2 - Be Able to Lead Practice That Promotes Social, Emotional, Cultural, Spiritua...

2 - Be able to lead practice that promotes social, emotional, cultural, spiritua...

2.1 - Explain the psychological basis for well-being

Wellness is not just survival but it is thriving according to training I attended through the organisation I work for. Wellness has to do with quality of life, for example doing things that one enjoys and having relations with other people instead of paid workers. Circumstances such as finances to do what one enjoys, activities that bring satisfaction, sense of control and arrange of things that bring enjoyment contribute to wellness.

Wellbeing is a sense that one has resources to cope with up and downs of life as stated in WAP above. This includes dealing with unhappiness that might be caused mental illness.

One example of being unwell and need for a plan for wellness would be when someone goes to a new country and becomes a refugee or when or loss of a partner. The focus becomes getting through the day. There is no enjoyment therefore wellbeing is very low.

The strength approach I referred to in other modules has elements of positive psychology. The main focus is on what works well for a person desiring to be well than what doesn’t work well.

In my training I learnt that between 40 and 50% of people in care homes experience depression because of low expectation for old people or people with disabilities. Due to low expectation, no attention is paid to what could help people thrive. People are supported only to get through the day.
New Economics Foundation (NEF) suggests that wellbeing in a daily life consist of:

Connecting-see the relationship one has with people as a cornerstone of life and investing time to develop them

Being Active- Exercising makes one feel good. Discovering a physical activity one enjoys and one that suits their level of mobility and fitness in vital

Taking notice-Being curious and taking an active interest in the world around one.

Keep Learning-Trying something new and discovering old interest, setting a challenge that one will enjoy achieving

Giving-Doing something for a friend or a stranger. Volunteering one’s time and seeing others achieve because one one’s contribution.

Wellness in care and support does not mean just the absence of an illness. Wellness ‘is considered to be an active process of becoming aware of and learning to make choices (healthy choices) that lead toward a longer and more successful existence,’ definition by Wellness Proposal. Wellness has an element of being a process, this means that improvement or regress is possible and is a continuous process. Another element is awareness, which is knowledge about personal conditions, circumstances and events. The final element is choice, awareness of alternatives require a decision on best possible option in line with taste.
Mary Ellen Copeland and a group of mental health service users came up with a tool kit of mental health service users to stay well called WAP. WAP stands for Wellness Recovery Action Plan. WAP realises that people with mental health problems might not get a curer of their illness and will remain with their diagnosis for life. However life should not be at a standstill for people with support needs.
Developing a wellness plan-What should be considered.
Things that have meaning for a service user, what they really care about
Aspirations or possibilities they would like to explore and see whether they might like. This could be keeping busy and taking up voluntary work or joining a sports club. It could be keeping in touch with family regularly through visitation or telephone. Rest, eating and hygiene are considered as well. Setting up a daily plan
Service user should identify what they are like when they are well. Some have said that they go to a day centre daily, others go to work and others go to buy a newspaper etc.

Service user should indentify what they need to do to keep will. For example, taking their medication daily, eat enough food at meal times and go to bed daily and 9pm.

The service user should indentify what they should avoid. For example drug misuse, alcohol, spending time in a crowded and noisy place.

A service user might indentify things that support their wellness but they are not doing them for some reason.

Identifying Triggers and an Action Plan
What the service user is like when well
Daily maintenance plan, what they need to do themselves to maintain the feeling of wellness
What they need to avoid to maintain their wellness
Things they need to do for to maintain their wellness but for some reason they are not able or are not doing them.

Identifying Early Warning Signs and an Action Plan
The service user identifies from previous experience what happens or are signs that they are getting unwell. This is often when they still have control of turn things around before a crisis.
Resource and support to help the service user prevent an escalation of triggers is identified. For example intervention and close monitoring of support workers.

Triggers, Recognition
The service user identifies things that are likely to set off a chain reaction of uncomfortable, unhelpful behaviours, feelings and thoughts.

Action Plan-what to do about these triggers
What can be done to limit or avoid exposure to triggers
Coping with triggers-what to do when exposed to triggers

Crisis Planning
This is what would be done when a service user and workers involved fail to manage early warning symptoms and triggers. It could include self referral to a respite unit and a mental health assessment by staff.

Post Crisis Planning
A review of what went wrong and implementation of a new wellness plan is put in place. A service user is supported to get back to how they were before breaking down.