they can limit the effects of the disengagement theory. In 1966 Bromley said that although its natural for old people to disengage its important for them to stay active so that disengagement doesn’t go too far. Bromley said ‘It is not sufficient merely to provide facilities for elderly people. They need to be educated to make use of them and encouraged to abandon apathetic attitudes and fixed habits’. It’s important to stay mentally and socially active and enjoy social interactions with others. If disengagement goes to far social and mental skills will be lost.

Discuss two major theories of ageing in relation to the development of the individual. (M2)

I will be discussing the disengagement and ageing theory in relation to Mariah Carey. Although she hasn’t reached this life stage, my information will be based on general research.

Disengagement theory.

This theory states that when people reach later adulthood the start to disengage themselves from society and withdraw from involvement and become increasingly individual. It is possible for Mariah to withdraw herself once she reaches the stage of later adulthood. For example physically she may not be able to visit them as she could have limited mobility or she may move away from them. However she has many fans so it could be unlikely for that to happen. She may also surround herself with people she is close with like family and friends. It would also be unlikely for her to disengage so early because she’s a singer and so she’d sing up until her retirement and maybe past that.

Activity theory.

This theory states that people in late adulthood should disengage but must stay socially and physically active so that disengagement doesn’t go too far. ‘It is not sufficient merely to provide facilities for elderly people. They need to be educated to make use of them and encouraged to abandon apathetic attitudes and fixed habits’. When individuals reach the stage of later adulthood they are encouraged to stay active. In places such as residential homes staff set up things like board games and social clubs to keep them engaged. As Mariah Carey is a singer disengagement would be less likely as she would have social interactions involving interviews, traveling and performing.

Evaluate the influence of two major theories of ageing on health and social care provision. (D2)

For this task I will evaluate the influence of the disengagement theory and the activity theory on health and social care provision. All elderly individuals age differently for example some begin disengage as they are effected by physical and mental health problems and their abilities become restricted so they naturally withdraw themselves. Also some elderly individuals choose to stay active socially and physically to delay disengagement. The disengagement theory and activity theory can have an influence on health and social care provision because there are many services that are provided to help the elderly stay active physically and socially which is very important.

Day care centres: these provide social settings for the elderly as they have activities which let the elderly socialise and interact which lessens them having the feeling of loneliness so they don’t feel the need to withdraw themselves and instead encourages them to make friends. This prevents disengagement from going too far as they are encouraged to stay active. When Mariah Carey reaches the later adulthood stage she would also be encouraged to stay active and avoid extreme disengagement.

Some elderly individuals choose to live in residential homes as but most choose to stay at home where they feel comfortable, where they are familiar with and have family around. Older people should never be forced to  be active or engaged but should be encouraged. They should be able to choose the way they live and how active they want to be.

In conclusion, these theories both state that as people get older and opportunities become restricted, they need to remain active physically and socially to avoid becoming withdrawn and isolated from society.

Click to access BTECNationalHealthandSocialCare-SampleStudentBookMaterial.pdf

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disengagement_theory

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Health and Social Care Unit 1: Developing Effective Communication (M2, D1)

In this assignment I am going to review and evaluate the strategies used in health and social care environments to overcome barriers to effective communication and interpersonal interactions using the case study about Glendale Youth Hostel.

Greg is a 16 year old boy who stays at the hostel. He is said to be confrontational and aggressive sometimes. An example of this behaviour was when he had shouted at a staff member trying to help him with his smoking habit. He also slammed a door in her face. One strategy I can recommend is staff training on diffusing aggression. Diffusing aggression involves staying calm, creating trust and making them feel valued. This is an effective strategy as once the staff is trained they will be able to apply their knowledge and skills of what to do and what not to do to avoid a angry explosion such as when he slammed the door and make communication easier.

It is said that there are two teenagers at the hostel with hearing impairments. The barriers this creates is information not being fully received as it becomes misunderstood and distorted. One strategy that I recommend is getting a loop system installed. This will help effective communication as it cuts out background noise and speech goes directly to the hearing aid when the setting is on. This will make it much easier for them to hear and understand what’s being said to them. Staff training can also be used to help staff communicate effectively with teens with hearing impairments because the staff can learn how to communicate in other ways such as BSL.

Others in the youth hostel have learning disabilities. This also creates barriers of misunderstanding. The first strategy I recommend is finding an appropriate environment when trying to communicate with them. This is important because when in a calm quiet environment as there are no distractions and so it is easier to communicate. Another strategy is building relationships with the young people. This is effective because if you build strong relationships with the young people you bond well with them so it will be easier for them to tell you things because they trust you.

