This is socio-health care for dependent people

Throughout our development and growth, the vast majority of the population is acquiring a set of knowledge and capacities thanks to which we are going to forge our identity, our way of seeing the world and the way we interact with the. We are learning how to carry out tasks that allow us an autonomous and independent subsistence.

However, there are people who for some reason have lost or have not sufficiently developed the necessary skills to carry out day-to-day activities in a totally autonomous way. These people may need some kind of supervision, help or support in different day-to-day tasks, help that can be provided in many cases by different types of social and health institutions.

For this, professionals capable of responding to the needs of this sector of the population are needed, which makes training in Health care to dependents in social institutions. It is on this subject that we are going to talk throughout this article.

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What is socio-sanitary care for dependent people?

To understand the type of care that should be offered from social institutions to dependent people, first it is necessary to take into account what the concept of dependent person refers to.

We consider a person as a dependent when they are in a situation or state of generally permanent characteristics in which, for some reason, said person have lost or seen reduced their faculties or abilities to lead a fully autonomous life, or when they have not been able to fully develop these capacities to levels that allow independent action and adaptability to environmental and social demands.

Dependency implies the need for attention, support or supervision by other people (or resources) outside the own subject in order to be able to carry out day-to-day activities or to maintain a more autonomous performance possible.

Although in general when talking about dependency one usually thinks of people with intellectual disabilities or some type of disease neurodegenerative disease, the truth is that the concept of dependent person also includes those subjects who have some degree of with physical or sensory disabilities or whose vital activity is highly interfered with by the presence of some type of problem psychiatric.

In addition, the elderly or those in delicate health are also included. that requires ongoing assistance.

In some cases, the person is in a situation of legal incapacity and may be tutored by a relative or foundation, although it is not necessary to be legally disabled to have some degree of dependency.

Thus, socio-sanitary support or care is not something that only implies action at a cognitive level, but care Comprehensive care, which can include different types of actions depending on the needs, difficulties and/or potential of the subject. It is important to assess that the intention of this type of service It is not only to alleviate possible deficits, but it is also responsible for maximizing and optimizing the individual's strengths.as well as their quality of life.

It should also be taken into account that when talking about socio-sanitary care in social institutions we refer to care that is offered in an organization or structure dedicated to the service and search for the well-being of users, and whose performance can be carried out in multiple environments.

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Types of social institution for people with some kind of dependency

Regarding the type of resource or social or socio-sanitary institution offered to people in a situation of dependency, we can find different categories with different goals and types of treatment or support offered. In this sense, some of the most common are the following.

1. Dependency situation prevention service

These are devices whose main task is to try to prevent or limit the possibility or worsening of situations of dependence in a population at risk, the most obvious example being that of people with a congenital disability or people of a advanced. Thus, this type of device works with a population that Either you do not yet have a situation of dependency or it is sought that this does not limit more of what the autonomy of the person is already doing.

2. Hospitals and Day Centers

Probably the most well-known types of social health service or institution, day centers and day hospitals have as their main objective the provide complete and comprehensive care to users in order to increase or maintain their level of autonomy, socio-community participation, capacity for self-management and in general their quality of life.

Their biopsychosocial work usually includes the application of measures of rehabilitation, restoration or compensation of functions, guidance and counseling for the user, facilitation and training of social and family ties without having to require an income, promote healthy habits, monitor the situation and provide support to both the end user and his around.

3. Residential Care Centers

This last type of center, also highly known, is dedicated to offering comprehensive social and health care, but in people who are admitted or located in the same service, in which they live (either permanently or temporarily).

In these centers, users carry out different types of activities, workshops or therapies (depending on the case) that allow to improve and/or preserve their autonomy and/or capacities, favor their bonding and socialization. An example of this type of service can be found in the Llar Residencia, in Catalonia (Hogar Residencia, in Spanish).

4. Other types of service

Although the three above are some of the most common, it is also worth mentioning the existence of many other types of assistance service for dependent people. Among them we can find the telecare service or home help.

Likewise, and at a more fully health level, we can find various services within the public health portfolio, such as For example, highly dependent psychiatric units or admission to acute or subacute units, neuropsychiatry or psychogeriatrics.

Degree of dependency and activities from which they are analyzed

It must be taken into account that in order to offer quality social and health care to dependent people It is necessary first of all to know what their needs are and to what degree they present some type of dependence.

In this sense, it will be necessary for a professional with adequate training to be able to assess the subject, for which it will use one or several questionnaires and the observation of the subject as well as the characteristics and reports of their vital situation and the environment. With this, a score will be obtained in the Dependency Assessment Scales that will be used to determine the type or degree of dependency of the person in question.

The type of activities that are analyzed are generally the basic activities of daily living: nutrition, hygiene, sleep, control of sphincters, mobility and movement, housework, ability to maintain state of health, ability to make decisions decisions. Also It is taken into account if, for example, external help or guidance is required to carry out these actions.

Based on the scale that we have seen, we can get to obtain three types of dependency: Grade I or moderate in which the subject needs some help punctual to be autonomous, Grade II or severe in which, although a permanent caregiver is not needed, help is required several times a day to carry out certain basic activities and of Grade III or great dependency in which the subject needs a caregiver, supervision or continuous help in his day to day.

Professionals involved

Another factor to take into account is that caring for a dependent person requires the collaboration of different professionals from various branches, both health and social.

The specific type of professionals that each person will need may vary depending on the case, but broadly speaking we can find doctors (of any branch be it neurology, speech therapy, cardiology, endocrinology, immunology...), nurses, psychologists, assistants, physiotherapists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, social workers, educators, teachers and pedagogues (and not only in the case of children) and in some cases even lawyers.

All of them must coordinate their actions to offer comprehensive care. that takes into account the needs, potentialities and difficulties of the dependent person in order to improve their quality of life to the extent possible.

Sociosanitary intervention

Although the different professionals involved will work focusing on their specialty in order to help the subject, broadly speaking we can determine the general nature of the main task of social and health care for dependent people in institutions social.

The actions of the professionals are aimed at the development and start-up of programs aimed at providing assistance that allows the subject to carry out basic activities with which they have difficulties, the rehabilitation or compensation of systems, capacities and functions, the incorporation of the subject to social participation and bonding with other people and education and psychoeducation directed both to the subject and to his environment in order to face possible difficulties and improve the standard of living and autonomy of the subject.

Within this action are included the approach of therapies and activities aimed at cognitive stimulation, the cognitive restructuring of distorted beliefs, the use of occupational therapy to improve functionality in basic activities, health promotion and damage prevention, adherence to treatments, if any, stress or emotion management or improvement of social participation through various activities and training, among others many.

all of it always maintaining an ethical line in which dignity, confidentiality and respect prevail to the abilities and independence of the subject, at the same time that a warm and comfortable environment is generated and the maximum benefit for the subject and avoid as far as possible any damage caused by the action itself care.

Bibliographic references:

• Institute for Training and Social Studies (IFES). Territorial Directorate of Andalusia. (2010). Health care to dependents in social institutions. Training Module 1. Support in the Organization of Interventions in the Institutional Scope. Training Unit 1. Support in Reception and Reception in Institutions for Dependent Persons. Andalusia, Spain.