Assess the Individual in a Health and Social Care Setting

Compare and contrast the range and purpose of different forms of assessment The assessment process is the back bone to any package of care and it is vital that it is personal and appropriate to the individual concerned. Although studies have found that there is no singular theory or understanding as to what the purpose of assessment is, there are different approaches and forms of assessment carried out in health and social care. These different approaches can sometimes result in different outcomes.

One method of assessment used is a holistic approach. To assess an individual in a holistic manner is to see that individual for more than just their functioning body, mental health state and lifestyle preferences.

You have to look deeper into how all aspects of their life impact on each other, the reason certain factors influence them and what level of independence the individual has in each area that you are assessing. The benefits of a holistic assessment are that by taking into account the individual’s personal preferences and needs, you are ensuring that that individual remains in control and you are promoting their dignity and choice.

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The negatives being that it would not be appropriate for an individual with a diagnosis of dementia, or similar condition, to be assessed using this method. The reason for this is that an individual with advanced dementia would not always be in the position to delve into what factors affect their daily living in a positive or negative way. A popular method used in the care industry is the Taylor and Devine (1993) ‘basic helping cycle’.

The basic care cycle consists of four different stages; Assess, Plan, Implement and Review. This is the method that is used most often as a template for the managers at Crosshands Home Services. On receiving a care package referral we then arrange a meeting with the individual, any advocate/family member and the appropriate professional, whether that is a social worker or an enablement worker. The initial assessment is put in place to ensure that we as an agency can complete the next stage which is to plan and prepare a care plan that is tailored to the individual’s needs, using feedback and information from the individual, any advocate/family member and the appropriate professional.

Read more: Assess Individual in Health Care

The next stage is to implement the care package, ensuring all the care staffs involved are made aware of the individuals’ needs and preferences. After 6 weeks we would then review the care package, making any adjustments if required, and following that the care package would be reviewed again in 12 months. If for any reason there was a change to the individuals needs or situation then a review would be carried out at an earlier date in order to address the change. Research was carried out by ‘Smale et al (1993)’ which suggested three different models of assessment. One model was the ‘Questioning Model’ which suggests that the assessor leads the process by questioning the individual and developing a more ‘service led’ assessment.

Another model is the ‘Procedural Model’. I believe this method would be used more commonly be social workers when means testing an individual for a suitable care package. The ‘Procedural Model’ is based on a set of criteria and checklists which a professional would carry out based on the needs of the individual. I do not feel that this method would be appropriate for setting up a care package in a domiciliary setting as it is not person centred friendly. The final model that was suggested was the ‘Exchange Model’. This model has a more person centred approach and is the model that is more commonly used by domiciliary care managers. The model focuses on the individual being the expert in their own care needs so that the assessor can use the information to develop a care plan that is person centred.