References

Click to access BTECLevel3NationalHealthandSocialCare-StudentBookSampleMaterial-Unit1Developingeffectivecommunicationinhealthandsocialcare.pdf

 

Health and Social Care Unit 4: Development of the life stages (P3)

Growing up Mariah Carey would’ve had so many predictable and unpredictable life events go on:

One predictable life event that could’ve influenced the development of Mariah Carey was going to nursery. Physically this would’ve affected her as she would start doing different activities such as playing toys, filling containers with things such as water and sand and painting using different colours. Intellectually this would’ve affected her as she would’ve started to learn her alphabet, numbers and colours. Emotionally this would’ve affected her as she would be separated from her mother which over time she would’ve learnt that her mother will come back for her at the end of the day. Socially it would’ve affected her as she would’ve met and played with other children which would’ve improved her social skills.

Another predictable life event that could’ve influenced the development of Mariah Carey was having children. In 2011 she gave birth to her twins via C-section. Physically this affected as she would’ve put her children first before everything and herself as she’ll have less time for herself. Also after she gave birth to her twins she developed gestational diabetes which meant she had to watch her nutrition closely. Intellectually having children would affect her as she would become more sensitive and more effective as a mother and it could be due to reproduction hormones which caused her to have more of a mothers instinct. Emotionally, after having her children, she may have caused her to go through a postnatal period where she could’ve experienced symptoms of depression and anxiety. Socially she would had little to no time to go out with friends as she’d be taking care of her children.

An unpredictable life event that influenced the development of Mariah Carey was her divorce with her husband. In 2016 Mariah got divorced after being married for 8 years. Physically this could’ve affected her as she may have gone through a time of depression which could’ve caused her to have a lack of sleep, weight gain or loss and mood swings. Her divorce could’ve affected intellectually because if she was stressed out, that stress would’ve got in the way of her thought processes. Emotionally she was affected as she was very upset as she didn’t think that they would get divorced so it came as a shock to her. Socially she may have changed things that she used to do with him although they still go on outings with the kids.

A second unpredictable life event that influenced the development of Mariah Carey was losing a loved one which happened to be her father. Physical effects that Mariah could’ve experienced are loss of appetite/comfort eating, lack of sleep, mood swings and depression and anxiety symptoms. Intellectually this would’ve affected her as there may have been thoughts memories running through her head and that would’ve distracted her from things. When her dad died she regretted that wasn’t close to him and that she wishes she was. Emotionally she could’ve felt anger, sadness, loneliness and fear. Socially she may have withdrawn herself from friends and family.

References

 

 

 

 

Health and Social Care Unit 4: Development of the Life Stages (P2)

There are five different factors that can influence the development of an individual: Genetic, Biological, Environmental, Socio-economic and Lifestyle. I am going to explain how these factors could affect my chosen celebrity Mariah Carey.

Genetic influences are things that are inherited from your parents. I couldn’t find any genetic information on Mariah but an example of a genetic influence that could affect the development of Mariah is Cystic Fibrosis. Cystic fibrosis is an inherited condition which causes breathing problems for the individual as their lungs become clogged with mucus and they also have digestion problems affecting them physically. People with Cystic Fibrosis can become very ill and may miss days off at school which can affect them intellectually as they then become far behind in their education and will need to catch up. Having Cystic Fibrosis can affect an individual emotionally and socially as they won’t be able to do the same things as others and will often miss out on things such as parties and sport due to being in the hospital. This will cause them to feel left out.

Biological influences are factors that affect an individual before they are even born. I wasn’t able to find any biological information on Mariah but an example of a biological influence that could’ve affected Mariah is Foetal Alcohol Syndrome. Foetal Alcohol Syndrome affects individuals who were exposed to alcohol in the womb. This condition affects the individual significantly. It physically affects them as when they are born they are smaller than average, have damage to their organs and have features such as a small head, small eyes and thin upper lip. These things can’t be cured but the effect they have on the individual’s life can be decreased. Intellectually they are affected as the alcohol changes the way their brain develops. For example they can be born with hearing and vision problems, learning difficulties like ADHD and autism, poor coordination, attention and problem solving and planning. Foetal alcohol syndrome can affect someone emotionally and socially as it causes someone to find it hard to socialise in groups and they have a lack of social boundaries and are often over friendly with strangers. This can make them feel frustrated as they don’t understand how to interact correctly with people.

