HLST273 Caregivers of Older People

Analysis:

In an organization where an employee is facing a significant life event, the organization should support the employee through the entire situation. An awareness should be created within the organization where the need to support the employee is addressed, this is imperative so that the employee receives the full support of their team. Further, engaging the other employees to support this individual will enable them to get back to a normal status where they can work in a productive way (Davies and Nolan 2006). For instance, an individual going through an adverse life experience goes through stages of stress, which hinders their mental, and emotional strengths, this affects the individual’s ability to work which affects their productivity and performance at the workplace. Unless the individual is given the support of the organization, they will not be able to work in the usual way. Therefore, it is imperative for the entire organization to comprehend this so that they can support the individual going through a life event get back to their normal life (Yaffe, Newcomer, Sands, Lindquist, Dane and Covinsky 2002).

In a case where an individual has lost a family member, they feel vacant. This vacancy needs to be filled by the people around them. The organization needs to respond by engaging this individual in numerous activities, which will distract them for a while so that their life can come back to normal. One of the ways the organization can achieve this is by sending the individual on vacation or even involving the individual in fieldwork, this can positively distract the individual yielding positive outcome (Provini, Everett and Pfeffer 2000).

Where an employee is going through a desirable life event like pregnancy, the employee also needs the support of the organization. These individuals can be congratulated for making a major decision to parenthood since being married and bringing forth children is a significant life event, which needs the support of the people around them. Further, the individual can be supported by being given a maternity leave to avoid distractions and discomfort at the workplace. In general, individuals going through a significant life event have emotional distractions, which can affect their ability to execute their duties effectively at their workplace; this can have a negative outcome on their performance. Therefore, it is very important for organizations to support these individuals so that their life can come back to normal so that they can work properly (Rhodes 2001).

<h2style="text-align: justify;">Refection:

Going through a significant life event is normal and it can happen to anyone. Having this in mind, I always make sure that I am beside any individual going through any form of life event, this is crucial as it helps them live a normal life. For instance, my neighbor was going through a distressful event in her life after she was diagnosed with breast cancer. The medical results had shaken her up leaving her confused and distressed. She was in pain and she knew she was going to die. At this time, I realized she needed someone to stand by her and support her get out of the depression she was going through. I used to go to her place where I would encourage and cheer her up. I also tried to make her look in life in a different way. I used to give her my company wherever I was free and we could listen to music and at times go out for even walks, this was important in awakening her soul in order to find peace within herself and to give her life a new meaning.

In addition, I encouraged her to attend seminars where she was taught on how to live a positive life regardless of the significant life event she was going through. All support that I gave her helped her overcome her fears and depression, thus living a normal life eventually. Her health condition cannot be reversed but through the support she received, she was able to gain her strength to move on. What my neighbors was going through has given me a learning experience on the importance of supporting an individual going through a significant life event. Therefore, an individual going through significant life event should be given company so that they do not feel lonely and isolated. For instance, they can be accompanied in doing their daily activities like gardening, this is vital in making them feel someone cares which will yield positive outcome on their mental stability (Parkes and Prigerson 2013).

Recommendation:

Humanity is all about being there for the people around you. Being there for other people enables them to go beyond their challenges. Some of the challenges individuals going through a significant life event include depression, anxieties, and feeling of despair, these calls for immediate support of the people around them. Supporting individuals going through a significant life event requires professional training so equip them with the essential knowledge on how to deal with the different life events. In this case, it is imperative for the experts and professionals in this field of “significant life events” to share their knowledge with other people like social and healthcare workers so that they can also contribute positively towards supporting those individuals going through life events of other people in a professional way. Thus, the experts and professionals in this field should organize programs where practical techniques and methods applicable to significant life events are shared because the life of the individuals going through a significant life event relies on it (Kaltman and Bonanno 2003).

Further, organizations should focus on the employees and focus on training in order to build relationships, which will enable individual is supported each other in case of a significant life event. In this case, work mates should be aware of the life events their colleagues are going through so that they can give them the necessary support they want. In addition, programs should be developed focusing on the mental health of the individuals going through significant life events, which will enable them to live a positive life (Boelen and Hout 2003).

Reference:

Davies, S. and Nolan, M. (2006), ‘Making it better’: Self-perceived roles of family caregivers of older people living in care homes: A qualitative study, International journal of nursing studies, 43(3), p. 281-291

Boelen, P. A., Van Den Bout, J. and Van Den Hout, M. A. (2003), The role of negative interpretations of grief reactions in emotional problems after bereavement, Journal of Behavior Therapy & Experimental Psychiatry, 34, p. 225

Kaltman, S. and Bonanno, G. A. (2003), Trauma and bereavement: Examining the impact of sudden and violent deaths. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 17(2), p. 131-147.

Parkes, C. M. and Prigerson, H. G. (2013), Bereavement: Studies of grief in adult life, Routledge

Prigerson, H. G. and Jacobs, S. C. (2001), caring for bereaved patients: ‘All the doctors just suddenly go’, Journal of the American Medical Association, 286, p. 1369

Provini, C., Everett, J. R. and Pfeffer, C. R. (2000), Adults mourning suicide: self-reported concerns about bereavement, needs for assistance, and help-seeking behaviour, Death studies, 24, p. 1

Rhodes J. M. (2001), Cancer and colitis: markers and management, on the leading edge of patient care, Practical updates in GI and hepatology, Richmond, VA: American Gastroenterological Association, p. 273–82

Yaffe, K., Fox, P., Newcomer, R., Sands, L., Lindquist, K., Dane, K. and Covinsky, K. E. (2002), Patient and caregiver characteristics and nursing home placement in patients with dementia, Jama, 287(16), p. 2090-2097