Health and Social Care Critical Analysis

Elsie is a woman at the life stage of later adulthood, being 68 years old she was involved in an accident leaving her unable to do many of her routine jobs and continue in the same way of living.

Physical
Elsie has had her hip bone replaced leaving her not able to walk very well, living with modifications became hard for her, being unable to cook, provide stable and sufficient security for herself and clean to the standard which needed was also inconvenient. Supplying our own physical needs, for example buying the food to feed ourselves and prepare it will take its toll on Elsie. Old age (Later adulthood) will result in the need for others to help provide and maintain her physical needs.

Intellectual
As Elsie is in later adulthood we know her physical needs have already declined, her accident didn’t help her much so her intellectual needs will become more important to her. Elsie does not work or have much to keep her brain stimulated and interested in new challenges, activities, a group; finding hobbies and interests that will stop her from getting bored or irritable will be Elsie’s main priority. Whether she decides to take up reading, games, bingo or knitting some kind of comfort will outcome of whatever she decides to occupy her time with

Emotional
Emotional needs change as we grow and develop, finding fulfilment from developing a close bond with someone whom they share an emotional attachment can be for the best; everybody needs to and wants to be liked and loved. Elsie might now feel like she is going to receive less love than before her accident and current condition and not be liked as much as before because of what she is unable to do. Having mixed emotions about little things may take over Elsie and create depression and loneliness.

Elsie is going to need as much love and encouragement from friends and family as possible. Not only may Elsie find herself depressed her self-concept may begin to deteriorate as she will need a carer to help her (active support) and her lack of independence has been taken away leaving her to feel like she’s lost her independence. Constantly being reminded of what she could do may also leave her in a bad state of depression for a long while.

Social
Elsie does not always recognise John and Sandra when they visit her, and being in a retirement home she is faced to meet, be treated, or even cared for by many different members of staff or doctors this also can distress Elsie even more. Additionally she suffers with confusion, Elsie thinks staff in the home are stealing from her; this may affect many of the relationships or care environment for a member of staff looking after her, a sense of getting accused or blamed by her may leave them in a state in which they prefer not care for her in case of further action. Ensuring that Elsie has someone to turn to for comfort and support is vital in her condition, then she may not feel that her life is so bad.

In conclusion to this task and acknowledging the state that Elsie is in; if I refer to “Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs” Elsie may find escalating up the “Maslow pyramid” difficult. The concept is that until each preceding need has at least largely been met then the next need does not manifest itself. For example, unless Elsie feels secure and safe she is unlikely to be concerned about her need for a loving family or unit of the acceptance from the people in her care home.

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is most often displayed as a pyramid, with lowest levels of the pyramid made up of the most basic needs and more complex needs are at the top of the pyramid. The needs at the bottom of the pyramid are basic physical requirements including the need for food, water, sleep and warmth. Once these lower-level needs have been met, Elsie can move on to the next level of needs, which are for safety and security.

As Elsie tries to progress up the pyramid, her needs become increasingly psychological and social. Soon, the need for love, friendship and intimacy become important. Elsie may find it very difficult to move up in the pyramid because she doesn’t really recognise her family and that may not give the best environment of her realising she’s safe and in gaining the love from her family that’s needed to work her way to the top of the pyramid. Further up the pyramid, the need for personal esteem and feelings of accomplishment become important. Elsie can’t do much for herself in her condition because she suffers with confusion, possibly leaving her in a frame of depression.

Her health is dubitably on her mind even more, affecting her progress up the pyramid. Because of her condition she may decide to give up on herself, this will not put her in good position at all thus her finding away around being depressed about her accident is the best way forward. Maslow believed that these needs are similar to instincts and play a major role in motivating behaviour. Physiological, security, social, and esteem needs are deficiency needs (also known as D-needs), meaning that these needs arise do to deprivation. Satisfying these lower-level needs is important in order to avoid unpleasant feelings or consequences. Maslow term the highest-level of the pyramid a growth need (also known as being needs or B-needs). Growth needs do not stem from a lack of something, but rather from a desire to grow as a person.