Health and social care is a term used to describe all the services that you may require if you are experiencing a health-related problem or disability. It can involve everything from nursing, physiotherapy and social work to home support services, community housing and health promotion. You’ll have the chance to develop a strong understanding of contemporary health and social care issues and the wider legal, political and organisational environment in which they occur both locally and internationally.
National policies have catalyzed initiatives to test integrated health and social care models with the ultimate goal of improving population health while decreasing costs. Examples include screening patients for social risks at clinics; building new cross-sector collaborations; and financing community care with healthcare dollars. This article reviews these policy efforts and highlights obstacles to integration in practice.
Glasby’s concise manuscript arrives at a time of painful public sector austerity when smarter caring is no longer an option, but a necessity. Anyone involved in streamlining health and social care will benefit from his clear insights into the complex factors that make up integrated systems.
In addition, the article offers a valuable insight into the need to change the way that health and social care professionals think about disability. Rather than viewing a person’s condition as ‘no problem’ or a ‘problem’, we must adopt a ‘needs-based’ perspective. This approach looks at the impact of a person’s disability on their daily life, such as their ability to live independently and form relationships. health and social care