Learning Aim A: The responsibilities of people who work in health&social care settings

Keeping clean, enjoying a meal and using the toilet when needed are tasks and activities that most people are able to take for granted and do themselves. However, when people become physically or mentally ill, or they have a disability these tasks can become a challenge. There are important reasons, in terms of physical wellbeing, why people should be clean, eat well and be able to use the toilet when necessary. Dealing with these very personal areas of life has an impact on self-esteem and general confidence. It cannot be overemphasised how important it is for health and social care workers to approach these sensitive areas of a person's life and thoughfulness and maintain an individual's dignity. 

Carers must discuss usual routines and preferences in terms of personal hygiene and diet with clients, e.g. when washing the client may prefer a bath to a shower or a thourough wash to either of these. Most people would prefer to take personal responsibilty for these tasks and wash in private. Independence should be encouraged, but where specific help is needed the client's dignity and privacy shoukd be preserved. 

Toilet and bathroom doors should be closed and shower curtains drawn. You should follow policies and the procedures they outline in a setting to ensure the safety and dignity of the service user whilst carrying out these tasks. 

Addressing multiple issues of an individual's wellbeing is arguably just as important in order to promote recovery. By attending to the needs of the 'whole' person, health and social care professionals will want to support clients in developing and maintaining a fulfilling and satisfying daily life. This will involve; being aware of the community in which their client lives, their work, their family circumstances, their general financial position, their interests, hobbies and aspirations. It also includes; being aware of the support provided by family, friends and neighbours, who are often referred to as informal carers. These wider considerations can be as important to a person's recovery as medicines and other clincial interventions.