Meena Part 2 Reflective Exercises
Understanding people's behaviour and decision making
Our behaviours evolve over a life span and are influenced by many of the wider determinants of health including housing, income and environment [3] For someone who does not work and is socially isolated their home is one of their only comforts and should be a safe and pleasant environment to be in. However for many the quality and maintenance of their housing all too often falls outside of their control and may have catastrophic influences on their health and wellbeing both physically and mentally. [1-5] People who are vulnerable in this way may lack the confidence and ability to change their situations and opportunities to do so are often limited. Even with limited chance to make improvements to such scenarios familiarity with surroundings is a comfort to people and often compensates for poor living standards.
Food and warmth are considered to be two of life's essentials, yet some on limited fixed incomes find themselves having to make a choice between heating and eating. Living in cold homes and poor nutrition are both widely recognised to negatively impact on health and as people age this impact gets worse.
The attitudes and values people hold develop over time according to their experiences and social interactions. People in later life sometimes don't like to make a fuss or draw attention to the mselves. Values such as protecting privacy and independence, and being seen to cope may be of high importance to them, even though underneath they are frightened and anxious about what the next day will bring.
Part 2 Question 1
Reflections on Question 1
- Protecting privacy
- Connected only to those in immediate community and family
- Focus on day to day and not to the future
- Meena on her own during the day and reliance on supplementary heating
- Dependent on others
Relying on social connections within existing communities may restrict access to help and benefits available to householders. Privacy and mistrust in external organisations and people mean the types of connections become even more important. Therefore services and organisations need be appropriately targeted at different communities with the information put across in a way and from people appropriate to the audience.
Limited mobility and being dependant on others means basic life needs such keeping warm and eating are a day to day effort. They are likely to focus on the here and now and don’t want to cause a fuss, therefore although they often spend long periods of time uncomfortable they are content with what they have.