Estimated studying time: 6 minutes
On this weblog instalment we interview Donald Macaskill to search out out extra about his work because the CEO at Scottish Care and his views on expertise use within the social care sector.
It gives perception into:
- Donald’s background in well being and social care and the issues he’s captivated with.
- How expertise interfaces with care and a few of the present points and limitations.
- His focus areas for the 12 months forward supporting the social care sector.
We dwell in an ageing society. However what does that basically imply?
Within the subsequent 20 years the steadiness of younger and previous will shift to the purpose the place there might be one aged particular person for each two folks of working age. The problem this presents is two-fold, a discount in members of the family in a position to present assist and a smaller pool {of professional} carers.
TL Tech is a Good Houses Options supplier with a distinction. We assist folks get the perfect out of sensible residence applied sciences and create distinctive residence environments to satisfy their wants and price range. Our imaginative and prescient is to “create a house that cares for you as you age”.
Good residence applied sciences have the facility to rework lives, particularly for the susceptible in our society. This weblog sequence might be trying to showcase the alternatives, discover out extra in regards to the folks working on this subject and the way we will create a world the place “sensible meets form®”.
How did you get into working in social care?
I’ve a background in psychology and dealing in studying incapacity and palliative finish of life care. My work has all the time centred round folks and specifically supporting those that could also be excluded, folks on the perimeters and the margins.
What’s the most rewarding a part of your job?
Essentially the most rewarding factor is with the ability to work at a really particular person person-centred degree.
What does wholesome ageing imply to you?
It must be about wellbeing, it must be a holistic method. Within the context of expertise, it’s not about operate alone, it’s about what that permits me to do and who I’m as a person.
There’s a normal notion that aged individuals are expertise averse, what’s your expertise?
I don’t consider that is true, folks need ease of entry, clear objective and explicit private profit. In the event that they don’t see that they are going to be disinterested.
For the time being we’re not giving sufficient consideration to the actual wants of individuals as they age within the shopper expertise that we’re creating.
There was an enormous development in shopper electronics that assist wellbeing and web related units that assist in the house. Do you see a spot for these kinds of applied sciences in supporting assisted residing and supply of care?
At Scottish Care we see expertise as an enabler of relationship relatively than a replacer of relationship. After I take into consideration expertise it must be one thing that’s including worth to who I’m as an individual and what I wish to do and who I wish to be. After I consider those that require assist due to incapacity or age or another attribute, I’m in search of expertise that permits independence. I’m not search for fancy gizmos and sadly this deal with units and merchandise, makes many lose contact with the significance of the relational dimension.
Entry to digital services and products is quick turning into important to the way in which we dwell. How will we make it possible for elements of our society usually are not left behind?
For the reason that pandemic there was an ideal emphasis on getting units for folks. However there are two primary points that we’re not addressing as a society. One is connectivity, in that we assume there’s satisfactory web protection. The opposite is accessibility, we must be extra cognisant of points like visible impairments, listening to and dexterity. Many units will also be heavy to carry.
One other associated situation is how we method information safety, privateness, autonomy, particular person management. Everyone knows about Greta Thunberg and the work that she does to lift consciousness about local weather change. I don’t suppose it’ll be lengthy earlier than somebody like Greta basically calls into query how third events deal with our information. The youthful technology are rather more knowledgeable in regards to the worth of their information.
Do you’ve a favorite guide, creator, blogger or podcast?
I’m a dipper particularly these busy days and so for me any assortment of poetry day by day evokes me. However I additionally discover looking out and discovering brief items on Twitter a incredible useful resource,
What do you love to do outdoors of labor?
I calm down with a very good piece of music and within the absence of dwell music that’s via my headphones. I’m additionally fortunate to dwell 2 minutes from a seashore so want I say extra in regards to the freedom and peace that brings.
What are your prime suggestions for sustaining wellbeing?
Tech can by no means change contact. So, I believe it’s vital to search out time to calm down and swap off; distract your self with what fulfils you and work at remaining related – via discuss and presence if potential.
Do you’ve any resolutions for 2021?
I’ve an inherent private suspicion of creating resolutions as I believe psychologically to take action within the depth of winter whereas we should always all be hibernating may be fairly damaging. However placing that philosophical concern to 1 aspect, my precedence for this 12 months, each personally and professionally, in three phrase is to Protect Social Care. I’ve issues in regards to the political elements, the chance that care turns into medicalised and we then lose sight of the distinctiveness of social care which is about enabling folks to fulfil their wellbeing not simply to be clinically secure. I wish to get to the top of this 12 months with social care being recognised as one thing which is of equal price as healthcare. And which means funding, prioritising it and appreciating it for what it’s and what it contributes.
Speaking to Donald, it’s clear he’s very captivated with empowering folks to dwell unbiased and fulfilled lives, the place they’re handled with dignity and their wants revered.
Some key takeaways from our dialogue embrace:
- Relationships – Social care is about relationships and placing the particular person on the centre of every little thing.
- Expertise – Expertise is simply a part of the answer and must be designed to accommodate our altering wants as we age.
- Preserving Social Care – 2021 may very well be a major turning level for social care.
If you wish to preserve up-to-date with Donald’s ideas and actions, he writes a daily weblog over on the Scottish Care web site, which you’ll be able to entry right here. I actually like following them, as Donald has an actual expertise for writing and all the time manages to encapsulate how he’s feeling together with his phrases and shares his favorite poetry.
Scottish Care have a beautiful challenge that they’re co-ordinating referred to as the Social Care Backyard. It will embrace a Social Care Mosaic for the Care Futures Backyard. The idea got here out of the Collective Care Futures programme as a approach to think about and create a shared imaginative and prescient for the way forward for social care in Scotland. You possibly can contribute to the Social Care Mosaic right here: https://scottishcare.org/social-care-mosaic/ For those who favored this publish, take a look at our web site for extra technical recommendation and our Alexa tutorials on our Youtube channel. You can too subscribe to our mailing checklist to be notified when we now have new posts and assist materials obtainable.
