Question

A) Provide two examples of a Support Worker’s obligation in regards to duty of care in relation to Stephanie’s behaviour with food.

1.

2.

B) Provide two examples of Stephanie’s dignity of risk in relation to her behaviour with food.

1.

2.

(Below I have included Stephanie's care plan)

Stephanie Peterson is 45 years old and lives at Harbourside Haven, a specialist disability unit that is close to the ocean. She has been there only four months after living in an aged care facility that cared for three other younger people with disability. She likes the water and the smell of the ocean and can often be seen watching the water.

Steph, as she likes to be known, has a severe intellectual disability and limited communication skills but has good receptive language skills when spoken to quietly. She can make herself understood and uses some basic pictorial communication aids. Staff are really working hard with Steph and her family to put in place an individualised behaviour support plan that aims to increase her quality of life and decrease the frequency and severity of her challenging behaviours that were noted on the plan she brought with her. These include pilfering, hoarding and gorging on food, becoming very vocal and screaming uncontrollably if she cannot be understood and if she is having difficulty walking she will grab at the nearest person for support.

Stephanie loves music and she enjoys watching the music channel on TV, she gets excited when her favourite songs are played and among her favourite performers is Jimmy Barnes. Staff have also introduced “quiet evening music” after tea to help Steph settle down at night. She really enjoys listening to the harp and now three or four other residents join Steph to enjoy the music.

There is some concern about emerging medical issues for Steph. She is considered medically obese, has some cardiac (heart) issues and is at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Staff have discussed this with Steph and her family and Steph has decided to take on a more active lifestyle and has met with her dietitian to understand which foods might improve her medical conditions. She is now going to the pool three mornings a week and goes for a walk every afternoon. This is hard work for her but with encouragement, new joggers, a new beach towel and support from her brother she is beginning to enjoy it and isn’t as breathless as she was before.

Steph used to store food from the fridge and pantry in her room as she was worried she would get hungry. Sometimes this caused health issues, as the food was not stored correctly, and the foods she kept in her room were not helping her to meet her new health goals. Steph is now choosing to keep a selection of healthy snacks in her room, and she chooses to eat smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day. Steph enjoys her independence.

Yesterday at midday the support workers were late in starting lunch preparations. Whilst one (1) support worker assisted another resident, Stephanie took the bread needed for everyone’s lunch from the kitchen to her room. When the other support worker found her in the room with the bread and asked her to return it so that everyone would be able to enjoy lunch together, she offered Steph one of her snacks and Steph returned the bread. The worker smiled and thanked Steph very much. Previously Steph would have become upset, pushed the staff member away, yelled and slammed the door.

Steph’s behaviour support plan identifies her strengths, needs, capabilities and preferences intending to actively involve Steph to help resolve her own problems and there is growing recognition by staff and others of her skills and competence. If staff listen carefully and talk quietly Steph can understand most things and they can understand her. By following her plan and using proactive strategies that have been developed, Steph no longer needs to use behaviours of concern to get her needs met.

Answer 1

2 examples to support her dignity of risk in relation to food are - 1) Steph has decided to take on a more healthy lifestyle and met with her dietitian to understand which food will improve her health. She started going for a morning walking 3 times in a week and in the afternoon everyday .
2) she has started keeping healthy snacks in her room and started eating smaller portions of food throughout the day .

2 examples of support workers obligation in regard to duty of care for Stephany food -

1) Seeing stephany getting medically obese and her risk of developing type 2 diabetes, they discussed this problem with her and her family which helped her to visit a dietician and get a proper plan for her meals .
2) when the lunch was late prepared and when one of the staff workers found that stephany has taken bread to her room they asked her politely to return it and come and enjoy with everyone else she returned it and they praised her very much for this behaviour of hers .