Mariah was born and grew up in New York. She could’ve been affected by a lot of environmental factors as New York is one of the most populated state in the US. This means there would’ve lots of pollution which could’ve given her short term physical effects such as respiratory infections or long term physical effects such as lung cancer or heart disease. There also would’ve been a lot of noise pollution which could’ve been annoying and disturbing. Intellectually pollution can lead to brain damage as air pollutants can lead to inflammation and artery blockages in the arteries that are connected to the brain leading to a stroke. Emotionally and socially pollution could lead to depression and anxiety as it’s more crowded in New York as it’s an urban area. Mariah’s has a mixed background (her mother is of Irish descent and her father is of  African American and Afro-Venezuelan descent) so when she was growing up racism and discrimination within her community and family it affected her development greatly. Emotionally and socially it affected her as she was accepted by the maternal side of her family which means she never had a healthy relationship with them. That could lead to stress and depression.

There are many lifestyle influences that can affect the development of an individual. An example of a lifestyle influence that affected her is nutrition and dietary choices. In 2016 Mariah told E! news that her diet consisted of Norwegian salmon and capers and that was what helped her to lose 20lbs. Physically this diet affected her as she lost weight. Intellectually could’ve affected her as this diet wasn’t nutritious and so she would have had a lack of vitamins and minerals. Having a lack of vitamins and minerals can lead to poor functioning of the brain making it hard to focus and she could also experience headaches. Emotionally her diet could lead to depression because of the lack of vitamins and minerals which will cause her to draw away from family and friends.

References

Health and Social Care Unit 1: Developing Effective Communication (P3)

There are many factors that can impact communication, for example the environment someone is in can have an impact on how effective communication and interpersonal interaction is: 

  • Lighting: poor lighting affects communication and interpersonal interaction in a negative way. For example if it’s dark in a classroom with hard of hearing/blind people and the teacher is talking it’s hard to see their facial expressions and read signs so the student will not be able to understand.
  • Noise: this affects communication in a negative way because if there’s a lot of background noise it’s very hard to hear what the person talking to you is saying especially if you are hard of hearing.
  • Seating: a room that has seating that doesn’t allow for everyone to see each other will have a negative impact on communication and interpersonal interaction because they won’t know who’s speaking when and can’t see gestures and facial expressions.
  • Space: if someone if too far away from you, you’ll have trouble hearing them. If they are too close you’ll feel uncomfortable and won’t be able to focus on what they are saying. If they are at around arm’s length away communication is more likely to be effective.
  • Setting: if the room is too hot or cold people may feel tired, overwhelmed and restless and the communication would not be as effective as if the room was body temperature.
  • Time: if someone is really busy they won’t have enough time to talk to you therefore the effectiveness of the communication will be limited. Whereas if the conversation is scheduled it’s more effective as there is more time.

Barriers can effect communication and interpersonal interaction in health and social environments for example: 

  • The type of communication that is being conveyed (difficult, complex, sensitive) can hinder effective communication. For example a care assistant engaging a grieving relative in a sensitive conversation it would be very difficult and the care assistant should focus on the relative’s needs emotionally and mentally.
  • Self-esteem can affect communication because it means that the person doesn’t feel confident in themselves and therefore they’ll often keep to themselves and find it hard to open up. So a therapist, for example would have to show empathy and understanding. They’ll also have to ask open questions to encourage the person to open up. They also try to make depressed people, who have negative thoughts about things to think and be more positive and boost their self-esteem.
  • Language can be a barrier to people as different speech communities have their own types of jargon and slang and this can be seen as a barrier to people outside of those communities. For example if a doctor diagnoses a patient using jargon the patient is most likely not going to understand.
  • When people have hearing impairments they’ll be fine communicating with others with hearing impairments but will find it hard to communicate with hearing people and will often need an interpreter.
  • Alcohol and drugs can create a barrier because they can cause messages to not be received and understood properly as they impact their ability to send clear messages.
    Professionals need to acknowledge people in their service’s barriers and work out how they can overcome them.

References  
Whitehouse, M., Moonie, N., Aldworth, C., Billingham, M., Author. and Stretch, B. (2014). BTEC Level 3 National Health and Social Care. Harlow, United Kingdom: Pearson Education Limited.

