Service and Active Support
The hotel model is staff doing things for the service users and then become observers in their own lives. This is where things are done without any actual consent from the individual and planned more around the convenience of the staff one example being if a staff member makes a service user wait for medication to ease pain or discomfort but make them wait until it is medication time. This is a form of institutional abuse as the hotel model revolves around everything being done for the service user resulting them in losing their day to day skills and the ability to help care for themselves.
Active support includes involving the service users into supporting staff to plan fr the care that they require on a day to day basis meaning that they are involved in decisions being made about them. Person-centred care is the key to active support as each individual is thought of in a holistic way regardless of their past, holistic needs, physical needs and their families are always considered.
To effectively promote an individual’s independence, members of staff should both encourage and support all service users to take part in as many social and cultural activities as well as joining in with community activities. Independence can promote a service users self determination, the respect they have and receive as well as equal opportunities. This includes individuals who may be living with one or more long term conditions but have the right to decide what support they feel that they require and from whom.
It is simple to promote an individual’s independence by making environments easy to maintain and comfortable to be in. Communication boards showing information that can be understood by service users using pictures and bright colors. This can help to promote quality of life as they can begin to enjoy life in a easy manner within a happy environment. Simple decision making like choosing what to wear, what activity they would like to do or what they would like to eat promotes independence. If each member of staff develop a clear understanding about each service user by spending time with them and getting to know them by knowing what their needs are, their like and dislikes, how they are able to communicate etc will promote this effectively.
