Significant life events are any major changes in an individual’s circumstances and their effect on their interpersonal relationships, leisure, and recreational activities (Snoddon 2010). There is a growing body of evidence in the field of healthcare that has endeavored to understand the impact of significant life events on our physical health. These findings reveal that stressful life events can result in the development of cardiovascular heart disease, hypertension, changes in sleeping and eating habits, anxiety, and depression (Tosevski & Milovancevic 2006).
In dealing with persons facing bereavement and other significant life events, health and social care workers endeavor to offer support, respect, empathy, and informed choice to their clients. Health and social care workers help such individuals to face and resolve the issues facing them to avoid negative effects on their physical and mental health. The physical impact of significant life events includes sensory impairment. They could entail visual loss, hearing loss, and multisensory impairment. Emotionally, the individual may feel a sense of loss (Mancini 2013). From a social context, the individual feels isolated or detached from others. Intellectually, the person experiences loss of cognitive function
There are various forms of support available to persons experiencing significant life events (Dyregrov & Dyregrov 2008). In this case, organizational procedures and policies have been put in place to deal with this issue, including the provision of counseling services (Currier 2012). Social and health care workers dealing with individuals experiencing significant life events are required to uphold the dignity and respect of their clients, despite what they may be going through. In dealing with significant life events, the individual in question may be overwhelmed by these events, and hence seek support from external sources, including friends, family, and support groups.
However, if the significant life event in question is severe, like in the case of depression or bereavement, professional help is normally recommended (Dyregrov & Dyregrov 2008). Health and social care services provide help to persons experiencing significant life events as a means of helping them cope with the situation and do away with feelings of helplessness, worthlessness, guilt, and hopelessness. Examples of professionals in health and social care services who offer this kind of help include psychiatrists, counselors, and psychotherapists, among others (Dyregrov & Dyregrov 2008).
Health care organizations dealing with individuals facing stressful life events need to make sure that their organizational procedures and systems are designed and executed in such a manner as to support the needs of the individuals in question (Currier 2012). This is important as health and social care services are meant to make life bearable for the individuals facing significant life events. In addition, such organizational procedures and systems should meet national and local service standards. This will ensure that the service users receive adequate health care. Moreover, the structures and systems in the health care setting should consistently demonstrate tolerance for individual difference choice, and cultural diversity (Snoddon 2010; Currier 2012).
In responding to the needs of individuals facing significant life events, health and social care services offer counseling services to the individuals concerned. This type of service is meant to alleviate the pain and suffering that the individual has endured, and to give them hope of a better tomorrow. In addition, health and social care service providers also maintain dignity and respect for their clients, despite what they might have gone through (Mancini 2013). This is because they are still human beings and deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. If an individual who has experienced a significant life event needs specialist services, the health and social care services should give such individuals access to this kind of service promptly.
List of References
Currier, J 2012, Connect the Dots: How Significant Life Events Impact Your Life, Leadership Style and Competitive Performance, FriesenPress, Victoria, BC, Canada.
Dyregrov, A & Dyregrov, K 2008, Effective Grief and Bereavement Support: The Role of Family, Colleagues, Schools, and Support Professionals, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, New York.
Mancini, AD 2013, The Trouble with Averages: The Impact of Major Life Events and Acute Stress May Not Be What You Think, Web.
Snoddon, K 2010, Case Management of Long-term Conditions: Principles and Practice for Nurses, John Wiley & Sons, London.
Tosevski, DL & Milovancevic, MP 2006, ‘Stressful life events and physical health’, Curr Opin Psychiatry, vol. 19, no. 2, pp. 184-9.