Health and Social Care Unit 1: Developing Effective Communication (M1)

I am going to assess the role of effective communication and interpersonal interaction using the case study about Benjamin.
Benjamin has Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) which makes it hard for him to focus and concentrate in class as he can’t control his impulses. ADHD affects his effective communication as he finds it hard to get along with his classmates.
Miss Wallace doesn’t know how to interact and communicate properly with Benjamin which shows that she clearly needs training on dealing with children with disorders like Benjamin. Mr McKenzie shouldn’t expel Benjamin as the way behaves isn’t in his control. Instead he should talk to Miss Wallace and Jennifer, Benjamin’s mum, about his   behaviour and try to employ someone who could come in and communicate correctly with him.
Since Benjamin has ADHD he should be communicated to using visual aids. This is because it would grab his attention helping him focus on the subject he’s being taught. For example if he is being taught maths there should be diagrams and working out of equations on the board so he can see it and process it. The person talking to him should speak with a calm tone so he doesn’t get more frustrated than he may be, when giving him a task to do make sure to break it down step by step also so he is less likely to get agitated.
Children with ADHD will do better in one to one conversations rather than groups because in groups there are more than one person speaking and they are likely to get distracted and overwhelmed. This could be as to why he doesn’t get along with his classmates. So giving him one to one communication will help him improve his communication skills.

Health and Social Care Unit 1: Developing Effective Communication (P2)

The Communication Cycle (1972) – Michael Argyle (1925-2002): 
Professor Michael Argyle was a social psychologist who was the first ever lecturer in social psychology at the University of Oxford where he worked on lots of topics and showed his interest for experimental methods in social psychology. The communication cycle was originally developed by Charles Berner but then Argyle went on to modify it. Argyle said that interpersonal communication is a skill that can be learned just like the way you learn how to drive. This is because when driving you constantly watch what is happening, learn how to respond and you keep on repeating this.
Argyles theory is that skilled interpersonal interaction involves a cycle in which you have to translate or ‘decode’ what other people are communicating and constantly adapt your own behaviour in order to communicate effectively.

According to Argyle there are six stages to the communication cycle: 

  1. An idea occurs: you think of something you want to communicate.
  2. Message coded: you think about how you are going to get your message across. (verbal/non-verbal)
  3. Message sent: you communicate your message through speech, a facial expression, a gesture, through writing or through another form of communication.
  4. Message received: the other person senses your message through sight or hearing.
  5. Message decoded: the other person decodes your message which isn’t always easy as assumptions are made
  6. Message understood: if communication is effective you’re understood but this doesn’t always happen the first time.

Argyle’s theory is used in all sorts of health and social care environments, such as hospitals. For example after a surgery a patient could tell inform a doctor if they are in any pain. In order for this to happen the patient would think of what they want to say and code how they want to communicate. The message will then be sent and the doctor will then receive and decode the patient’s message then understand and respond by prescribing the right medication.

Tuckman’s stages of group interaction (1965) – Bruce Tuckman (1938-2016): 
Bruce Tuckman was a psychologist who came up with the theory ‘Tuckman’s stages of group interaction’. He graduated with a PhD in psychology in 1963 and was also a professor of educational psychology at The Ohio State University.

Tuckman’s theory suggests that when a group comes together for the first time before they are able to communicate effectively they go through the following four phases: 

  1. Forming: in this stage the people in the group meet for the first time and start getting to know each other.
  2. Storming: in this stage the group starts to address the task that was given and suggest ideas. At this stage the team members have different ideas and have different work styles so therefore they may argue and the group may fall apart.
  3. Norming: in this stage the team members resolve their differences and can discuss and socialise better together.
  4. Performing: in this stage the whole team is focused on the task and achieving goals set.

An example of where Tuckman’s theory can be used in a health and social care environment is in a school. For example a teacher can give a task to a group of students and they will discuss, come up with ideas and come across differences (forming and storming) then they’ll solve and start to agree and come to conclusions (norming and performing).

 

References                                                                                                                       

Health and Social care Unit 1: Developing Effective Communication (P1)

Communication is the process of individuals sharing ideas or thoughts with each other and effective communication is important within a health and social care context so that healthcare professionals are able to talk and share ideas and so they are able to understand each other in order for them to help benefit the people they’re caring for. Communication is most effective when individuals take turns in listening and speaking.

