Care Positive Transition

The following sample essay on Care Positive Transition discusses what careers and care workers can do to promote a safe and smooth transition to care.

I will briefly touch on a study Managing Transitions conducted by Alison Petch (2009) (Open University, 2014 Pg.

60). and drawing on the work of Hopson et al (1992) and his transition curve (Open University, 2014 Pp.49-50) linking Ann’s case study (Open University, 2014 Pg. 50) to show evidence for his theory. I will also give a brief overview of the term transition and what it means in a care setting, focusing on the positive experiences of Alice (Open University, 2019), the physical environment and its impact on the wellbeing of an individual as evidenced by Maggie’s centers (Open University, 2014 Pp 68-69) and drawing on Pam’s case study (Open University, 2014 Pg. 53) to discuss how a positive transition could be made achievable.

Transitions involve a change or discontinuity in a person’s life which typically requires new behaviors and attitudes to be adapted.

Transitions may be voluntary such as choosing to change jobs, move home or get married, but involuntary transitions such as losing your job, becoming seriously ill or leaving home can pose challenges, particularly for those engaged in health and social care. A transition in their lives may be hard, requiring additional support to achieve a smooth and positive transition. (Open University, 2014 Pg. 47)

Hopson et al (1992) describes the transition curve, which involves 7 stages; numbness, denial, depression, acceptance, testing, search for meaning and internalization which are all key aspects detailing the emotional challenges individuals face when transitioning.

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This process is a distinctive experience for each individual and measures can be put in place to reduce the amount of time that is needed to complete the transitional phase, and for some individuals they may not embark on all phases. (Open University, 2014 Pg. 50). Ann provides an excellent illustration of how individuals experience distinct feelings during transitions, after Ann left her home she experienced sadness and anger, and then, eventually came to terms with it, demonstrating three of the seven stages as described by Hopson’s transitional curve; denial, depression and eventually acceptance (Open University, 2014 Pg. 49)

It may take time and effort to reach a point where individuals can accept the changes that have taken place, and in light of Hopson’s transitional curve, it is essential that professionals and families are aware of the emotional distress that can occur when individuals are confronted with transitions, particularly one centered on moving or having to manage transitions on a daily basis. This would mean allowing for better management of transitions. (Open University, 2014 Pg. 60) A study conducted by Alison Petch (2009) as discussed in (Open University, 2014 Pg. 60) highlighted several factors that could be implemented by professionals to ensure transitions were positive. Alison Petch’s study showed the significance of encouraging individuals to have control over their own lives, getting help with managing the transition and recognizing people’s needs while taking their choices into consideration.

This was evident in the case of Alice, who found it difficult to cope with daily transitions. Alice keeps to the same routine each day, and everyone engaged in Alice’s life works with her to give her a sense of calm and time to prepare for her day, such as the teacher allowing a ten minute time frame to let Alice settle into the school environment. Staff further supports Alice, by ensuring that the school atmosphere is familiar by ensuring she has the same teacher and classmates, giving a feeling of continuity when moving from one setting to the next, which was crucial owing to the difficulties Alice had with social aspects. This enabled Alice to manage her own life, gave her an understanding of what to do while keeping her own identity. (Open University, 2019)

For most people who are facing a transition centered on moving from their home to a new care setting, it is often difficult because it is not only the physical environment they leave, but also a social and psychological environment which holds a great significance to them, an aspect of connectedness while providing them with a sense of identity. (Open University, 2014 Pg. 55) One factor that could enable a positive transition would involve individuals being able to personalize their new space with meaningful possessions, meaning that they can hold on to an aspect of themselves which could potentially help them manage and accept the transition more quickly. This could have been accomplished with Pam (Open University, 2014 Pg. 53), who described the connection she had with her old home before moving to John Kirk House and her longing for one item she treasured in her old home, if this had been achieved then it is plausible that she would have accepted the transition more easily.

Although care workers provide essential support and planning, providing the best care setting for the individual to aid their transition is equally important. A welcoming physical atmosphere, combined with meaningful experiences for service users such as having someone to talk to or having access to information, can greatly benefit the health and psychological wellbeing of the individual. (Open University, 2014, Pp 68-69) Maggie’s Centers, intended to provide a healing and supportive atmosphere, would be an illustration of a positive care setting, enabling people to be supported in their preparation with transitioning, resulting in a positive experience. (Open University, 2014 Pp. 68-69)

In conclusion, this essay demonstrates that when people are involved in making a positive choice about challenging transitions, coupled with a healthy physical environment such as Maggie’s Centre, a smooth and positive transition can be easily achieved by ensuring appropriate planning and support is in place during transition periods and taking individuals voices into consideration. When considering the transitional curve and professionals being conscious of the stages and what could be done to manage this while providing positive transitional pathways it would enable individuals to have a better psychological wellbeing.