Contexts of communication:

  • One-to-one communication is used between two individuals to exchange information with each other and express their thoughts and feelings. This type of communication is used between professionals and people using the service. For example a nurse would listen to a patient’s problems and concerns using eye contact to show understanding and that they care. Members of a multi-professional team would have to have good one-to-one skills.
  • Group communication involves a group of individuals and can be effective as it improves problem solving and decision making as there are many different ideas in the group and each individual in the group will have different skill which will help things get done quicker than if it was one person on their own. On the other hand groups can make communication less effective. For example some people will hold the power in the group and some people won’t be as involved as others as some may be embarrassed to give their ideas and opinions as they’re worried about what everyone else in the group will say or how they will react. Group communication can be used in multi-professional working. This is where different professional such as nurses, social workers, psychologists and therapists come together and use their communication skills to benefit people in their care.
  • Informal communication is a relaxed form of communication that may include slang and it is used when you know someone quite well so it can be used in communication between colleagues. For example two nurses could be on their break and may talk about their personal lives but in order for it to be effective communication they have to develop trust, have personal and professional respect for each other and be able to listen to each other. Communication between professionals and people using the services can also be informal as the professionals will make sure not to use language that is too scientific (professional jargon) as the patient is more than likely to not understand and can frustrate people using the services.
  • Formal communication is Standard English that doesn’t use any slang or abbreviation that shows respect for the person you are talking to and it is used in communication between professionals. For example in multi-agency working and multi-professional working where professionals will communicate with others from other different care organisations or agencies. The professionals will use formal communication but they will have to be careful to make sure that the other professionals understand and not make assumptions.

 

Forms of communication:

  • Emailing is a form of communication, which uses technology, which can be used in a health and social care environment. For example a dentist or GP can send an email to remind their patient that they have an appointment so that they don’t forget or to reschedule the appointment. The same thing can be done with text messaging although emailing can be seen as more professional.
  • Written communication another way professionals can communicate with people using their service. For example a doctor will prescribe the patient medication and then they will take it to the pharmacist who will then give then the right medicine.
  • Symbols can be used as a form of communication to keep people safe in a health and social care environment. For example in a hospital a ‘no entry sign’ on a door can prevent people from dangerous rooms or a wet floor sign will make staff and patients be more careful when walking.

Interpersonal interaction:

  • Interpersonal interaction is a type of communication where messages, feelings and thoughts are shared between two or more people using verbal messages.
  • There are many different cultures and work professions and they all use their own types of speech in their speech communities. For example they’ll have their own types of jargon (words used by a particular profession or group that are hard for others to understand) which can create barriers for people outside of those speech communities. Some social/age groups use slang (non-standard words that are understood by other members of a speech community but which cannot usually be found in a dictionary).
  • The language that we think in the most and communicate with is known as our first language although some people are born into families with more than one language. People find that is easier and more effective to communicate in their first language.

Interpersonal interaction also involves exchanging messages, feelings and thoughts through non-verbal messages:

  • Posture is the way one carries themselves and an individual’s posture can send messages to the other person they’re conversing with. For example if someone is in a closed position, where their arms are folded and they are slightly turned from the person they are interacting with, they most likely don’t want to communicate. However if an individual want to communicate they are most likely to mirror your posture.
  • Facial expressions are used to show an individual’s emotions e.g. happiness, sadness and anger/aggression. Young children often find it hard to express their emotions through speech so looking at their facial expressions can help solve issues.
  • Silence can send quite a lot of different messages. For example if you’re silent it can give off the impression that you are nervous and it show that you’re not interested. Although a silence in a conversation can be awkward it can also show how comfortable you are with someone as if you are very close with someone you can be in silence without it being awkward.

 

Communication and language needs and preferences:

  • Apart from spoken and written language there are other ways individuals prefer to communicate. For example most deaf people prefer to communicate in British Sign Language (BSL). British sign language was pronounced an official language in 2003. Makaton is largely used by people with learning difficulties. It uses speech, signs and symbols to help with communication. Braille is a form of communication used by blind people. It is made up of raised dots which they then read with their fingers. It was made in 1829 by Louis Braille who was also blind. Use of signs and symbols are used to give messages or inform people about things which is a way of communicating. Objects of reference are also useful when communicating with people with learning difficulties because it helps them to understand what you’re saying better therefore the communication is effective.

Technological aids to communication:

  • Hearing aids and Cochlear implants can help to improve hearing and make communication more effective.
  • Text messaging can be used by a deaf/hard of hearing person to communicate with a hearing person.
  • Video chats
  • Mobile phones

Human aids to communication:

  • Interpreters help hard of hearing/deaf people to communicate with people who are not.
  • When guiding a blind person you should make sure your instructions are clear and that they understand you.

References